Thank you to all of the parents who, despite the challenges faced at home with the flooding, took the time to drive their athletes up to Edmonton so that the athletes could compete at Hershey Provincials. I hope that those of you who have been evacuated will soon be home and, upon your return, find your home in better shape than expected.
Congratulations to Grace, Vienna, Kamila, Amelia, Annette, Robin, Molly, Lisa, Cole, Kevin, Thomas, Phillip, Alex, John and Patrick, who competed at the Hershey Provincial Championships on Saturday. Among them, these 15 athletes produced some outstanding results.
Thomas (ball throw, 4x100m), Cole (4x100m), Grace (4x100m), Vienna (4x100m), Amelia (4x100m), Molly(4x100m), John (4x100m) and Alex (4x100m) returned to Calgary as Provincial Champions, having placed 1st in one or more events.
The team of fifteen athletes captured 15 medals (although, despite the fact it was the Provincial Championships, officials handed out ribbons and chocolates in lieu of medals!!) overall: 9 gold medals:Thomas (ball throw, 4x100m), Vienna (4x100m), Grace (4x100m), Amelia (4x100m), Molly (4x100m), John(4x100m), Alex (4x100m) and Cole (4x100m); 4 silver medals: Lisa (100m, 200m), Kamila (800m, 1600m); and 2 bronze medals: Cole (ball throw), Thomas (100m).
Other top five finishes included: Molly (4th of 27 in the 100m), Alex (4th of 12 in the SLJ), Vienna (5th of 27 in the 100m), Annette (5th of 10 in the 1600m) and Phillip (5th of 14 in the 200m). Those are especially impressive results for Molly and Annette, who were competing against athletes a year older than themselves.
All of the 100m runners, Vienna, Molly, Lisa and Thomas, qualified for the 100m final – another nice string to follow-up the string of PBs by the 200m runners at the Classic. Well done sprinters!
There were several personal best performances: Kamila (-8.24s in the 800m; -8.91s in the 1600m); Annette(-4.81s in the 1600m); Lisa (+85cm in the ball throw, -66/100 in the 200m); Kevin (-9.46s in the 1600m);Thomas (+3.74m in the ball throw); Cole (+87cm in the ball throw) and Molly (-17/100 in the 100m).
CALTAF won both 13-14 years 4x100m relays. The team of Vienna to Grace to Amelia to Molly finished 1st of eight teams in 55.76s, while the boys’ team of John to Alex to Cole to Thomas placed 1st of five teams in 51.19s, after the leading team was disqualified for exchanging outside the zone and then dropping the baton.John, Alex, Cole and Thomas set a new meet record in the 4x100m, beating the old record of 58.65s by 7.46s. Well done relay runners and Provincial Champions!
Kamila demonstrated why she has been selected to represent the province as a member of Team Alberta at the Legion National Championships and the Western Canadian Midget and Youth Championships by finishing 2ndin both of her events and taking more than 8 seconds off her PBs in each event. Kamila always rises to the occasion, and runs her best when she needs to. In the 1600m, Kamila beat the meet record of 5:17.23s by an impressive 10.14s, finishing 2nd of ten athletes in an 8.91s personal best of 5:07.09s. In the 800m, Kamila finished 2nd of thirteen athletes in an 8.24s personal best of 2:18.50s.
Lisa also had an outstanding meet, finishing 2nd in both the 11-12 years 100m and 200m. In the 200 , Lisa ran a personal best time of 30.08s (a very impressive time for a 1st-year bantam) to finish 2nd of twenty-eight athletes. In the 100m, Lisa finished 2nd of thirty-nine athletes in 14.21s. Lisa also added another 85cm to her PB in the ball throw with a throw of 23.55m. Lisa’s time in the 100m resulted in her being invited to participate in an invitational 100m at the Edmonton International Track Classic next Saturday, June 29. The meet will feature many members of Canada’s National Team, as they prepare for the 2013 IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Moscow. Well done Lisa! Should you decide to accept the invitation, you will be competing in elite company! Congratulations!
(photo by Laura Barclay)
(photo by Laura Barclay)
Thomas also enjoyed an outstanding meet, winning the ball throw competition with a 3.74m personal best throw of 60.22m, to place 1st of eleven athletes. Thomas also finished 3rd of eighteen athletes in the 100m, and was a member of the winning 4x100m relay team. Well done Thomas!
Coach Blair thought that Kevin’s 1600m was the best he had seen Kevin run. Kevin finished in a 9.46s personal best time of 5:50.78s. Well done Kevin!
(photo by Laura Barclay)
(photo by Laura Barclay)
Despite competing amongst a very competitive field of 14-year-old athletes, 13-year-old Annette finished 5thof ten athletes in the 1600m in a 4.81s personal best time of 5:51.61s, and 6th of thirteen athletes in the 800m in 2:33.89s. Very impressive times for a bantam! Well done Annette!
Molly ran a very impressive 100m heat, finishing in a personal best 13.87s to place 3rd of twenty-seven athletes and qualify for the final. A very impressive time for a bantam! Well done Molly!
Cole added another 87cm to his PB in the ball throw, throwing 50.76m to place 3rd of eleven athletes and capture the bronze medal. Well done Cole!
Winners at Hershey Provincials are eligible for selection to the regional team, which will attend Hershey’s North American Final in Pennsylvania. The trip to Hershey is free for competitors, and while at the meet, athletes visit Hersheypark, Hershey’s Chocolate World, and the Hershey chocolate factory. The Alberta team should be announced in the next couple of weeks, and I will notify you as soon as the information is posted.
Congratulations again athletes – well done! Robin
