A trio of baseball players from Muenster helped their province bring home the silver medals from the Western Canada Summer Games.
Jordan Breker, Brody Frerichs, and Logan Hofmann all played roles for the Saskatchewan male baseball team at the Summer Games in Wood Buffalo, Alta., Aug. 7-16. Success by them and other area athletes helped Saskatchewan nab 127 medals – 22 gold, 42 silver, and 63 bronze. Saskatchewan was fourth in the final medals standings. B.C. had 284 in total, including 134 gold, followed by Alberta, 222), and Manitoba, 144.
“It’s a great honour to represent your province at an event like this,” the Muenster trio wrote in a group text interview.
The Summer Games brought more than 2,500 athletes in 18 sports to the Wood Buffalo area. The 10-day long event drew more than 14,000 guests, including families, coaches, officials, and media.
With a busy baseball schedule, Breker, Frerichs, and Hofmann didn’t get a chance to watch other events, but they enjoyed speaking to other athletes around the Summer Games village. They said that and “playing with a great group of guys at a high level” were some of the best parts of the Summer Games experience.
The Saskatchewan baseball team, which included Watrous’ Tyler McWillie, shrugged off adversity and battled to bring home the silver medals. They went 0-2 to start the event. It bounced back to finish the round robin 3-3 and earn a berth in the finals. Saskatchewan fell 7-3 to British Columbia in the gold medal game. The B.C. squad only lost once at the Summer Games.
The area was also represented in track and field. St. Brieux’s Danielle Major finished ninth in the 400 female hurdles and 10th in the 100 female hurdles. Chance Wylie of Elstow finished sixth in both the male 110 hurdles and 400 hurdles.
Humboldt Golf Club member Tayden Wallin finished 10th in male golf. He shot 234 over three rounds. Wallin shot his best score, a 74, in his opening round.
Colonsay’s Erika Burns, Lanigan’s Courtney Falk, and Jansen’s Emily Koshinsky helped Saskatchewan capture the bronze medals in female indoor volleyball. The team went 3-2 in round robin, which put them third in the standings. In a crossover match, Saskatchewan fell to No. 2 and eventual champion B.C. Team Sask beat Manitoba, 3-0, to win the bronze medals. Annaheim’s Zachary Rohel finished eighth in male triple jump.
