Prince Rupert was well represented at the 2017 North American Indigenous Games as athletes in track and field, swimming and basketball made the trip to Toronto to compete for the B.C. team July 17-21. A number of participants from Prince Rupert were able to score medals in both individual and team competition.
Swimming
Sixteen-year-old Amy Leighton competed in 12 events, bringing home six total medals. Leighton won two bronze medals, one in the female under-16 100 metre butterfly event with a time of 01:09.61 and the second in the female under-16 100 metre freestyle event with a time of 01:02.75. Leighton also won a silver medal in the under-16 female 50 metre butterfly with a time 00:30.67. Finally, Leighton scored three gold medals, one in the under-16 female 200 metre butterfly with a time of 02:36.06, the under-16 female 200 metre individual medley with a time of 02:31.71, and the under-16 female 800 metre freestyle with a time of 09:44.27.
Fifteen-year-old Warren Barton competed in ten events, also medalling in six of them. Barton won three bronze medals, one in the under-16 male 100 metre backstroke with a time of 01:11.09, the second in the under-16 male 100 metre freestyle with a time of 01:00.24, and the third in the under-19 male 4x50 metre medley relay with a time of 02:09.41. Barton also won a silver medal on the under-19 male 4x50 metre freestyle relay with a time of 01:53.50. Finally, Barton won gold as a part of the under-16 male 4x100 metre freestyle relay with a time of 04:34.87.
Track and Field
Eighteen-year-old Jason Rioux competed in four events taking home two golds, one in the under-19 male male high jump after jumping 1.8 metres, and one in under-19 triple jump jumping a distance of 12.23 metres.
“It’s really nice to be there and see all aboriginals competing against each other,” Rioux said.
Seventeen-year-old Robert Warren competed in three events winning a silver medal in the under-19 male shot put event with a throw of 11.36 metres.
Seventeen-year-old Jalen Stanley competed in four events with his best finish coming in the under-19 male 800 metre run with a time of 02:36.14
Basketball
Several Prince Rupert athletes represented B.C. on the provinces baskebtall teams. Nikki Davis won a silver medal with under-14 female basketball team which finished its round robin play 1-1 and eventually losing to team Wisconsin 31-54 in the final game.
Aiden Leighton won silver with the under-14 male squad that finished with a round-robin record of 2-0 before eventually losing to team Minnesota in a tightly contested 54-50 loss.
Kristy Innis and Payton Henry won silver with the under-16 B.C. female team which finished 3-0 in round robin play, losing in the final game to team New York 74-66.
Ruby Mason competed hard with the under-19 female team who finished with a final round robin record of 2-2, but were unable to make it to the elmination stage of the competition.
“I’m proud of the way the girls battled throughout the tournament even if things didn’t always go our way,” said team coach Duane Jackson. “It was a
Colby Stevens brought home a gold medal with under-16 male team that finished round robin play with a perfect record of 4-0, eventually going on to win the gold medal game 80-63 against team Wisconsin.
Dionte Stephens and Quinn Leighton played with the under-19 male team that finished with a record of 3-1, eventually losing in their seminfinal game to team Washington 82-76. The team would eventually place fourth after losing a close 98-90 contest to team New York.