Evan Daum, Canada West Communications
Highlights:
- Three CW women's basketball players helped Canada to bronze at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup over the weekend in Italy
- UBC swimmers Yuri Kisil and Markus Thormeyer took home bronze at the FINA World Aquatic Championships Saturday in Budapest, Hungary
- Former Calgary Dinos QB and two-time Hec Crighton winner Andrew Buckley tossed his first career CFL touchdown Saturday for the Calgary Stampeders
EDMONTON - While the 2017-18 Canada West season has yet to open, there was no shortage of conference successes over the weekend, as several CW athletes were in the news.
Here's a look at what was a busy weekend for five current CW athletes and a former conference star, who enjoyed a professional milestone on the gridiron.
Bongomin, Epoch, and Masikewich help Canada Basketball to bronze
A trio of Canada West women's basketball players had a weekend to remember for the U19 Canadian national program.
Angela Bongomin (University of Regina), Libby Epoch (University of Saskatchewan), and Summer Masikewich (University of Saskatchewan) are heading home from Italy with bronze medals, after the trio suited up for Canada at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2017 in Udine and Cividale del Friuli, Italy.
The Canadians earned the program's first medal at the event thanks to a 69-60 win over Japan Sunday, after falling to the eventual winners from Russia in the semis 65-41 a day earlier.
Epoch was a CW All-Rookie last season for the Huskies, while Masikewich and Bongomin also enjoyed strong starts to their CW careers last season as rookies in the Wheat Province.
The 2017-18 CW women's basketball regular season opens Friday, October 27.
READ MORE - Canadian women win bronze at FIBA U19 World Cup
UBC swimmers earn bronze in Budapest
Canada earned a third medal at the FINA World Championships on Saturday, as the Canucks finished third in the mixed 4x100-metre freestyle relay in Budapest, Hungary.
UBC swimmers Yuri Kisil, who earlier in the week took home bronze 4x100-metre mixed medley relay, and Markus Thormeyer played a part in the Canadian freestyle medal.
Kisil along with Javier Acevedo, Chantal Van Landeghem and Penny Oleksiak set a Canadian record of 3:23.55 in the final to take third behind the Netherlands (silver) and United States (gold). Thormeyer and Sandrine Mainville, who teamed up with Kisil and Van Landeghem in the morning heat to qualify for the final, also received medals thanks to their contributions to the team.
Kisil and Thormeyer will be looking for conference gold come November, as the CW Swimming Championships are set for Nov. 24-26 at the University of Victoria.
READ MORE - Kisil and Thormeyer propel Canada to relay medal at World Championships
Buckley breaks through with passing TD
Former University of Calgary standout quarterback Andrew Buckley enjoyed a career milestone on Saturday, as the two-time Hec Crighton national player of the year tossed his first CFL touchdown pass in the Calgary Stampeders 60-1 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The historic 10-yard pass, which was the first passing TD by a U SPORTS QB since Larry Jusdanis in 1996, came early in the fourth quarter when Buckley hooked up with former Dino Anthony Parker. Buckley entered the game to start the second half after the Stamps raced out to a 39-1 lead after 30 minutes.
The major was the 10th regular season TD of Buckley's career, as the second-year pro had nine rushing TDs coming into the game.