Peninsula athletes were part of two B.C. teams that took gold at the 2009 Canada Summer Games in P.E.I. last weekend, while another handful helped bring home two silvers.

On the women's U-18 soccer squad, Elgin Park Secondary's Jenna Richardson and Nicole Ambrose, along with Semiahmoo's Nicole Setterlund, beat Quebec in last Saturday's final, 1-0.

The winning goal was scored by Richardson, who was recognized as the tournament's MVP.

She was also runner-up for the top scorer; the winner had seven goals, while Richardson had six.

Two other Elgin Park students, Sally Hillier and Sarah Allison, were on the silver-winning girls basketball team.

The B.C. squad lost to Alberta Saturday, 79-71.

All that stood in the way of gold medals for B.C.'s rugby and softball teams at the Games last weekend was Ontario.

Both squads faced the rival province in Saturday finals for their respective sports.

While B.C.'s under-18 boys rugby team – which included four Peninsula players – came out of their battle with silver, the girls softball crew – more than half of which are White Rock Renegades – took gold.

In what ended as a 2-1 game, B.C. opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning, when Renegade Charlotte Dolan hit a sacrifice fly ball in foul territory in left field to allow fellow Renegade Corrine Doornberg to tag up from third and score.

After Ontario tied the game 1-1, Delta's Paige Collings retook the lead after hitting a solo home run to left field.

While Ontario kept the pressure on in the sixth, they weren't able to push anyone across to score, as Renegade Nicole Sidor got a strikeout to end the inning.

Surrey Storm's Courtenay Cronin pitched five innings, allowing only one run on four hits with four strikeouts.

Sidor shut the door in relief to earn the save, throwing two hitless innings with three strikeouts.

It's the second consecutive gold medal for B.C. in women's softball and third in the history of the Canada Games.

While B.C. was the favourite to win its Saturday rugby final against Ontario – having won gold at every Canada Games since 1982 – the eastern team proved to be too much of a physical force.

"Full credit to their team," coach Adam Roberts said. "They came out and... they had a big impact on the game with their physical players and they set the tone physically."

Team B.C. included Conner Dickie of Elgin Park Secondary, and Cole Coventry, Keaton Styles and Hayden McMullin of Earl Marriott Secondary's senior boys team, which Roberts also coaches.

Ontario had the wind on their side in the first half, which Roberts said is a significant advantage in the Atlantic, especially with Hurricane Bill creating extraordinary gusts.

"They had the wind and their forwards just got rolling. They got up 17-3 at half using the wind, and their defence was so strong, it was a big gap to battle back from."

The final score was 24-15.

"Silver is good, it's just not the goal that we had intended," Roberts said. "Each year we come into the final and we know it's going to be Ontario. We were the team to beat and Ontario had a pretty good game plan against us. We just got out-battled, really.

"It's a tough way to go. It's kind of tough to swallow, for sure."

Coventry was the team's leading try scorer throughout the tournament, while McMullin and Dickie showed awesome athleticism.

Roberts credited Styles as one of the tournament's best players.

"He was recognized by the national team coaches and he looks to have a pretty big future in the next little bit here," he said. "A lot of these kids from White Rock have a big future in the game.

"Hopefully, the experience with the Ontario team will take them to another level."

White Rock Divers Keith Tidey and Stephanie Hansen, both 17, also finished competing last week.

Hansen took bronze in last Friday's three-metre springboard synchro, with partner Morgan Weller of North Vancouver.

Hansen came in ninth in one-metre springboard.

Tidey placed 16th in three-metre springboard last Thursday, and ninth in three-metre springboard synchro Friday, for which he partnered with Victoria's Fraser McKean.

This week marked the start of competition for local track and field athletes Katie Reid, Samantha Walkow and Nigel Hole, as well as White Rock's Kyle Donen, who is competing on Team B.C. in volleyball.

Reid placed second in her grouping for the 400-metre preliminaries Monday. Results from Tuesday's final were not available by Peace Arch News press deadline.

In 800-metre preliminaries, Hole came in fourth in his grouping. The finals are scheduled for Thursday.

In volleyball action Monday afternoon, B.C. won its game against New Brunswick, 25-19. They went on to lose a game against Alberta that night, 3-2.

B.C. faced P.E.I. Tuesday evening after press deadline.