World Athletics Day competition in Abbotsford, Canada (© John van Putten)
Despite cool, windy and at times wet conditions, more then 400 athletes from all parts of the Canadian province of British Columbia (and a few from the State of Washington) were on hand for the World Athletics day meet held Saturday, May 6 at the Swan Track in Abbotsford.
An impressive performance was turned in by 15-year-old Christabel Netty (Richmond) who overcame the poor weather conditions to win the Long Jump with a leap of 5.34 meters. It was an excellent performance and shows that this young lady is following in the footsteps of her talented older sister Sabrina.
Stacey Irvine of Track Club 54-50 in Smithers made the long trip to Abbotsford and was rewarded for her journey by winning the girls’ Pole Vault event with a height of 3.40 meters. That performance was not far from the BC Youth record for that event and establishes Irvine as a favorite to win this event at next month’s BC High School meet.
Other good performances from field event athletes included Yle Nielsen of Coquitlam who tossed the javelin 54.44 meters, Katie Gallager of Comox, who won the senior girls’ Long Jump with 5.34m leap and Sydney’s 16-year old Eamlynne MacCorquodale who tossed the hammer 47.45 meters.
Two Valley Royal athletes, both youth aged athletes, recorded good performances in the boys’ 800 meter event. Seventeen-year old Mitch Culley led for the entire distance and crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 1:58.02. The smooth striding Culley, who was second at last November’s BC High School Cross Country Championships and last week won the 1500m at the giant meet in Gresham, OR, is fast proving to be an excellent middle distance runner. Not far behind Culley was 16-year old teammate Manpreet Dhaliwal who placed second with a personal best of 2:00.85. Only in his second year of competitive running, Dhaliwal has the drive and determination that bodes well for his future as a runner.
Sixteen year-old Christine Lowe (Coquitlam Cheetahs) who won the 300 meter hurdles in an excellent time of 43.73 seconds recorded one of the most impressive performances of the day. A good hurdler who has excellent speed, Lowe has now established herself as a favorite to win the 400-meter hurdle event at the BC High School Championships.
A pair of seventeen-year-old female middle distance runners from North Vancouver’s NorWester Track Club turned in very respectable performances. Jessica Smith won the girls’ 1500 meters in 4:47.87 while her teammate, Chantelle Groenwould posted a convincing win in the 800 meters with a time of 2:17.83.
The athletes seemed to enjoy the day of track and field events and the chance to secure one of the T-Shirts supplied by the IAAF in celebration of young athletes competing in track and field activities. And who knows, someone from the meet may be entered into the IAAF draw that will reward lucky winners with an all expense paid trip to Monaco and the chance to be a spectator at a Grand Prix Track and Field meet.
“This meet allowed a lot of athletes, a number of them from distant points of the Province, to take part in a fairly large scale meet held on an excellent facility—the youngsters seemed to be enjoying taking part and I am sure that this is the very reason the IAAF holds this celebration of youth athletics. It certainly brought to the kids attention that the IAAF is very interested in involving young athletes in excellent competitions,” were the words of meet director Gerry Swan.
Alicia Fagan for the IAAF
