By Julianne Zussman, Team BC Mission Staff

Team BC dominated the slopes on the final day of snowboard competition at the 2015 Canada Winter Games.  Seven Team BC riders qualified for the semi-final, more than any other province.  Hometown athletes Meryeta O’Dine (Prince George) and Evan Bichon (Prince George) held nothing back in the finals, and produced matching gold medals on home soil.

The women’s final featured three Team BC riders, which is a testament to the depth of the team and the competitive environment in which they train.  Katie Anderson (Jaffray) and Shayna Goodwin (Surrey) fought hard throughout the race, and exchanged leads with the other riders as they made their way down the course.  While O'Dine took home the gold, Anderson finished with a bronze medal and Goodwin in fourth.  Elise Dube (Burns Lake) raced in the small final after being edged out by teammates O’Dine and Anderson in the semi-final; she finished sixth overall.

In the men’s small final, Brett Berndsen (Kelowna) and Austin White (Oyama) battled it out for fifth place.  Berndsen finished in fifth overall, and White in seventh, another testament to the depth of the province.

Dawson Ellery (Prince George) narrowly missed the semi-final after finishing ninth in qualification, and losing in the quarter final against Bichon and the fourth-place finisher from Quebec.  The hometown rider's robust cheer section has lots to celebrate, considering the 15-year-old will still be eligible to compete at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer.  Tabor Mountain was lively and energetic this afternoon with many spectators out to witness the exciting day for Team BC.

See Canada Games live streaming at www.canadagamestv.ca and follow live updates on Twitter from @GoTeamBC with the hashtag #TBCSnowboarding.