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Yorkton paddlers shine on provincial stage

Five paddlers from the Yorkton Canoe Kayak Club (YCKC) competed Saturday, July 24, at the Sask Team Trials in Regina.

Five paddlers from the Yorkton Canoe Kayak Club (YCKC) competed Saturday, July 24, at the Sask Team Trials in Regina.

This is the second Regatta to be hosted this year and for some, it meant the first time returning to competition after not being able to attend regattas in 2020 due to the pandemic.

The primary purpose of the event was to establish a training squad of potential athletes for Team Sask for the Canada Summer Games next year. 

Nathan Matechuk (16), Elia Bolme (16), Seth Quiring (13), Stephan Roy (13), and Lily Whitney (9) represented YCKC at the Provincial Regatta. 

Nathan Matechuk (16) competed in the Open Men’s events. In his first race since 2019, Matechuk paddled well and finished with a spot in the ‘B’ Final in the Men's 1000m event. He dominated his final with a 20 second lead. In the 500m event, he battled strong winds and placed fifthth in his heat and finished second in the ‘B’ Final. He finished his return to competition with a solid 200m event. He placed fourth in his heat, securing a place in the ‘A’ final, and finished his day with a 6th place overall in the final. 

Elia Bolme (16) competed well despite the wind conditions in the Open Women’s events, this regatta also being her first competition this season.  She placed 4th Provincially in the K1 1000m, and fifth in both the K1 500m and 200m events. 

Seth Quiring (13) had an excellent regatta, this being his first time at any competition since 2019. Quiring won his U14 Men's 1000m event with a whopping 20 second lead. He had a tremendous 500m race but unfortunately got caught in the wind conditions and flipped just short of the finish line. He had a strong comeback in his 200m event and finished second. He teamed up with a Regina paddler for the U14 Men’s K2 500m and finished 2nd. He also raced with YCKC teammate Stephan Roy to win the U14 Men’s K2 200m event with a six second lead. 

Stephan Roy (13) raced up an age category for this Regatta for the opportunity to be ranked Provincially. Though the youngest in the grouping, he earned a spot in the ‘A’ final for all three of his K1 Men’s events. He placed sixth overall in the 1000m, and 8th in the K1 500m and 200m events. His win with teammate Quiring finished off his solid race day.

After dominating the U10 competition last regatta, Lily Whitney (9) raced up an age category to compete in the Women’s U12 events. She placed second out of 10 paddlers in the 1000m event, missing the lead by only 2 seconds.  Whitney chased down the lead paddler in the 500m event and finished first with less than a second to spare.  She finished her K1s events with a solid win in the 200m.  Whitney teamed up with Saskatoon and Regina paddlers for two K4 events. This was Whitney’s first time competing in a crew boat as team boats were not permitted in 2020 due to Covid sport regulations. They placed third in the 500m and 2nd in the 200m. 

“This regatta was tough mentally and physically for our competitors,” said Head Coach Jessica Riley. “There were nerves due to some of our competitors being away from on-water action for so long and boat flips and then the high winds just added to the mix. I’m very proud of our athletes and all their success. We are thrilled to be back racing and seeing team boats again.”

YCKC athletes turn their training towards competing at the Divisional Championships that will be hosted in Regina on Aug. 7 and 8, and will bring athletes, registrations pending, from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. This will be the first Divisional competition since 2019. Eligible athletes will be racing for a chance to represent their club at Nationals in late August. 

YCKC will also be hosting their own competition on Saturday, Aug. 14 for new/young paddlers from across Saskatchewan.  

For more information about YCKC, its evening drop-in sessions, discount paddling days, and youth programs, visit www.yorktoncanoekayakclub.com and follow them on Facebook.