Lakeland athletes bring in the medals at 55 Plus provincials

Fifty-one competitors from Northeastern Alberta reached the podium at the Alberta 55 Plus Games in Leduc August 21-24. More than 100 athletes from the northeast zone (Zone 7) qualified to participate at the Games.

Zone 7 fielded competitors in 15 of the 23 sports. The biggest Zone 7 representation was in pickleball.

Alberta 55 Plus president Lea Dashkewytch was happy with the Leduc games. With 1100 athletes attending, she said “it’s been bigger than we even thought it would be.”

“This weekend has been very exciting, very action packed,” she said. Dashkewytch competed in Contract Bridge, but finished out of the medals. “The St. Paul ladies beat everybody in our [event], so that was wonderful.”

(Louise Carpenter and Lillian Ayres took the gold medal in Contract Bridge for Zone 7.)

Dashkewytch says the 55 Plus movement is all about building important social connections—winning is secondary.

“Our initial objective is to keep the socialization in the seniors’ organization. To make sure that people don’t stay shut in at home, they come out and do things with other people. The socialization was always the goal,” she said. 

“Even if you’re not winning, who cares? You’re here seeing old friends and meeting new ones.”

Currently in her first year as president, Dashkewytch says a priority for the organization is to raise its public profile and boost awareness about the importance of sport as a lifetime activity. She said the province, and charities that support sport, should be encouraging older adults  to be active.

Alberta Games winners qualify to advance to 55 Plus Canada Games. The 2026 Canada Games, originally slated for Winnipeg, have been postponed to 2028 due to lack of funding.

Dashkewytch said decision-makers should be looking at what kind of old age they want for themselves, and start building for it now.

“I think if you don’t try to get at least somewhat engaged with the elders in your communities, what you’re going to find is there will be no services available to you when you become one,” she said. “It’s very, very important that they realize the value of committing to something with seniors.”

Meanwhile, seniors’ sport carries on every day at the grassroots level through seniors’ clubs and local sports associations. 

The next Alberta 55 Plus Games is slated for Fort McMurray in 2027.

Provincial summer games Leduc 2025 zone 7 results

Men’s 8-Ball Pool – Age 75
1st Place – Bill Cormylo – Z3
2nd Place – Wilfred Collins – Z7
3rd Place – Wayne Ritco – Z3

Women’s 8-Ball Pool – Age 55
1st Place – Shirley Hordal – Z7
2nd Place – Linda Bennett – Z8
3rd Place – Darlene Huska – Z6

Women’s 8-Ball Pool – Age 65
1st Place – Jody Turner – Z1
2nd Place – Noella Amable – Z7
3rd Place – Diann McLeod – Z6

Women’s 8-Ball Pool – Age 75
1st Place – Phyllis Collins – Z7
2nd Place – Carole Foster – Z5
3rd Place – Marie Canfield – Z4

Contract Bridge – Age 55+
1st Place – Louise Carpenter & Lillian Ayres – Z7
2nd Place – Frank Thompson & Sandra Thompson – Z6
3rd Place – Bernie Schoenberger & Henry Langard – Z5

Bocce – Age 55
1st Place – Brenda Eger, Brent Eger, Karen Kozlowski, Tom Steele – Z5
2nd Place – Marie Routhier, Maxine Price, Meg Price, Suzanne Doyle – Z7
3rd Place – Darcy Hutchison, Linda Labbe, Marie Hutchison, Rick Bennett – Z8

Cribbage Doubles – Age 55
1st Place – Darcie Wasyluk & Jerone Bourassa – Z7
2nd Place – Doreen Bodinsky & Elaine Meyer – Z5
3rd Place – Rhonda Bruder & Ronald Bruder – Z8
6th Place – Gloria Ebert & Jane Boothman – Z7
13th Place – Ken Coats & Wendy Coats – Z7

Cribbage Singles – Age 55
1st Place – Kevin Ulrich – Z7
2nd Place – Harriet Komarnicki – Z6
3rd Place – Donald Jennings – Z5
7th Place – Dawn Prawdzik – Z7

Cribbage Singles – Age 70
1st Place – Jim Sale – Z5
2nd Place – Harry Hall – Z2
3rd Place – Vern English – Z6
6th Place – Gordon Klippenstein – Z7
7th Place – Bob Wingrowich – Z7

Duplicate Bridge – Age 55
1st Place – Joanne McLaughlin & Dave McLaughlin – Z5
2nd Place – Lloyd White & Jim Norman – Z6
3rd Place – Judy Young & George Slack – Z8
4th Place – Helene Severyn & Jose Lapointe – Z7

Floor Curling – Age 55
1st Place – Deborah Berger, Ed Berger, Russ Verhaeghe, Wayne Downey – Z4
2nd Place – Edith Moen, Gabrielle Marcoux, Larry Highberg, Shirley Highberg – Z7
3rd Place – Elaine Muceniek, Gary Wedge, Larry Melville, Ron Pollack – Z8

Scrabble – Rated – Age 55
1st Place – Gladys Wilson – Z4
2nd Place – Susan Brigliadori – Z3
3rd Place – Sharon Hatch – Z7

Scrabble – First Tournament – Age 55
1st Place – Marilyn St. Germain – Z4
2nd Place – Laurie Duncan – Z4
3rd Place – George Husereau – Z7

Cornhole Singles – Age 55+
Silver – Dan Sorensen
Bronze – John Evans

Cornhole Doubles – Age 70+
Gold – Dan Sorensen & John Evans

Floor Curling – Age 70
1st Place – Delores Heck, Dianne Androschuk, Linda Frank, Stan Androschuk – Z6
2nd Place – Tom Whaling, Jean Bolen, Dallas Dearman, Diane Benz – Z5
3rd Place – Carl Eisenkrein, Norma Spiker, Judy Greenwood, Marilyn McGhan-Eisenkrein – Z8
4th Place – David Highberg, David Ozero, Dorothy Wilson, Eian Wilson – Z7

Floor Suffleboard – Age 70
1st Place – Angele MacLeod & Al Hoffman – Z6
2nd Place – Cheryl Palko & Peter Palko – Z7
3rd Place – Gary Sky & Elaine Sky – Z8
Men’s Darts Singles – Age 65
1st Place – Patrick Bobowsky – Z7
2nd Place – Neil Weston – Z2
3rd Place – Rick Canning – Z7

Women’s Darts Singles – Age 55
1st Place – Ada Matchem – Z7
2nd Place – Blossom Braganza – Z2
3rd Place – Janeeen Wetzstein – Z3

Women’s Darts Singles – Age 65
1st Place – Betty Ann Formstone – Z2
2nd Place – Lucy Brace – Z7
3rd Place – Dianne Pelland – Z3

Women’s Darts Doubles – Age 55
1st Place – Linda Carter & Ada Matchem – Z7
2nd Place – Dianne Pelland & Janeen Wetzstein – Z3
3rd Place – Betty Ann Formstone & Blossom Braganza – Z2

Women’s Darts Doubles – Age 65
1st Place – Lucy Brace Z7 & Linda Stevenson Z4
2nd Place – Sharon Gillison Z5 & Evelyn Lesuik Z8

Euchre – Age 55
1st Place – Susan Witsel & Curtis Witsel – Z5
2nd Place – Inge Westin & Garty Seltinger – Z5
3rd Place – Mary Boratynec & Marshall Boratynec – Z5
6th Place – Mary Pelechosky & Glenys Munro – Z7
9th Place – Liz Pinch & Willie Yackobeck – Z7

Military Whist
1st Place – Caroline Sweeney, David Clennett, Janice Clennett, Margaret Baguley – Z7
2nd Place – Carolyn DeFord, Emma Lumley, Jessie Nowosad, Victor Nowosad – Z7
3rd Place – Allie Redgwell, Angeline Majeau, Dianne Soltys, Linda Hughes – Z5

Men’s Tennis – Age 55
1st Place – Jesus Casey Enriquez & Mark Beaulieu Z7

Pickleball – Age 55+
Silver – Brian Locke & Brad Balaski (3.0–3.99)
Silver – Robin Acton & Tanya Robertson (3.5–3.99)
Gold – Carla Cooper & Brad Balaski (3.0–3.49) 

Pickleball – Age 60+
Gold – Brian Robinson & Mark Hardy (3.0–3.49) 
Silver – Marlene Woods & Janet Elliott (3.0–3.49) 
Bronze – Lisa Stewart & Brian Locke (3.0–3.49) 
Gold – Sandy Cumby & Bill Hardy (4.0–up) 

Pickleball – Age 65+
Bronze – Bev Jones & Darlene Smith (3.0–3.49) 
Gold – Gayle & Donald Bulbeck (3.0–3.49)
Gold – Daryl Crooks & Gordon McNeill (3.0–3.99) 

Pickleball – Age 70+
Gold – Bruce Pattison & Dave Shankowsky (3.5–3.99)
Gold – Marilyn Noble & Sandra Mallett (2.0–2.99) 
Silver – Sandra Maiiett & Mark Hardy (3.0–3.49) 

Golf – Age 55+
Gold – Kelly Mutter – Low Gross net (Gross)
Silver – Stephane Becotte – Low Gross Net (Net)
Gold – Patti Keroski – Calloway
Silver – Darren Whitford – Calloway

Golf – Age 65+
Gold – Manon Rheaume – Low gross net (Gross)
Bronze – Michelle Robitaille – Low Gross net ( Gross) 
Gold – Manon Rheaume – Low Gross Net (Net) 

Golf – Age 60+
Bronze – Murray Gauthier – Low Gross Net (Net) 

Golf – Age 70+
Silver – Patricia Sevcik – Calloway

Women’s Track & Field 50 m – Age 65+
1st – Susan Sagert – Time 8.65 – Z2
2nd – Joan Regehr – Time 9.16 – Z7
3rd – Kit Nielsen – Time 9.49 – Z4

Men’s Track & Field 50 m – Age 85+
1st – Ed Storch – Time 8.29 – Z7
2nd – Takuo Nakano – Time 15.90 – Z6

Women’s Track & Field 100 m – Age 65+
1st – Susan Sagert – Time 17.80 – Z2
2nd – Kit Nielsen – Time 17.84 – Z4
3rd – Joan Regehr – Time 18.62 – Z7

Men’s Track & Field 100 m – Age 85+
1st – Ed Storch – Time 16.38 – Z7
2nd – Peter Kwan – Time 22.49 – Z6
3rd – Takuo Nakano – Time 28.74 – Z6

Men’s Track & Field 200 m –  Age 80+
1st – Ed Storch – Time 35.14 – Z7
2nd Doug Kelly Time 39.53 Z6
3rd John Stewart Time 50.94 Z6

Men’s Track & Field 400 m – Age 80+
1st – Ed Storch – Time 1:26 – Z7

Men’s Track & Field Discus – Age 80+
1st – Al Bromling – Distance 21.32 – Z8
2nd – Ernie Robson – Distance 20.57 – Z2
3rd – Jim Sawchyn – Distance 16.47 – Z4
5th – Bob Cormack – Distance 13.95 – Z7

Men’s Track & Field Javelin – Age 80+
1st – Brian Hill – Distance 20.00 – Z2
2nd – Jim Sawchyn – Distance 18.21 – Z4
3rd – Ernie Robson – Distance 14.06 – Z2
4th – Bob Cormack – Distance 13.59 – Z7

Men’s Track & Field Long Jump – Age 80+
1st – Brian Hill – Distance 2.85 – Z2
2nd – Bob Cormack – Distance 1.74 – Z7
3rd – Bob Walker – Distance 1.20 – Z5

Men’s Track & Field Shotput – Age 80+
1st – Al Bromling – Distance 10.00 – Z8
2nd – Jim Sawchyn – Distance 7.27 – Z4
3rd – Bob Walker – Distance 6.90 – Z5
4th – Bob Cormack – Distance 6.88 – Z7