The Yukon is on the medal board of the 2024 Arctic Winter Games.

As usual, the medals for the Arctics are ulu-shaped and known simply as ulus.

All but three of the 20 sports were in action Monday.

According to a Team Yukon press release, the U18 girl’s futsal team started their Games strong with a convincing 7-2 over the N.W.T. Goal scorers were Teagan Ewing with two, Lucy Baxter, Breanna Brown, Beatrix Duncan, Kassia Emery and Jordan Minifie.

The U18 boys also had a strong first day, downing Alaska 6-2. Leo Whittaker led the way with three goals and Janel Battour, Evan Howells, and Kaden Gregory chipped in with one each.

In 16U action, the girls fell 4-3 to Alaska and the boys tied Sámpi 2-2.

The girls’ volleyball team fell to Alberta North two sets to none. They rebounded in their second match by downing Nunavut 2-0. In their final match of the day, they fell 2-0 to Alaska.

The boys needed an extra set to down Alberta North 2-1.

They also required an extra set to down Team Nunavut 2-1.

They were then able to dispatch Team Alaska in two sets, 2-0.

The girl’s curling team held on to defeat Nunavut 10-9 in their opening draw. They lost their second draw of the day to Alberta North and their third to the N.W.T. by lopsided scores.

The boys fell to Alberta North 13-1, but bounced back for a close game against N.W.T, losing 9-4.

On the hardcourt, the girls’ basketball team fell 65-44 to the N.W.T.

The boys edged Alaska 69-66.

On the cross-country ski trails, most of the team skied to fifth and sixth place finishes.

Micah McConnell earned gold in the U15 male 2.5 km snowshoe race. In the U19 5 km races, Kate Tobler and Taiga Buurman earned bronze medals.

It was a successful first day of competition for the biathletes. On the skis, Niamh Hupé

earned gold in the 5 km Individual, Lydia Brown took gold in the 7.5 km Individual, while

Logan Tirschmann, silver, Alex LeBarge, bronze, and Matthew London, silver, found the podium in their respective events.

On snowshoes, Mason Parry took gold in the 5 km Individual.

Joining Parry on the podium was Gallagher D’Ambramo, taking silver. Tammo Waldron earned bronze in the 3 km Individual.

The snowboarders had a strong first day on the slopes. Aven Sutton won gold in rail jam. Ginger MacDonald joined her on the podium, taking third.

Stian Langbakk took gold on the boy’s side and was joined by Will Stenzig, who snared silver. Leo Spiers Leung, gold, Seamus MacDonald, silver, and Eva Benkert, silver, also rail-jammed their way to the podium.

In Arctic Sports, the team triple-jumped their way onto the podium. Taking home ulus

were Bree Labelle, gold, Amélie Guilbeault, bronze, Darwin Murray, bronze, Isabelle

Paquette, gold, and Kate Koepke, bronze.

Two foot high kick saw Bree Labelle take the only medal among Yukon girls and boys, a silver with a height of 6', 2".

In Dene Games, Jasper Charlie took gold in the stick pull.

On the wrestling mats, the Yukon downed Nunavut and N.W.T. in the team event.

The badminton team had a busy day on the courts with several players picking up wins.

The cultural contingent performed for the show and share and received positive comments and feedback from the audience.

It was singles day at the table tennis venue. All players performed with many earning victories.

On the alpine slopes, in female giant slalom, Ellyann Dinn skied her way to a gold ulu. Josephine de Jager sped down the hill and earned bronze.

Tom Vollmer scored silver in the 2008-9 male giant slalom.

Zach Ball and Sebastian Franzes de Jager took silver and bronze, respectively, in the 2010-11 male giant slalom.

The girls’ hockey team played Alaska tough but fell 6-3. Maya Bulmer, Sophie Drummond, and Kasey McKenna netted the goals.

The U18 boys downed the N.W.T. 6-4. Brayden Baldwin led the way with two goals. Scoring singles for the Yukon were Bryn Studney-Amos, Samuel Watson, Kaelan Basnett and Zack Seguin.

The U15 boys fell to Alberta North 8-3. Max Bingham continued to light the lamp with two more goals. Huntly Asquith added his second goal of the tourney in a losing cause.

The speed skaters were speedy on their first day of competition, in the 1000 metres, Monday. Greg Freeman won silver. Kieran Sydney Horton came in fourth in the male medal final.

Vivyana Hoffmann came in fifth in the female medal final.

Athletes in all 20 sports are in action today.

As of this morning, the medal count stood at Alaska in first place (10 gold, eight silver and eight bronze) with 26 ulus.

The Yukon was close behind with 22 ulus (eight gold, five silver and nine bronze).

N.W.T. was a distant third with nine medals (two gold, five silver and two bronze).

So far, it's shaping up to be a two-horse race for first.

– With files from Team Yukon.