Youth athletes bring home silver, gold from Ontario Summer Games
Centre Wellington teens Lily Tunney and Blair Gray competed with Tri-County basketball teams
WATERLOO – Two Centre Wellington athletes brought home hardware from the Ontario Summer Games in Waterloo Region from July 30 to Aug. 2.
Elora’s Blair Gray, 13, competed on the Tri-County boys’ basketball team, which won gold.
And Fergus’ Lily Tunney, 13, competed on the Tri-County girls’ basketball team, which earned silver.
The Tri-County teams included youth from Wellington, Dufferin and Grey counties.
The Ontario Summer Games is a multi-sport competition for youth that has been an annual tradition in the province since the inaugural games in Oshawa in 1973. The games now encompass 23 sports.
Drawing players from three rural counties, the Tri-County boys’ team competed against teams from urban centres, defeating Barrie and Toronto before ultimately facing Ottawa in the final and winning gold.
Gray, who was pleased with the result, said he was told his team was the first Summer Games basketball team to win every game and take gold.
The Tri-County girls’ team also advanced to the final before narrowly losing to Kawartha.
“I’m really happy with how we performed,” Tunney said.
“We won five games in a row and then the last game was tight and came down to a three-pointer.”
Overall, around 4,600 young athletes competed in the games.
As members of podium-finishing teams, Gray and Tunney were thrilled to receive Ontario Summer Games medals.
Both hope to continue competing, but will enjoy the waning days of summer before setting their sights on the next competition.
