Concussion can’t stop Rofle from reaching new heights #LegionNationals

 

Langley’s Hannah Rolfe soared to the gold medal in the midget (U16) high jump at the Legion Canadian youth track and field championships at McLeod Park over the weekend. Up until a few days before the competition, Rolfe was unsure if she would be competing (photo courtesy of Trent Rolfe)

By Gary Ahuja – August 14, 2013

LANGLEY TIMES – One can only imagine what Hannah Rolfe been able to do had she been healthy the past three months.

Just cleared last week from a concussion she suffered back in May at the Fraser Valley championships, the 15-year-old Langley girl not only won the gold medal in the midget (U16) high jump at the Canadian Legion track and field championships, but she set a new personal best in the process.

The Legion championships — which saw close to 1,000 of the top track and field athletes between the ages of 12 and 17 — ran from Aug. 9 to 11 at Langley’s McLeod Park.

“I felt really confident going in to the competition,” Rolfe said. “But I did shock myself, to do as well as I did.”

The high jump was held on Sunday, the final day, and Rolfe was representing her club, the Langley Mustangs.

Rolfe, who enters Grade 10 at Walnut Grove Secondary next month, suffered the concussion during the Fraser Valley championships during the high school season.

Rolfe hit her head on the high jump standard, the pole on either side of the mat which hold the bar in place. It knocked her out of the competition and the following months can best be described as very trying.

“It was more mild in that it didn’t restrict me from doing anything normal,” Rolfe said. “But when it came to training, I would feel the symptoms come on.”

“It was very frustrating because I wanted to push through it and be able to train and get better but I was not able to, so that was definitely really hard.”

Rolfe said what motivated her was the hope she would get better and be able to compete, as well as the support from those helping her, such as her physiotherapist, masseuse and chiropractor.

Finally, just two days before the competition (Aug. 7) she was cleared to compete. This came after she had a practice session the week before and the symptoms did not return. And while she would not have minded getting the chance to travel to another part of the country for the competition — “I was a little disappointed” — the whole experience of the Legion championships was enjoyable.

“It was really fun,” Rolfe said. “I wasn’t nervous at all; I was pretty calm through the entire competition.”

She also soared to a new personal best, clearing 1.67m to capture the gold medal. Her previous best had been 1.60m. Her jump was 0.6m better than Team Ontario’s Brett Belanger, who cleared 1.61m. Another Ontario jumper, Tess Verhoeven of the London Legion, was third at 1.58m.

“I felt really confident going in to the competition but I did shock myself to do as well as I did,” Rolfe said.

Article: http://www.langleytimes.com/sports/219612121.html

Watts-Watling golden in Legion nationals #LegionNationals

THE DAILY COURIER – August 12, 2013

KELOWNA – Keely Watts-Watling overcame a season-long shoulder injury to win a gold medal at the Canadian Legion Youth Track and Field Championships in Langley over the weekend. 

The Okanagan Athletics Club member accumulated 4,786 points in the seven disciplines to edge Robyn Buckingham of Langley (4,722) for first. Ironically, Watts-Watling pulled away from the eight competitors in the under-18 field with a throw of 37.06 metres in the javelin, the event in which she was injured in May.

Only one Turner left in Games decathlon

A much-anticipated sibling rivalry between two Kelowna brothers was cut short on Monday at the Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Que.

James Turner was leading after the first three disciplines in the decathlon, but re-injured his ankle during the high jump warm-up and was forced to withdraw from the event.

Meanwhile, Rostam Turner, sits in fourth place among the 10 athletes remaining in the national competition.*

The younger Turner, a Canadian junior bronze medalist earlier this year, has 3,240 points going into today’s final day of competition. Jessie Drennan of Nova Scotia leads with 3,557 points while Wyatt Eyford of Manitoba is in third – just 20 points ahead of Turner.

*Rostam Turner has since won the BRONZE medal in the decathlon at the Canada Summer Games (see the Canada Summer Games update post) 

Article: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/local-sports/track-briefs-watts-watling-golden-in-legion-nationals-81313.html

Ocean Athletics’ pair strike gold at Legion Championships #LegionNationals

By Nick Greenizan – August 14, 2013

PEACE ARCH NEWS – Ocean Athletics had two new national champions among its members.

At the Canadian Youth Legion Track and Field Championships – held last weekend at Langley’s McLeod Park – both Jake Hanna and Ben Ingvaldson set personal bests en route to gold-medal performances.

On the second day of the three-day competition, Hanna, a 16-year-old Elgin Park Secondary student, took top spot in the youth boys 400-m, clocking a time of 48.74 seconds.

It was the first time Hanna – who was one of three Ocean Athletics athletes to represent Team BC – had run the event in under 49 seconds.

“That was a pretty great moment for me. It’s what I had been working so hard for all summer, to get under 49,” he said.

Hanna was the second-ranked runner heading into the event – behind Ontario’s Cameron Nurse – but the South Surrey runner, knowing he’d be running against the wind, paced himself until the end, when he made a final kick.

“I knew there was going to be a pretty strong headwind – there usually is in Langley – so I saved a bit for the end and made a late push,” Hanna explained.

Hanna won by a few metres, with London, Ont. runner Davis Edward finishing second, in 49.27 seconds, and Nurse third, in 49.28.

Ocean Athletics head coach Maureen de St. Croix was thrilled to see Hanna clock a sub-49-second run, adding that it “puts him in a pretty rare group” of runners his age.

“It’s been just a tremendous season for him,” said de St. Croix. “And he’s just such a wonderful kid. No matter what he does, he’s always just the same old Jake – except that just keeps running faster and faster.”

Ingvaldson, a student at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary who, like Hanna, competed for Team BC, also had a stellar weekend in Langley, winning three medals – including one gold.

Ingvaldson struck gold in the shotput, capturing a Canadian youth title with a personal-best throw of 16.15 m.

His mark beat second-place thrower Noah Rolph of Ontario by 0.55 m.

Ingvaldson also found himself on the podium in the Legion’s other two throwing events, winning bronze in both the discus – with a toss of 49.99 m – and the hammer throw, in which his best toss travelled 53.55 m.

At the club level, Ocean Athletics’ midget-aged relay teams also fared well.

Ocean Athletics’ boys team – Michael Aono, Dominic Luccock, Bryan Niwinski and Dawson Ribiero – won gold in the medley relay. The club’s girls team – which included Jessica Williams, Kira Pederson, Elise Burgert and Danielle Steer – also won the medley relay. The medley relay consists of runs of different lengths – it begins with a 400-m leg, followed by back-to-back 200-m lengths before wrapping up with an 800-m portion.

“It was just an excellent meet for everyone,” said de St. Croix. “The Legions will be back in Langley next year, so whether our athletes won medals or not, it’s a great experience and they’ll be even more prepared for next year.”

Article: http://www.peacearchnews.com/sports/219576591.html

Kamloops athletes perform well at Legion Youth National Track and Field Championships #LegionNationals

KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK – August 13, 2013

Four Kamloops Track and Field Club athletes had notable performances at the Legion Youth National Track and Field Championships, which wrapped up in Langley on Sunday, Aug. 11.

Kendall Fitzgerald won silver in the midget girls’ 1,500m steeplechase and placed third in the 2,000m race.

Fitzgerald has the fastest midget girls’ 2,000m time this year in B.C.

Braden Derker won silver in pole vault and Alex Smith placed fifth. Both athletes are coached by Ryan Jensen.

Bryce Turner placed seventh in the midget boys’ 1,500m steeplechase and 12th in the 2,000m race.

Turner and Fitzgerald are coached by Bruno Mazzotta.

Article: http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/sports/219438231.html

Canada Summer Games update – 5 BRONZE medals for BC Team Athletics #jcg2013 #2013athletics

August 14, 2013

Today marks the half-way point in the Athletics competition at the 2013 Canada Summer Games. Moving in to the final 2 days of competition (Thurs and Fri),  Team BC Athletics has already captured 5 BRONZE medals! Congratulations to everyone thus far and continued luck for the duration of the competition.

Team BC Athletics Medals:

BRONZE               Justin Kent, 3000m Steeplechase Male

BRONZE               Regan Leanne Yee, 2000m Steeplechase Female

BRONZE               Rostam Turner, Decathlon Male

BRONZE               Jessye Marika Brockway, Para Discus Female

BRONZE               Jessye Marika Brockway, Para Shot Put Female

More Team BC athletes in action during the first two days of competition:

Serena Mercedes Graf, Shot Put Female – 9th

Andrew Davis, Shot Put Para Male – 4th

Colin Edward Morrow, Shot Put Para Male – 6th

Patrick William John Psotka, 3000m Steeplechase Male – 4th

Fiona Benson, 2000m Steeplechase Female – 7th

Visit the Canada Games website to see the full schedule for Thursday and Friday!

Go TEAM BC!

Vikes headline track line up for Canada Summer Games @islandsports1 #jcg2013

By Ali Lee, Vikes Communications

August 10, 2013, VICTORIA, BC (ISN) – The University of Victoria Vikes men’s and women’s track program will be well represented at this year’s Canada Summer Games, hosted Aug. 2-17 in Sherbrooke, Que. Preliminary qualifications will begin on Monday, Aug. 12, while the final events will wrap up on Aug. 16.

Nine current Vikes will be competing for their respective provinces, while incoming recruit Ben Weir will also be in attendance.

Headlining the group is 21-year-old Adam Gaudes, who enters his second Canada Summer Games and is top-ranked for the men’s 800-m event. Gaudes’ personal best in the 800-m is 1:48.76 and will be representing New Brunswick.

For the women, Alberta standout Rachel Francois will compete in both the 800-m and the 4×400-m relay and has also previously competed in the 2009 Canada Games and the 2012 Western Canada Games. Francois is the two-time defending champion in the 800-m in Canadian Interuniversity Sport and in the same event ranked third in the NACAC Championships and sixth at the Canadian Olympic trials.

Also competing in the 800-m event are Cole Peterson, Thomas Riva, Grace Annear and Kendra Pomfret. Peterson, also Alberta’s athletics team captain, will join Riva in the 1500-m event.

Rounding out the cast is soon-to-be Vike Weir, competing in the 5000-m, Patrick Psotka, Ryan Cassidy and Brendon Restall.

For full information on the Canada Summer Games visit their website at:http://www.jeuxducanada2013.ca/en/

Vikes at the 2013 Canada Summer Games:

NAME EVENT PROVINCE

Ben WEIR 5000m British Columbia

Adam GAUDES 800m New Brunswick

Cole PETERSON 800m, 1500m Alberta (captain)

Thomas RIVA 800m, 1500m British Columbia

Grace ANNEAR 800m New Brunswick

Rachel FRANCOIS 800m, 4x400m Alberta

Kendra POMFRET 800m, 1500m British Columbia

Patrick PSOTKA 3000m Steeplechase British Columbia

Ryan CASSIDY 3000m Steeplechase, 5000m New Brunswick

Brendon RESTALL 400m, 4x400m British Columbia

 

Article: http://islandsportsnews.net/sportsa-z/track-and-field/1-sports/8387-vikes-headline-track-line-up-for-canada-summer-games

Burnaby Strider wins three gold at B.C.’s #kamloops2013 @BurnabyNOW_News

August 1, 2013 – By Tom Berridge 

Burnaby Now – Burnaby Striders Zion Corrales-Nelson was the hit of the sprints at the recent B.C. Athletics championships in Kamloops. The junior St. Thomas More Collegiate sprinter won all the speed races in the 15-year-old girls’ age group, including two new provincial midget records at Hillside Stadium.

The Burnaby flash won the 100-metre dash by seven-tenths of a second over the second-place girl Casey Heyd in a time of 12.12 seconds.

Corrales-Nelson added a gold in the 200m to her mantel, easily winning by almost two seconds over the runner-up Rebecca Terry of South Fraser in a new record time of 24.01, breaking Krysha Bailey’s 1999 mark of 24.50.

The incoming STM junior also took gold in the 300m in a sub-four-minute 39.67 clocking, nipping New Westminster runner Raquel Tjernagel’s 2012 midget mark by two onehundredths of a second. Corrales-Nelson was unchallenged in the race, beating Terry to the tape for a second time nearly two seconds ahead.

Burnaby sprinter Whitney Rowe won both the 100 and 200m for 20-plus women in Kamloops. Rowe was timed in 11.73 for the 100m and 24.36 in the 200m.

Ahmad Nizamani won the men’s 16/17 long jump with a leap of 6.50m. He also ran a leg with Ethan Strome in the 4x100m relay for the first-place-finishing Vancouver Thunderbirds.

Curtis Moss won the men’s 20-plus javelin with a 73.85m throw.

In the 18/19 men’s 400m hurdles, STM’s Sebastian Adugalski, running out of Ocean Athletics in Surrey, won the gold medal in a time of 55.96.

Byrne Creek Secondary student Jemal Reta placed second in the men’s 16/17 division in the 2,000m steeplechase in a time of 6:13.91. Reta also finished in sixth place in the 3,000m.

Read more: http://www.burnabynow.com/Burnaby+Strider+wins+three+gold/8739783/story.html#ixzz2bDkzTMpm

Okanagan Athletics Club athletes enjoy strong summer on track

Kelowna Capital News – July 29, 2013

Kelowna – The Okanagan Athletics Club’s middle-distance athletes have had a productive summer on the track, winning 11 provincial championship medals,  including three gold.

Taryn O’Neill, 13, returned from the B.C .Athletics Junior Development Championships this month  in Nanaimo with a bronze in the 800m (2:29.17), a silver in the 1200m (3:50.90), and a gold in the 2000m (6:36.69). O’Neill’s winning time of 6:36.69 in the 2000m smashed the Junior Development Championship meet record by almost 20 seconds.

The B.C. Athletics Championship Jubilee, held July 19 to 21 in Kamloops, marked another successful outing on the track for the OACs middle-distance group whose older athletes took home a combined total of eight medals over the course of the three-day event. Headlining the group’s showing was Sean Bergman, 15, who raced to a commanding first-place finish in the Midget Boy’s 1500m Steeplechase (4:27.31). Bergman’s winning effort in the steeplechase was followed by a clocking of 3:24.07 in the 1200m, good for third place despite losing a shoe in the early stages of the event.

Con’t…

Full article: http://www.kelownacapnews.com/sports/217438151.html

TRACK AND FIELD: Stroda helps spark gold rush #kamloops2013

The Daily Courier – July 23, 2013

Kelowna-area athletes ran, jumped and threw to eight individual gold medals at the B.C. Athletics provincial track and field championships in Kamloops on the weekend. Aaron Stroda, 17, led the way with three first-place finishes while adding a bronze medal with a personal-best performance in the youth division (16 and 17 years old) javelin event. The Okanagan Mission Secondary School student started the provincial competition with a huge personal best in the hammer throw, a discipline he took up just 15 months ago. His longest throw of 57.30 metres was almost 4.5 metres better than his previous best.

“I was expecting to throw over 55 metres and was very happy to pick up my first gold early on in the competition,” said Stroda, adding he felt he was in “great shape – both physically and mentally” going into the weekend.

Verena Stroda, Aaron’s mom and coach, remembers her son’s introduction to the hammer throw at a spring training camp in Las Vegas with John Powell, a U.S.A. Olympian and world-record holder in the discus. “Aaron started in John’s backyard with a rope and chain links turning and turning until he became dizzy. He doesn’t experience dizziness anymore but all the top hammer throwers are turning four times and Aaron made the transition from two turns to just three turns. Each turn translates into speed, and, of course, distance. But Aaron still has time to learn the technique and to keep the balance at high speed so that his release allows for the best possible trajectory of the hammer.”

Stroda, ranked second in the nation in the youth division in shot put, came close to his personal best (16.33) with a gold-medal toss in Kamloops of 16.13 metres – one metre better than his closest competition. While his throw of 48.76 metres in the discus was well off his PB of 50.57 – making him the top-ranked thrower in the country – the distance was good enough for his third gold of the B.C. championships. Stroda’s bronze medal in the javelin came on a throw of 51.36 metres. He is third in the nation with a personal-best distance of 53.80.

Three members of the Okanagan Athletics Club won gold competing against the top track and field athletes in the province.

B.C. decathlon champion Rostam Turner took gold in the junior boys (18-19) discus event with a throw of 42.37 metres, while Sean Bergman finished first in the midget (14-15) 1500 steeplechase. The OAC’s Keely Watts-Watling, still in training for the Canadian Legion junior heptathlon championship in Langley next month, recorded a leap of 5.52 metres to win the junior long jump in Kamloops.

Keefer Joyce of Kelowna, running as an unattached, earned another gold for the Central Okanagan. He took top spot in the 100 metres with a time of 10.76 seconds.

Article: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/local-sports/track-and-field-stroda-helps-spark-gold-rush-72413.html

Hurdler Bains smashes 27-year-old B.C. record #kamloops2013

By Ashley Degraaf – July 23, 2013

Cowichan News Leader – Cowichan’s Chicago Bains has done it again.

During provincials action, the local track sensation smashed a 1986 provincial 80-metre hurdle record of 11.50 seconds with a personal best of 11.42.

“I cannot express in words the magnitude of this sprint race record she has just established, it leaves me speechless,” said coach John May in an email on the provincial meet in Kamloops July 19-21.

Cowichan product Taryn Smiley also knocked socks off, winning both the 100 and 200 metres races.

“For the 15 year old midget-aged athletes and the 16/17 year old youth athletes, it’s a trial meet to get on the BC Teams that will attend the Legion Youth National Track and Field meet in August this year in Langley BC,” explained May on the weekend event that saw participants drenched in extremely hot weather.

“For Taryn, 16, and Chicago, 15, it meant doing fewer events at this meet. For me as their coach, this is very important, trying to peak at the right time and developing a sense of what it takes to do so is something they will utilize far into the future in this sport especially.”

Bains’ record breaking victory also has a cool story behind it, the coach said.

“On arrival at the meet I was given her competition bib number and it was 1142,” he said. “Looking at the bib number I think, ‘Wow, wouldn’t that be something if she ran 1142.’ When I gave it to her Saturday morning to put on she looked at it and smiled at me.”

May said he was shocked and speechless when the final time, 11.42, was posted.

“Anyone who knows the hurdles events was stunned by this accomplishment. It is absolutely amazing.”

Bains amazed folks again Sunday with her 200m hurdles race, taking top spot with another provincial record finish of 27.60, just shy of her 27.53 personal best she attained two weeks ago.

“This amazing young woman will now continue to prepare for the (nationals) where she will again set her focus on being the best she can be on the days she competes.”

May has coached Smiley for one season under her second claim club, the Comox Valley Cougars.

“She teamed up to run the 4×100 relay with Calli Ann Abbott (15), Chloe Gummer (15), Kyla May (16) and  they were the fastest women’s team to run this weekend,” May said. “It had viewers stunned as these four girls had never relayed together before and used their knowledge of relay to quickly establish the exchange parameters and executed a relay of almost ‘demonstration like precision’ with Taryn running an anchor leg for the win by 10s of metres.”

In the 100m race, Smiley won both her heat and the final with a personal best of 12.23, “narrowly missing the difficult 100m BC Team Youth standard of 12.20.”

“On Sunday in the 200m she again won her heat in convincing fashion and in the final, ran the most stunning race I have yet seen her run and with the team standard set at 25.45, Taryn exceeded that standard by running 25.39 in the final.

“This certainly gives her a good shot at being on the BC Team as well,” said May, noting the team will announce its lineup in the next few days.

“As their coach, I am as I said both honoured and humbled. These are two very amazing young ladies that seem to be on a mission that takes them down a path that requires sacrifices and hard work all too often not seen in many youth today.”

Read full article: http://www.cowichannewsleader.com/sports/216501431.html

Leboe leads PG Track Club #kamloops2013

Tuesday, July 23, 2013
By Hartley Miller – HQPrinceGeorge.com

Prince George, B.C. – Prince George Track and Field Athletes earned 13 medals (1 gold, 3 silver and 9 bronze) at the BC Track and Field Championship Jamboree in Kamloops. 15 year old Keiran Leboe led the way with a gold in the hammer throw and bronze in the shot put, javelin and discus.

Emma Balazs captured a pair of silver medals, finishing second in the women’s 18-19 year old 2000 metre steeplechase and second in the 3000 metre run.

Teammates Shelby Jansen and Lauren Mathewson wound up second and third respectively in the women’s 14 year old 200 metre dash. Jansen also picked up a bronze in the 300 metre dash.

In other PG results: Ryan Gaiesky picked up a pair of bronze in the men’s 15 year old triple jump and 100 metre hurdles. Carlee Campbell took the bronze in the women’s 16-17 year old high jump and Emma Floris was third in the women’s 15 year old 100 metre dash.

16 PG Track Club members participated in the meet for athletes aged 14 and older.

Read at: http://hqprincegeorge.com/home/news/v/Local-Sports/229776/Leboe-leads-PG-Track-Club#sthash.7dZoWt6C.dpuf

Nanaimo Track athletes win at JD Provincial Championships

Nanaimo News Bulletin – Wed, July 18, 2013 

The Nanaimo Track and Field Club is developing some standout athletes, and it showed this past weekend at the B.C. Junior Development Championships.

The provincial championship-level meet was held Friday through Sunday at Rotary Bowl stadium.

Results include:

Nine-year-old boys – Jake Putz, third, high jump, third, shot put; Jayden Watson, first, 800m race walk, second, 600m, second, 1,000m, second, 100m dash, second, high jump, third, 60m hurdles, third, 60m dash; Stirling Henry, third, 100m dash.

Nine-year-old girls – Carys Menard, first, high jump.

10-year-old boys – Brett Schlitz, second, high jump; Jake Seaman, third, 1,000m; Ryan Seaman, second, 800m race walk, third, javelin.

10-year-old girls – Madison Paugh, third, 800m race walk, third, javelin;    Olivia Lundman, first, 800m race walk.

11-year-old boys – Ethan Andersen, third, javelin; Ethan Katzberg, first, long jump, first, high hump, second, shot put, second, discus, second, javelin, third, 60m hurdles; Keaton Heisterman, first, 600m, second, 60m hurdles, second, 1,000m, second, high jump, second, 200m, third, long jump, third, discus.

11-year-old girls – Makayla Mitchell, first, 800m race walk.

12-year-old boys – Colby Day, second, javelin; Nate Seaman, first, 800m, first, 1,200m, second, 800m race walk.

12-year-old girls – Courtney Anderton, second, 300m, third, 200m, third, 100m; Julia Dimter, first, 800m race walk; Kaitlyn Watson, first, long jump.

13-year-old boys – Dominic Boar, first, 200m hurdles, first, pole vault, second, 90m hurdles.

13-year-old girls – Hope Stewart, first, pole vault, third, 1,500m race walk, third, hammer throw; Jessica Katzberg, first, pole vault, first, discus, first, hammer; Madison Heisterman, first, 800m, first, 1,200m; Marina Andersen, first, 1,500m race walk.

sports@nanaimobulletin.com

Article source: http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/sports/216016611.html

2012 BC Athletics Awards Announcements & Banquet Details

The 2012 BC Athletics Awards have been announced in most categories. The Awards Banquet will take place on Saturday, Dec 1 at 7 pm. Tickets are still available for purchase. 

We are also accepting pictures of all award winners and nominees – please send to taunya.geelhoed (AT) bcathletics.org 

(Cross Country awards will not be announced until following the Canadian Cross Country Championships taking place Nov 24)

Visit the AGM and Awards Banquet page for the complete list of Awards announced and ticket reservation details.

http://www.bcathletics.org/main/agm.htm#banquet