When the 2017 55+ BC Games in Vernon concluded on Sept. 16, a large number of the 227 medals won by athletes from the South Central Zone 8 hung from the necks of residents from the Salmon Arm area.
Muriel Hurlbert was a powerhouse in the pool in the women’s 75-79 division, picking up five medals: a silver in the 200-metre individual medley, bronze in the 800-m freestyle, silver in the 100-m backstroke, bronze in the 100-m breaststroke and silver in the 25-m backstroke. She also finished fourth in the 400-m freestyle.
Former Salmon Arm police officer Yvonne Dibblee, who lives just outside Salmon Arm, accumulated a whopping six golds and one silver in individual 60-64 track and field events, as well as a gold in the team 4-by-400 power walk relay.
Two curling rinks from Salmon Arm went undefeated on their way to gold medals. The women’s 55+ team made up of Sandra Jenkins, Kate Horn, Wendy Cseke and Gerri Kiy, as well as the mixed team of Wayne Merwin, Jane Stephenson, Larry Stephenson and Jan Merwin, both topped the podium.
The North Okanagan Angels Women’s 55+ Slo-Pitch team brought home the gold medal in their category for the second year in a row. They managed to defeat the Hotshots from the Lower Mainland in the final game. Although the Angels were down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh, they were able to pull it together to win it all.
At the ice rink, hockey teams with a large Salmon Arm component brought home medals in the 55+ and 70+divisions. The 55+ Shuswap Mariners brought home silver medals while the 70+ Old Dogs won their division.
For the first time in the Games’ 30-year history, women’s soccer was included. Okanagan Prime, technically a Zone 5 team but featuring Tricia Martin, Lizzy Mair, Martha Wickett, Karen Tanchak and Bonnie Kelly from the Salmon Arm area, claimed silver.
Allen Bahen won gold in the men’s 65- to 69-year-old recreational cycling road race. He also raced to silver in the time trial. Pat Danforth won gold in the women’s 60- to 64-year-old competitive road race as well as a bronze in the time trial.
On the golf course, Monty Kilborn earned a silver medal with a low gross score in the golf 75- to 79-year-old division.
Four horseshoe players from Salmon Arm earned medals. Edwin Kries picked up a gold and Clarence Juell won bronze in B class. Amy Kidd took gold in A class. Faith Juell and Marlene Marshall also claimed gold in C class.
Paddlers from the North-Okanagan and Shuswap produced fast times in the water off Kalamalka Beach.
The Shuswap Coots took silver in the Women’s 55+ dragon boat race with a time of 2:34.99.
In the men and women’s 55+ dragon boat race, team Dr’Agonize, made up of paddlers from Salmon Arm and Enderby, brought home gold.
Seven Salmon Arm pickleball teams finished on the podium. Leanna Kerr and Brian Young won bronze in 3.25 mixed doubles. Kerr also picked up a silver medal with Linda Brown as her partner in women’s 3.25 doubles.
Deb McDonald of Salmon Arm and Richard Slater from Anglemont earned silver medals in 3.75 mixed doubles.
Murray Feenstra and Shirley Knorr from Salmon Arm won silver in mixed 4.0 doubles. Feenstra won a second silver alongside Gord McAllister in the men’s 3.75 doubles.
Judith Heunis and Ray Marks placed third in the 4.5+ mixed doubles. Heunis also won the women’s 4.0 doubles event with Knorr as her partner.