Mark Valliere of Courtenay fired a first round 70 at the 2013 Canada Summer Games on Aug. 14 and shared the lead with Etienne Papineau of Bromont, Que at three-under par.
Valliere, a Team Canada Development Squad member, bagged seven birdies to help Team BC share top spot with Team Quebec at a combined four-under 142.
“I was solid around the greens and my putting was pretty good,” said Valliere. “A good way to start for Team BC.”
Valliere, who plays out of Crown Isle, has Crown Isle's Robert Ratcliffe with him at the Sherbrooke, Que. Games as the latter is the Team BC coach.
The golf competition at the Games wraps up Aug. 17.
On Aug. 8, Chelsea Tancon of Comox helped Team BC secure the silver medal in women’s volleyball. B.C. lost a tough five-set championship final to Alberta; they won the first two sets (25-21, 25-13) only to drop the next three (25-13, 25-13, 15-9).
Cyclist Gillian Ellsay of Courtenay finished eighth in the Aug. 12 time trial and ninth in the Aug. 14 road race. The 16-year-old is scheduled to race the criterium on Aug. 17.
Cyclist Jordan Duncan was 27th in the Aug. 12 time trial and 23rd in the Aug. 14 road race. The 18-year-old from Comox is slated to race the criterium on Aug. 17.
Cyclist Kia Van der Vliet finished 22nd in the time trail and 24th in the road race. She is also scheduled to race the criterium on Aug. 17.
In athletics, 22-year-old Special Olympian Jake Hooper has advanced to the 100m final (on Aug. 15) after a second-place finish in his heat on Aug. 12. He placed sixth in his 200m heat on Aug. 13.
Tyler Kostiuk, 17, of Comox is in the men's javelin final on Aug. 15. The 2013 B.C. high school champ is hoping to finish top three and beat the B.C. youth record for the 800g. javelin.
The Games run Aug. 2-17. Update results but can be found at www.jeuxducanada2013.ca and www.teambc.org.