WEYBURN – Over 200 athletes, coaches and their families filled McKenna Hall in Weyburn for a Team Â鶹ÊÓƵeast pep rally on Sunday afternoon to help prepare them for the upcoming Saskatchewan Winter Games.
DJ Richy Roy had the music pumping as he emceed the rally, including introducing the athletes and coaches for each of the teams.
The Team Â鶹ÊÓƵeast mission staff were also introduced, and Chef de Mission Tara-Leigh Heslip gave an overview of what the athletes can expect for living quarters at the athletes village at the University of Regina.
The mission staff includes Vickie Procyk, assistant chef, of Fillmore; Sandra Lee Brown of Montmartre; Kathy Erickson, Jacquie Van De Woestyne, Tina Clay, Joni Hagen and Dallas Cossar, all of Weyburn; Dan Heslip of Indian Head; and Ryan Reiss of Vibank.
The teams were taken downstairs for their walk-out uniforms after they were introduced, and a large group photo of all athletes and coaches was taken at the end of the rally.
The Games are being held in Regina, and will run from Feb. 19 to 25.
The first half of the games, from Feb. 19-22, will feature alpine skiing, artistic swimming, biathlon, badminton, Special Olympics bowling, curling, gymnastics, speed skating, table tennis and weightlifting.
The second half, from Feb. 22-25, will include cross-country and para-Nordic skiing, figure skating, futsal, judo, target shooting and wrestling.
The latest team members for Team Â鶹ÊÓƵeast were named, and include the following.
For table tennis, female competitors will include Maia Wilson, Bailey Baumgartner, Tenley Clements, Madison Richaud and Kierra Goudy, all of Stoughton, and Hannah Mercer and Erica Gener of Estevan.
Male competitors include Easton Berner, Kruz Brigden, Kaden Piper and Leif Clark, all of Stoughton; Emmanual Pallarca of Weyburn; Carter Morrison of Carlyle and Connor Mercer of Estevan.
The coach is Derek Mercer and manager is Rowena Clements.
The weightlifting team includes female athletes Alix Rae and Kristen East of Carlyle, and Talen Pinacie-Littlechief of White Bear First Nation. Male athletes are Rhys Fowler of Weyburn and Kalen Greenbank of Wawota. The coach is Ryan Fowler of Weyburn and Tracey Handley is the manager.
The wrestling team includes Avlynn Drake, Chris Dayaan, Ephraim Henning, Keran Seitz and Khloe Higgins, all of Weyburn; Avery Barnett of Carlyle; Caitlin Cross and Rowan Murray of Wawota; and Kohen Brownridge of Arcola.
The coach is Wendy Marcotte, and the manager is Greg Kiraly of Weyburn.
The curling team includes female curlers Heidi Fradette and Amy Fradette of Lake Alma, and Kristen Carlson and Malina Stead of Estevan, with Pauline Ziehl-Grimsrud as the coach.
The male curlers are Peyton Blair and Ryder Blair of Balgonie, and Frederick Comfort of White City, with Paul Comfort as coach and Jessica Blair as manager.
In mixed doubles are Elizabeth Kessel of Balgonie and Brecklin Gervais of Kronau, with Ken Bakken as the coach.
The Artistic Swimming team includes Payton Caldwell, Marley Kradovill, Ella Leko and Lily Popescu, all of Weyburn, plus Ava Allen of Midale, Sasha Mantei, Sierra Mantei, Rowyn Shier and Isabelle Pyra, all of Estevan. Kim Neithercut is the coach, and Meagan Rothwell is the manager.
The gymnastics team includes Avery Fleck, Sadie Hodgkin and Sophie Pollock, all of Weyburn, and Eliza Gall and Heidi Byers of Estevan, with coaches Lana Hamel and Josephine Sylvestre.
In the sport of speed skating is Ethney Ritco of McLean.
For alpine skiing, athletes are Reece Waffle of Balgonie and Drew Kish of Emerald Park, with coach Richard Rumancik.
The Special Olympics bowling team includes Robin Stelter, Antonius Quist, Devon Jensen and Vernon Ernst, all of Weyburn, and Sarah Henry and Cynthia Goudy of Estevan, with Jo-Ann Paxman of Weyburn as the coach, and Brad Ernst as manager.
The biathlon team includes Karsen Gruber, Kaylie Gruber, Braxton Charlebois and Emma Atchison, all of White City, and Aurelia Whyte of McLean, with Amie Gruber as coach, and Cameron Charlebois as manager.
The figure skating team includes Vaida Maas of Wapella; Mcauy Hutshison and Reata Lovich of Balgonie; Magdelena Szlapacka, Rachel Duncan, Sydney Brooks and McKenna Bohn, all of Estevan; Abigail Haas of White City; Cassidy Mannle of Whitewood; Rory Greenbank and Nate Greenbank of Wawota, and coaches Ashley Piper and Jessica Lovich, and manager Shaelyn Olafson.
Athlete Zachary Kanasevich of Vibank will compete in judo, with coaches Tyrell Stringer and Paige Irwin.
Target shooting will field a team of the following athletes: Loukenson Giroux, Nevaeh Ripplinger, Arley Procyk, Lovekinda Giroux, Paityn Peto, Quinn Peto, Kelsey Ripplinger, Jaxon Stevenson and Kai Stevenson, all of Montmartre; Brady Goldfinch-Bali of Glenavon; and Isabelle Rissling of Kendal, with Robert Giroux as coach, and Vickie Ripplinger as manager.
The Futsal team includes Gradyn Brown, Brent McNish and Sebastien Giroux, all of Montmartre; Indiana Froese of Estevan; Ronan Heslip and Morgan Ede of Indian Head; Ethan Snider, Torsten Reinkens and Austin Brown, all of White City; Emmanuel Pallarca and Tace Odima of Weyburn; Abdeta Landega of Pilot Butte; and Alex Slinn of Davin, with the father-son team of Jason Roy and Brennen Roy as coaches, and Krista Brown as manager.
The 2023 Saskatchewan Winter Games Host Organizing Committee and Saskatchewan Games Council have announced that tickets for the Games are now on sale.
In addition, select events from all sports will be live-streamed during the 2023 Saskatchewan Winter Games via HomeTeam Live. HomeTeam Live streaming will be available live and available on demand after each game is complete. The event will be free to watch all week long at app.hometeamlive.com.
Saskatchewan Winter Games results can be found at www.saskgames.ca, beginning Monday, February 19.
