Chilliwack high schoolers competed at last week’s Fraser Valley track and field championships in Abbotsford, trying to lock down spots at the upcoming provincial meet in Burnaby.
Athletes had to finish inside the top eight to qualify for B.C.’s, which take place May 31 to June 2 in Langley.
Sardis secondary’s Rowan Hamilton led the medal march with gold and silver wins in the throwing events.
A national calibre thrower, Hamilton chucked the six-kilogram hammer 66.35 metres to take top spot in the senior division and crush the previous B.C. record of 54.94m. He placed second in the 1.75kg discus with a throw of 41.76m.
Sardis runner Diego Eraso placed third in the senior men’s 400m.
Andrena Johnson placed third in the junior women’s 1500m run and eighth in the 3000m.
The Sardis senior men’s relay team of Eraso, Sam Moller, Khash Effatparvar and Owen Wright finished third in the 4x400m.
Falcons who finished top eight and qualified for provincials in their individual events were Wright (senior men’s 800 and 1500m), Lucas Fawcett (junior men’s high jump), Lucas Arnold (junior men’s 1.5kg discus) and Xiao Carson (senior women’s 400m).
Chilliwack secondary produced three podium placements and had 13 athletes qualify for provincials.
Jasmine Soltys did her thing in the throwing events, placing third in the senior women’s 4kg hammer and 600 gram javelin.
Alessandro Marvaldi placed second in the senior men’s 800g javelin and fifth in the 1.75kg discus.
Mamoundu Mardis just missed the podium with a fourth place finish in the junior women’s 3kg hammer, and Jasmine Agudelo-Williams placed fifth in the 500g javelin.
The CSS senior men’s relay team of Michael Nahanee, Tyler Parsons, Austyn Bell and Connor Johnston produced a fourth place finish in the 4×100.
Bell, Alex Ubieta, Ethan Rideout and Carter Proudfoot placed sixth in the 4x400m.
Parsons qualified for BC’s in two individual events, the senior men’s 100 and 200m dashes. Proudfoot qualified in the senior men’s 2000m steeplechase and 1500m run and Ubieta made it in senior men’s long jump.
Other CSS athletes securing provincial spots were Jorge Aparicio (junior men’s 1500m steeplechase, 1500 and 3000m runs), Amy Mebesius (senior women’s 1 kg discus) and Sarah Stewart (junior women’s 1kg discus).
GW Graham’s John Le qualified for provincials with an eighth place finish in the senior men’s 6kg shotput.
Unity Christian produced two podium placements and 10 provincial qualifiers.
Wiltosso Neufeld was second in the junior men’s 200m dash and third in the 100m, finishing fifth in the 400m.
Matthew Vrolyk just missed the podium in the junior men’s 1500m racewalk, finishing fourth.
Wilton Haan was fourth in the junior men’s triple jump and William Craig was fourth in the senior men’s 1.75kg discus.
Kylie Kampman was sixth in the junior women’s 500g javelin and Caleb Graham was seventh in the junior men’s 1500m steeplechase.
Unity’s junior men’s relay team of Wiltosso and Wilclair Neufeld, Caleb Graham and Sawyer Collie finished fourth in the 4×100.
Wiltosso Neufeld, Collie, Graham, and Steven Geluk finished third in the 4x400m.
Finishing up with Highroad Academy, the Knights produced five provincial qualifiers.
Benjamin Ewart was fourth in the senior men’s triple jump, while Curtis Freeston finished fifth in the junior men’s 5kg hammer.
Josiah Gamlak was fifth in the junior men’s 700g javelin. Maggie Priebe was sixth in the junior women’s 3kg hammer and Elijah Grimard was eighth in the junior men’s 300m hurdles.
