Parapan Am Games: Zak Madell leads Canada to wheelchair rugby gold on Day 7

Canada's Zak Madell (33) and teammate Fabien Lavoie, right, celebrate defeating the United States in the wheelchair rugby mixed gender gold medal match at the Parapan Am games in Toronto on Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. (Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

TORONTO -- Zak Madell turned in a dominating performance on Day 7 on the 2015 Parapan American Games.

The 21-year-old from Okotoks, Alta., scored 34 goals as Canada booked its ticket to the Rio Paralympics with a thrilling 57-54 gold-medal victory against the U.S.

"I wouldn't trade this (gold medal) for the world right now," Madell said.

It was the Canadians' 50th gold medal of the Games and brought their overall total to 166 medals. They'll finish second in the medal standings and trail only Brazil, which has 107 gold and 255 total medals. The Americans are third with 39 gold and 133 overall medals.

Canada's men's wheelchair basketball team secured a spot at next summer's Rio Paralympics with a 70-54 semifinal win against Brazil. David Eng led the way with a game-high 28 points for the Canadians, who will play the U.S. on Saturday for gold.

"I'm feeling amazing right now. It's amazing to get the opportunity now to go to the Paralympics, it'll be my first one and just to play on this stage and then an even bigger stage in Rio. We're going to be preparing very hard so we'll be ready to go," said 17-year-old Liam Hickey, of St. John's N.L.

In women's action, Janet McLachlan, of Vancouver, B.C., led Canada with 27 points but it wasn't enough as it fell 80-72 to the U.S. in the gold-medal game.

Brent Lakatos, of Dorval, Que., and Alexandre Dupont, of Clarenceville, Que., both won their third gold medals of the Games. Lakatos finished first in the T54 400-metre wheelchair race while Dupont led a one-two finish for the Canadians in the T54 1,500 wheelchair race with Josh Cassidy of Port Elgin, Ont., earning his third silver of the tournament.

Ottawa's Whitney Bogart scored eight goals to help Canada beat Guatemala 11-1 and take bronze in goalball. It also qualifies them for next summer's Paralympics.

Aurelie Rivard of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., set a world record in the S10 women's 100 freestyle in 59.17 seconds and won gold.

"I don't know where that came from," Rivard said.

Justine Morrier, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., captured gold in the SM14 women's 200 individual medley with Kirstie Kasko of Okotoks, Alta., taking bronze.

Quebec City's Nicolas Turbide won gold in the S11-13 men's 100 butterfly. Gordie Michie, St Thomas, Ont., took silver in the SM14 men's 200 IM and Adam Rahier of Powell River, B.C., won bronze. Tammy Cunnington of Red Deer, Alta., collected silver in the S1-4 women's 200 freestyle.

Teen swimmer Tess Routliffe won her fourth gold medal in the S7 women's 100 backstroke Friday morning while teammate Sarah Mehain came second in an exciting neck-and-neck battle.

A few minutes later Adam Purdy pushed Canada over 80 medals with a silver in the S6 100 backstroke.

Routliffe swam a Parapan Am Games record one minute 31.19 seconds to win her fourth gold of the meet. Mehain clocked 1:32.25 for her fourth medal and third silver.

"It was a good way to finish it off," said Routliffe, 16, a dwarf from Caledon, Ont. "It feels good to be able to finish the meet strong.

"I surprised myself. I had a lot of fun in this race. I wasn't super-pressured to do well, there wasn't that much expectation on me. I felt this race was a good opportunity to have fun and just go with it and see what happened."

Mehain, who grew up in Vernon, B.C., and now attends McGill University, said it was fun to race her teammate.

"Racing Tess got the competitive spirit going," said Mehain, who has cerebral palsy. "I'm happy to be done and I've enjoyed this amazing experience."

Elsewhere, Canada added bronze medals in the men's and women's sitting volleyball tournaments.