Two Cochrane-area athletes rounded off the 2022 Canada Summer Games with positive performances for Team Alberta last week.
Bearspaw's Wyatt Viste helped Alberta's men's lacrosse team to its first-ever medal at a Canada Summer Games, while Kaden Colling raced in three cycling events during the Games' second week of competition in Niagara, Ont.
Team Alberta's men's lacrosse team shook off a slow start in Ontario – the team fell to Nova Scotia 8-6 and Ontario 12-2 in their opening matches, and drew B.C. 3-3 – to qualify for the semis by beating Manitoba in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, the Albertans came up short in their rematch with Ontario, which put Alberta into the third-place match against Quebec.
Alberta ousted the Belle Province 7-2 to earn their spot on the podium, making history as the first Alberta team to do so.
Viste said Alberta's camaraderie improved as the tournament wore on.
“The games we won, I thought we worked well as a group and used the systems we put into place," said Viste, a 16-year-old lacrosse player and Cochrane High School student. "We didn’t try and do it all by ourselves. In the games we lost, we just couldn’t seem to work as a unit or catch the ball.”
Viste has been playing lacrosse for 12 years, most recently suiting up for the Rocky View Rage U16 squad. Now draft-eligible for the junior (U21) age division, he said he's hoping to be drafted by a junior team next winter.
While he typically plays in a more offensive-focused role, Viste said he played defence for Alberta at the Canada Summer Games, providing a new personal challenge.
“I was definitely pleased with my own performances," he said. "I’m used to playing offence – all my life I’ve played offence – but switched it up for this tournament. It was good to try that out and improve my defensive abilities.”
As one of the team's only members to not reside in Calgary or Edmonton, Viste said it was a privilege to represent Cochrane at the Canada Summer Games. He said the best part of competing in the multi-sport event was making the podium.
“Alberta lacrosse has never brought home a medal from the Games before, so it was definitely a great experience to bring home a medal from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.
“It was definitely different and super cool to see all the other sports there. It was just a bigger, more intense tournament that puts the pressure on you and forces you to be at your best.”
Cyclist competes in three events
Meanwhile, 17-year-old cyclist Kaden Colling represented Cochrane in three separate events.
He pedalled his way to an 18th-place finish in the men's individual time trial thanks to a time of 29:17.12, 10th in the men's criterium, and 23rd in the men's road race, due to a time of 2:57.13.
Colling said he enjoyed the Games as a whole, adding one of the highlights was his strong performance in the men's road race. He said there was a group of three cyclists who broke away from the rest of the pack, and he managed to stay with that group for most of the race until his legs cramped up.
"That wasn’t ideal, but I was happy to make that group and stay with it for roughly 80 kilometres," he said.
The local cyclist, who is heading into Grade 12 at Cochrane High this fall, has been competing in road-cycling for the last three years, having previously played hockey. He said his parents, who are avid cyclists, got him into the sport.
His favourite part of cycling is the competitive aspect.
“The training can get really busy and it’s kind of the same thing, but the racing is what does it for me,” Colling said, adding he qualified for the Canada Summer Games based on his placements at a few different Alberta Bicycle Association events this year.
Other Cochrane athletes who competed at the Canada Summer Games – held Aug. 6 to 21 – included wrestler Nicholas Hooper and baseball player Simon Baker. Hooper earned two medals for Alberta's wrestling team, including gold in his individual weight class and bronze in the team competition, while Baker helped Alberta to a silver medal on the baseball diamond.
Alberta ended the Games fourth in the medal standings, with 111 medals. Those included 35 gold, 33 silver, and 43 bronze.
For full results, visit cg2022.gems.pro.
