NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
July 22, 2014

WRESTLING GOLD, BASKETBALL GOLD, 31 TOTAL MEDALS FOR TEAM BC!
BC girls’ basketball take one-point victory in final seconds

REGINA, SK – Wrestlers, Russell David and Mitchell Keeping, win gold for Team BC! “It feels amazing!” Russell said, after defeating Manitoba in the final 58kg division match. “I’ve been wrestling for 10 years and working for four years to get gold.” Team BC’s Wrestling Coach, Aaron Keitlah, said both gold athletes trained hard in preparation for the 2014 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG).

Mitchell had no points scored against him and got his first pin of the day during his final match in the 76kg weight division against Wisconsin. “I’ve been wrestling for four years,” Mitchell said. “It feels good to get a gold medal!”

“Both Russell and Mitchell always have a game plan in their head,” said Wrestling Coach Kaitlyn Charlie. “Russell overpowered his opponent the whole time for his 10-0 victory and Mitchell was able to wrestle his own match by not being intimidated by his opponents’ tie-up and strong upper body.” The wrestling team placed third overall.

Team BC U14 girls’ basketball win gold! The girls dominated their division, leading them to the gold medal game against Ontario. Another thriller as they pull out their second one-point victory in a row, winning 46-45. Summer de Guevara played her heart out leading the team on both the defensive and offensive ends of the floor. Karalee Antoine scored clutch shots down the stretch to keep the Ontario team on their heels. The crowd was going wild the whole game and stormed the floor as the seconds ticked down!

The U16 girls had a stellar defensive game against New York. Jasmine Hamilton, the defensive star, had three steals. Offensively, Madison Terbasket had 17 points, Megan Metz had 16 points and Reiley Terbasket had 13 points. They won 66-55, sending them to the gold medal game.

More blowout wins for Team BC Basketball! The U19 girls recovered well after a tough loss last night. Every player got on the score sheet. Coach Duane Jackson was impressed by the defensive effort and energy of Gabby Jeffrey, Shaniece Angus, and Vanessa Parnell. They beat Nova Scotia 83-12.

The run continues for Team BC U19 boys’ basketball with another convincing win, this time over New Brunswick. Nate Vogstad had 15 points, Joel Richardson had 11 points and five steals, Perry Terrell had 10 points and four rebounds. The final score was 78-26. Their next game is the semi-final on Wednesday.

Another balanced offensive attack by the U16 boys’ basketball led to their 53-26 win against Manitoba. Cedric Mack dominated the boards grabbing 13 rebounds and leading the team to victory. They head to the final on Wednesday against Wisconsin.

U16 boys’ soccer team played against Northwest Territories who quickly took a one goal lead. BC answered back with a goal of their own, followed by six more goals with a final score of 7-1.

Team BC Canoe Kayak finished the day with more medals at Wascana Lake with one more day of competition left on their schedule.

The Rifle Team shot their first of three days at the Regina Wildlife Federation. All eight athletes are scheduled to shoot the 3P (prone, standing, and kneeling) on Wednesday leading up to the final day where they will shoot 60-rounds prone.

For complete sport competition schedules and results including score sheets, go to http://naig2014.gems.pro.

About Team BC
The Partners Council is responsible for managing the Team BC Program for the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG). Through the support and oversight of its Team BC Work Group and Provincial Sport Committees, the Partners Council has established a coordinated Team BC program that includes the development of a comprehensive process to select the dedicated team of 500 Aboriginal athletes, coaches, managers, chaperones and mission staff to represent British Columbia at the 2014 NAIG

About the North American Indigenous Games
The North American Indigenous Games is an international multi-sport event, involving North American Indigenous athletes from 13 provinces and territories Canada and 13 regions in the United States staged intermittently since 1990.  The 2014 NAIG will take place in the City of Regina on July 20-27, 2014 and will bring together 6,000 athletes and coaches and more than 3,000 host community volunteers and 200 Cultural and Entertainment performers.

About the Partners Council

The Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council (Partners Council) is a consortium of the First Nations Health Authority, BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and the Métis Nation BC. The Partners Council has established six regions across BC inclusive of the Northwest, Northeast, Interior, Fraser, Vancouver Coastal, and Vancouver Island. This structure brings together sport, recreation, physical activity and health leaders from within each Region to establish committees, set priorities and create annual plans for advancing sport, recreation and physical activity in their communities.

-30-

Media contact: Felicia Greekas, Team BC Communication Manager 250-732-2044 or fgreekas@bcaafc.com