S“It was kind of overwhelming seeing everyone participating,” said Sylvan Lake’s Kaitlyn Tanaschyk of her experience at the Alberta Winter Games last weekend.
She won bronze in the 15-17 year old Cadet category of the archery competition.
“It was a new experience, I’ve never done anything like it,” she said. “I was really nervous the first day of the competition.”
Tanaschyk has been shooting arrows as a junior at Red Deer Archery Centre for the past year after she got interested in the sport. She practises every Wednesday.
At the winter games in Spruce Grove and Stony Plain, she shot at single face targets last Thursday, Friday and Saturday aiming to get the highest score.
“It’s interesting for me, it makes me happy and is fun,” she said.
“It takes a lot of concentration.”
The competition consists of shooting three arrows at the target in two minutes. Competitors have 10 seconds to get to the line and begin shooting at targets 20 yards away. Tanaschyk uses a HeartBreaker compound bow made by Bowtech.
Last year she competed in provincials placing fourth and she’ll again be trying out for provincials which are held in Calgary in late March. She’s also planning to participate in the Mother of All Shoots at Red Deer the first week in March and at Camp HeHoHa in April.
Tanaschyk’s sister, Kelby, placed fourth in the 12-14 Cub compound bow competition at the Alberta Winter Games.
Two other Sylvan Lake competitors brought home bronze medals from the games.
Anna Zimmerman placed third in the 15-16 year old juvenile female relay in cross country skiing. She also placed sixth in the juvenile female sprint and seventh in the juvenile female classic.
Brandon Raposo won third place boxing in the 15-17 year old Junior C 66 kg category.
Dallas Zimmerman captured fifth place in the 13-14 year old midget male relay cross country skiing competition. He also took seventh in the midget male classic and tenth in the midget male sprint.
Rylea Lunde placed sixth in the fencing mixed team event competition. She also captured eighth place in the women’s sabre fencing category.
Brooke Kentz won seventh place in the 15-17 Cadet male compound box archery competition.
Christina Boulton competed in female hockey on the team which captured seventh place.
Mataya Rideout, competing in artistic gymnastics, placed seventh in the team-provincial level. She also placed 13th in the provincial level 3-all round competition.
Tyne Becker of Birchcliff, competing in Alpine Skiing, placed sixth in female dual slalom, 35th in 11-12 K1 female Kinder Kombi and 33rd in female slalom.
Red Deer County resident Megan Cressey, competing in freestyle skiing, placed fifth in 11-13 youth female moguls and ninth in female slopestyle.
Bryana Cresset, also competing in freestyle skiing, placed 11th in 11-13 youth female slopestyle.

More than 2,500 athletes from across the province qualified to take part in the event which took place jointly in Spruce Grove, Parkland County and Stony Plain.
Organizers said the games provide the opportunity for many of Canada’s future elite athletes to enjoy their first taste of competition at a provincial level.
The province is divided into eight zones for the Alberta Winter Games.
There are 20 different sporting events for young athletes at the event who range in age from 11 to 17.
“The Alberta Winter Games is truly a memorable experience for all who participate,” said Zone 4 representative Michael Klass. “It is a chance for athletes from all areas of the province to play and compete together in the multi-games setting and it features many of the same attributes as the Olympics with them staying in the athlete’s village, gathering in the food centre, competing at multiple venues and more.”