ST. JOHN’S -- Saskatchewan picked up a pair of bronze medals on the final day of competition in Week 1 of the 2025 Canada Summer Games.
The men’s baseball team battled to a 4-2 victory over Prince Edward Island to take third place in their tournament, while women’s beach volleyball team of Saskatoon’s Erika Markentin and White City’s Alexa Smith defeated Alberta in three sets to claim bronze in their event.
The remainder of Team Sask’s competitors played for placement in their respective sports as the opening week of the Games comes to a close. Sunday is changeover day before artistic swimming, athletics, women’s baseball, men’s box lacrosse, mountain bike, diving, golf, women’s soccer, men’s softball, indoor volleyball and wrestling take centre stage.
Saskatchewan finishes Week 1 with four medals, a gold and three bronze, to sit seventh on the medal table.
Check out the photos above for a quick look at the results Saturday, and read below for more detailed summaries.
Men’s Baseball
Saskatchewan fell behind 2-0 in the first inning of the bronze medal game, but rallied to tie the game in the second and took the lead for good with another two runs in the third.
That was more than enough offence for Team Sask starting pitcher Mitchell Rauckman of Saskatoon, who would go the distance and allow only two runs while scattering six hits and striking out five over the seven innings.
Saskatoon’s Casey Rauckman was one of Saskatchewan’s offensive leaders, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Saskatoon’s Aidan Marien, Saskatoon’s Reid Olfert and Muenster’s Cade Britz scored their other runs. Saskatoon’s Aiden Kilshaw also had a pair of hits in the game.
Women’s Beach Volleyball
After enduring a tough three-set loss to Quebec in the semifinal a day earlier, Markentin and Smith put the shoe on the other foot in the bronze medal game.
They’d go on to a 17-21, 21-19, 15-13 victory over Alberta’s Sasha Pasloski and Ella Layzell to finish in third place after a solid performance throughout the week.
Men’s Basketball
Saskatchewan took an 84-59 win over New Brunswick to finish in seventh place.
Team Sask got off to a good start with a 23-17 lead out of the first quarter and went into the half leading 51-36.
North Battleford’s Nate Fransoo led Saskatchewan with 23 points, while Martensville’s Jakob Jungwirth had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Regina’s Mofope Soyemi scored 15, Regina’s Isaiah Yemba also had 12 points and Prince Albert’s Zane Litzenberger scored 11.
Women’s Basketball
Team Sask dropped a 70-62 decision to Quebec and finish in sixth place.
Quebec took a 21-15 lead out of the first quarter before Saskatchewan closed a bit of ground and trailed 34-30 at halftime. Quebec would pull away in the third, outscoring Team Sask 25-19.
Saskatoon’s Sloane Holt-Mellor scored 19 points and added nine rebounds to lead Saskatchewan, while Regina’s Jael Wells scored 12 and Saskatoon’s Ryan Deutscher added 10. Regina’s Nicole Mebad had 10 rebounds.
Cycling
The men’s and women’s criterium closed out the road cycling portion of the Games on Sunday.
In the men’s race, Moose Jaw’s Marcus Capili finished in 32nd place, Regina’s Isaac McMurray ended up 34th and Saskatoon’s Mikko Veeman finished 37th.
The women’s race saw Saskatoon’s Maria McCartney cross the line in 14th, Shellbrook’s Marcail Philp finish 27th and Saskatoon’s Lydia Stack-Michasiw finish 29th.
Sailing
Wynyard’s Daniel Laverty finished in fifth place with 45 points in the Men’s Single Handed ILCA division.
Saskatoon’s Elly Vardeh Esakian finished in ninth place with 85 points in the Women’s Single Handed ILCA division.
Saskatoon’s Joseph Gumulcak and Rhys Klem finished in ninth place in the Men’s Double Handed 29er class.
Tennis
Team Sask lost 4-2 to Nova Scotia to finish in sixth place.
Men’s Singles: Regina’s Kaiden Gui lost 6-2, 6-2 to Kieryn Minor and Regina’s Michael Liu lost 6-0, 6-1 to Caden Colburne.
Women’s Singles: Regina’s Karina Berska defeated Paige Ramsey 6-3, 6-1 and Regina’s Isabella Yan defeated Meghna Anand 6-3, 6-0.
Men’s Doubles: Regina’s Arya Guha and Ethan Guo lost 6-3, 7-5 to Simon Mujoomdar and Jacob Propper.
Women’s Doubles: Regina’s Anna Klemmer and Saskatoon’s Margarita Ter-Grigoryan lost 6-2, 6-1 to Vida Campbell and Sofie Hajek.
Men’s Beach Volleyball
Saskatoon’s Paul Mytopher and Luke Enstrom defeated Newfoundland’s Issa Lymburner and Liam Freake 21-16, 21-14 to finish in ninth place.
