A busy week on the track was highlighted by a handful of top performances Wednesday at World Athletics Day at South Surrey Athletic Park.
A number of athletes – from the Semiahmoo Peninsula and across the Lower Mainland – turned in strong performances during Wednesday’s meet, but none better than Elgin Park Secondary hurdler Jake Hanna, who won the Grade 8/9 boys 100-m hurdles in convincing fashion, finishing the race in a time of 14.42 seconds. Hanna’s time was nearly four seconds faster than Tim Bertness of MEI, and qualified Hanna for 2012 Legion Canadian Youth Track and Field Championships later this summer in Charlottetown, PEI.
Later in the day, he also won the junior boys 400-m race.
Hanna wasn’t the only local athlete to excel in hurdles, however. Ocean Athletics’ Steve Saito edged Walnut Grove’s Connor McCreadie for first place in the senior boys 110-m event; Semiahmoo’s Madi Wolitski crossed the line first in the Grade 8/9 girls 80-m hurdles, and Semi teammate Katherine Reiss was third; while Ocean Athletics’ Kiana Bekar was first in another Grade 8/9 80-m event.
In the junior boys 800-m, Lord Tweedsmuir’s Liam McKay edged Terry Fox runner Nathan Wadhwani and Semi’s Brandon Figueroa for first.
Among the other athletes to finish on the podium were Earl Marriott Secondary’s Matthew McLean, who was first in the Grade 8/9 boys 100-m, Elgin’s Kristin Fairbairn, who was second in the Grade 8 girls 800-m; Elgin’s Lexy Reimer, second in the junior girls 100-m, and EMS Grade 8 runner Jade Duncanson won the Grade 8 girls 100-m.
South Surrey athletes also did well in steeplechase. Marriott’s Deon Clifford won the senior boy’s 2000-m steeple race, while Semi’s Chelsea Ribiero won the girls 1,500-m event.
The World Athletics Day meet was followed Thursday by the Hershey Track and Field Games, which features athletes from age nine to 14. Both events were run by the Ocean Athletics track club. For full results, visit www.oceanathletics.org
