Cole Benkic wins Gold for at Western Canada Games and is flag bearer for Team Sask

The 2011 Western Canada Games were held in Kamloops BC from August 5 to 14th with the swimming competition held August 11 to 14. Team Saskatchewan Swim Team was well represented by:

Female team members – Mikayla Amundsen, Joyce Arends, Cassandra Brassard, Katie Durant (Special Olympic), Alexandra King, Monica Mastromatteo, Lindsay Reimer (Special Olympic) Nicole Robinson, Brittany Stewart and Kailynn Taylor.

Male team members – Colin Aspen, Cole Benkic, James Burkell, Noah Choboter, Adam Eisbrenner (Special Olympic), Elie Fenyes, Ben Sheard (Special Olympic), Donavan Spilchuk, Brennen Taylor and Joseph Wright.

Cole Benkic won Gold in the Men’s 100 Fly and 200 Fly
Cassandra Brassard won Bronze in the Women’s 100 Back
Monica Mastromatteo won Bronze in the Women’s 100 Fly

In addition Team Sask won 3 Bronze Medals in the Relays:
Cassandra Brassard, Mikayla Amundsen, Monica Mastromatteo and Joyce Arends in the Women’s 4 x 50 Medley Relay
Noah Choboter, Elie Fenyes, Cole Benkic and Donavan Spilchuk in the Men’s 4 x 50 Medley
Jimmy Burkell, Joseph Wright, Cole Benkic and Donavan Spilchuk in the Men’s 4 x 100 Medley

Joyce Arends had a great meet swimming 100% best times in all 5 of her events, sometimes also achieving another best time in finals! Jimmy Burkell also achieved 100% best times in all 5 of his events, as did Lexy King.

Cole was then selected by the Team Sask mission staff to carry the flag for Team Sask into the closing ceremonies. Congratulations Team Sask

4 x 50 Medley Relay Bronze Medalists
Top Row from left to right: Donavan Spilchuk, Noah Choboter, Elie Fenyes and Cole Benkic
Sitting form left to right: Monica Mastromatteo, Cassie Brassard, Mikayla Amundsen and Joyce Arends

Flag bearer Cole Benkic

The Western Canada Games is a Multi-sport Games held every 4 years.
Swimmers had to have been aged 16 and under and therefore age eligible for the 2013 Canada Games.

The Western Canada Games is for the 4 Western Provinces and Territories. In swimming, each Province/Territory could have a team size of 8 female and 8 male able body swimmers, 2 female and 2 male Special Olympic swimmers and 2 female and 2 male of Para swimmers. Team Sask did not have any Para swimmers on the 2011 Western Canada Games Team.

Team Sask was comprised of a total of 430 athletes, coaches, managers and mission staff from 19 different sports and from all across the province.

While being on the 2011 Western Canada Games team does not guarantee any swimmer a spot on the 2013 Canada Games team, it did give the swimmers in Kamloops the experience of participating in a multi-sport games and seeing what it is like to live in an athlete’s village with athletes from various sports and other provinces.

Swim Saskatchewan congratulates the medal winners as well as all 20 swimmers and the 5 coaches and manager that represented the Team Sask Swim Team in Kamloops. Thanks for making the Province and Swim Sask proud of your achievements and for representing us well not only in the pool but also in your behavior and demeanor.