The Northwest Territories won its first gold medal of the 2023 North American Indigenous Games in the final track event of the week.
The male U14 4x400m relay lineup of Ethan Boucher, Greyson Catholique, Kyren Poitras and Kohl McDonald outsprinted five other teams to lift the title.
Crossing the line in 4:20.53, they narrowly edged out Manitoba (4:21.58) and Saskatchewan (4:24.36). Ontario and Wisconsin were farther back and Team Eastern Door and the North was disqualified, while British Columbia did not start.
Boucher, Catholique and McDonald have now all won multiple NAIG medals this week.
“I’m proud of those boys. They really worked hard this week and they were determined to win it,” said coach Kenzie MacDonald.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
MacDonald said Catholique opened up a significant lead in the second leg of the relay, after which Poitras, taking off “like a rocket” for leg three, widened the advantage.
“Kohl cruised right in. Manitoba put up a fight on the last corner, but Kohl was able to stay just ahead of them,” he said.
Team NT had won U14 4x100m bronze a day earlier. “After yesterday, they knew they could be in it,” said MacDonald.
“When Kohl came through the finish line, they were pretty pumped, hugging and high-fiving. We were screaming and I’m over the moon.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
“The team has performed way above my expectation. From not really knowing what a track meet is, these guys did a phenomenal job. At the team meeting last night, I said I had never worked with such a hard-working group of people.”
Eight-year-old’s ‘amazing’ final
After two medals at the pool on Wednesday, NWT swimmers reached almost a dozen finals on Thursday as personal bests continued to drop.
NWT opening ceremony flagbearer Jacob Mitchener won his second bronze medal of the week in the male U19 100m backstroke, while eight-year-old Marin Rutherford-Simon swam in the final of the female U14 200m backstroke, an extraordinary moment.
At Dalhousie University’s 25-metre pool, Marin – whose identical twin Mairi is also competing for Team NT this week – took to the starting blocks alongside five 14-year-olds and two 13-year-olds.
“Amazing,” she said, asked how the race felt after finishing eighth and being roared to the line by fellow swimmers.
“It was a really good experience. I can hear Mairi screaming. It makes me happy when people cheer me on so I can finish the race,” she added.
Meanwhile, badminton players Andrew Kay-Grenier and Detonaze Paulette will play Saskatchewan for male U16 doubles gold on Friday morning.
Elsewhere on Thursday, the male basketball team was defeated by Alberta, as was the male soccer team, while the female soccer team lost to British Columbia. Both volleyball teams were defeated by Ontario, but the female team’s opening two victories have carried them into the quarter-finals, where they face Alberta on Friday.
In golf, Deacon Lantz finished with an impressive 76 – the day’s fourth-best round – to conclude the U16 male golf tournament in seventh place overall. Jackson Fuller was 15th. In the U19 event, Jacob Heron was 22nd.
While events at NAIG continue into Saturday, and the NWT’s volleyball team could still feature at that point, most of the territory’s athletes will wrap up their participation on Friday. Unusually, the closing ceremony in Kjipuktuk (Halifax) will take place on Friday evening, before all the action has concluded.
