The first day of competition was already a good one for local athletes at the 2018 Saskatchewan Winter Games in North Battleford.

Moose Jaw judo athlete Justin Wiens claimed silver in the male 60-kilogram class, while Avery Gibney won a bronze medal in the 40-kilogram weight class for one of five medals won by Team South West on Day 1 at the Games.

Pense’s Kolbi Fenrick earned in a silver medal for Team South West in the same weight class as Gibney, while Teegan Fenrick, also from Pense, picked up a silver in the 46kg class.

In other judo action on the opening day, Moose Jaw’s Abby Dore came in ninth in the 53+ kg class.

The other opening day medal for Team South West came in Target Shooting as Tompkins’ Brody Slade claimed a bronze in the male air rifle super final.

Moose Jaw’s Derek Robinson, along with Lisieux’s McKenna Brandt, just missed the podium with a fourth place finish in the team air pistol mixed competition on Monday, shooting a score of a 310.7 to finish just behind the bronze medal team from South East at 351.7.

Chris Robinson, another local target shooter, placed 14th in the male air rifle super final.

Moose Jaw’s Shaine Closs and Jaicee Maruska were a part of the Team South West gymnastics team which finished in eighth place in the team mixed event.

The four local synchronized swimmers hit the pool for the figures co-ed competition with Claire Woloschuk coming in 35th, Taiya Carpentier placed 43rd, Emma-Leigh Vancoughnett ended up 52nd and Tatiana Vickaryous was 59th.

The male hockey team, which features Moose Jaw’s Jayden Watterson, Carter Price, Brennan Blatz, Hunter Bowes and Mitchell Parr, split their two games on the opening day of the Games.

Team South West skated to a 4-3 win over Team Rivers West in their opener and then dropped a 6-2 game to Team South East.

They’re back on the ice to close out the round robin on Tuesday against Team Saskatoon. Puck drops at 1:30 p.m. at the North Battleford Civic Centre.

Team South West sits in seventh place in the overall medal standings with two silver and two bronze. Team Saskatoon leads the pack after winning eight goal and 19 total medals on the first day of competition.

Click here for complete results, schedules and the full medal standings.