Several club athletes had multiple victories while a number of others established personal best performances at the Upper Fraser Valley Championships that took place last week at the Swan Track in Abbotsford.
Thrower Tasha Willing recorded triple wins during the two-day meet as she had no trouble winning the senior girls shot put (11.52m), discus (25.56m) and hammer (46.66m). Other wins by throwers were produced by Rowan Hamilton, first in junior boys hammer (54.11m) and discus (39.54m) while Vikramjit Gondara won the senior boys hammer with an impressive 59.95m performance as well as the discus with a throw of 40.91m. Jayden Driver was his reliable self and turned in silver medal performances in the senior boys shot put (11.23m), discus (38.26m) and hammer (51.40m).
Middle distance runners Tanner Geary, Daniel James and Rachel Mortimer led the way for the Royals in the running events. Geary established a personal best in the senior boys 800m battling to the finish with last year’s Canadian Youth team member Dean Ellenwood. Geary started his finishing drive with 300m to go but was caught a few meters from the line by Ellenwood. The Langley runner won the event in a time of 1:55.6 but Geary recorded a personal best with his second place clocking of 1:55.9.
Daniel James, a 16-year old grade 10 student, ran in the junior boys age division. James placed first in the 400m (53.10) and 1500m (4:18.4) but had to settle for second place in the 800m (1:59.8). In the 800m James jumped into the lead with 200m to go but that move may have cost him the win as he was caught at the tape by Langley athlete Jordan Schmidt (1:59.2).
Rachel Mortimer, as a grade 9 runner, was competing in her first Fraser Valley Championship meet. Competing in the junior girls division, Mortimer was first in the 1500m (4:52.6) and 3000m (10:30) and came second in the 800m (2:25.9).
Cassidy Hutchison placed 3rd in both the 400m and 800m races. Marley Hutchison set a PB of 13.12 in the 80 m hurdles and together Marley and Cassidy qualified for the Fraser Valley meet for all 5 events they competed in!
Cassie Brandsma was a double gold medalist with victories in the junior girls high jump recording an impressive 1.63m and pole vault (1.90m). Bryce MacKenzie was first in the junior boys high jump with a very good height for his age group of 1.85m.
Other medal winners by club athletes included Angela Gourley, 2nd in both 100m hurdles (16.34) and 400m hurdles (71.65), Hannah Konrad with silver medals in 400m (61.24) and 800m (2:21.7), Abresia Foote, 2nd in the jr. girls 1500m RW (8:51), Devon Kular with second place in Sr. boys PV (3.00m) and Erica Johnson, 3rd in senior girls’ 1500m steeplechase (5:59).
Joan Wager Poms, on loan to the Royals from Spain, had an easy victory in the boys’ 2-k SC (6:40) with teammate Parmvir Waring 2nd (6:50).
Now it’s on to the Fraser Valley Championships that take Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of next week at the Coquitlam track.