There was a strong contingent of seasoned athletes from Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows who took part in the 2014 B.C. Seniors Games in Langley from Sept. 9 to 13.
The Fraser Valley team easily won the games, with a total of 622 medals. The second-place Lower Mainland team was well behind with a medal count of 447.
Local ball players were heard from at the Games. The X-Men men’s 55-59 slo-pitch team from the Fraser Valley took gold. On the team were locals Bill Adams, Dale Bonnett, Dave Pringle, Jim Kilner and Rajinder Khunkun.
The Royals took gold in the age 65-69 class, and Greg Smith of Pitt Meadows and Darrell Black of Maple Ridge were part of that squad.
Sheila Plummer, Louise March and Sherri Fort were on the gold medal Valley girls slo-pitch team that won silver.
The 65-plus mixed slo-pitch team that won silver included Pat Hardy, Thelma Joyner and Rahmaul Coss.
The veteran men’s 70-plus slo-pitch team out of the Fraser Valley also won gold, with Ron Bennewith and Terry Hall on board.
Lorna and Stan Melanson took gold in pairs Whist.
The Surrey Schooners won silver in 60-plus hockey with locals Mark Booth and Gary Shellborn.
There were numerous local swimmers from Maple Ridge:
Paul Scanlon won gold in 25-metre backstroke and took bronze in 400m freestyle.
Suzan Paquette was silver in 50m butterfly.
Myriam Schanofski took gold in both 50m butterfly and 200m individual medley, and silver in 100m backstroke
John Convey took silver in both 100m and 50m backstroke and bronze in 25m backstroke
Norine Coops of Maple Ridge won a bronze medal in bridge with her partner Yvonne Funk of Langley.
Hilton Smith took two medals in five pin bowling. He won gold for his six-game score, and bronze for highest single game.