West Kootenay athletes shine at 2019 BC Senior Games
By The Nelson Daily Sports
It took a long time for Slocan’s Donald Currie to load up the car for the return trip home from the BC Senior Games held last week in Kelowna.
The veteran track star dominated the oval track en route to winning, wait for it, seven gold medals in the men’s 85-89 division at the 2019 BC Senior Games.
Currie won gold in every race he entered — 400 meters, 200 meters, 1500 meters, 100 meters, 800 meters and 50 meters. He finished the four-day competition with a gold medal in the 3000 meter power walk.
Curries medal haul helped the West Kootenay Zone finished eighth overall with 89 medals — including 30 gold, 27 silver and 32 bronze. Host Okanagan-Similkameen won the zone title with 422 medals, including 180 gold, 119 silver and 123 bronze. Fraser Valley was second followed by the Lower Mainland in third.
Other West Kootenay Zone results had the West Kootenay Sixers Slopitch team winning the silver medal after a 17-12 setback to Vancouver Island’s Parksville Demons in the final of the 55-plus Slopitch event.
The Sixers finished second to Parksville during the round robin draw with a 5-1 record.
The team includes Loni D’Andrea, Lorne Wuori, Bob Murray, Carson Erickson, Mike Roch, Barry Benner, Christine Wayling, Chris Mota, Rick Lowen, Joe Capriglione, Ken Haynes, Luree Gould, John Mota, Steve Cutt, Kevin Melanson and Michelle Johnston.
On the ice, Glacier Kings won the men’s 65-plus Hockey Gold while the younger cousins, Kootenay Kings, took home the silver in the men’s 60-plus ice hockey event.
Headlining the Glacier Kings medal run were Dan Maglio, Doug Kennedy, Bill Kestell, Doug McMullin, Harry Pringle and Joe Williams while Norm Deverney, Pat Severyn, Mike Grace and Warren Johnston, all from Nelson, keyed the silver medal for Kootenay Kings.
On the links, Terry Hearne of Salmo won the gold medal in the men’s 75-79 golf event while Lola Swetlikof of Nelson won two gold medals and a bronze in women’s 55-plus five-pin bowling.
Kathy Letham of Nelson won a silver and bronze medals in the women’s 70-74 badminton singles and doubles.
The Thomas couple, Dave and Eleanor, of Nelson captured the gold and bronze medals in men and women’s 55-plus pairs cribbage.
The 2020 BC Senior Games is being hosted in Richmond, September 15-19.
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