Mike Mason of Abbotsford’s Valley Royals track and field club won a silver medal in the high jump at the Canadian championships on Saturday in Moncton, N.B.
Mason, a Nanoose Bay native who trains locally with Royals power/strength coach Ziggy Szelagowicz, cleared 2.28 metres, just three centimetres shy of gold medallist Derek Drouin, the Canadian record holder.
Drouin and Mason engaged in a memorable high jump competition at last summer’s London Olympics. Both Canadians were among a group of six whose best height was 2.29m, but three of those athletes – Drouin, Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Great Britain’s Robert Grabarz – cleared it on their first attempt. They shared the bronze medal, while Mason, who needed three tries to clear 2.29m, finished eighth.
Mason’s effort in Moncton assured him of selection to the 32-member Canadian team which will travel to Moscow, Russia in August for the World Championships.
Fellow Royals high jumper Django Lovett was fourth at nationals with a leap of 2.08 metres.
The Royals also had two competitors in the women’s 800 metres, with Jessica Smith placing fourth (2:03.96) and Helen Crofts in sixth (2:05.70).
Both Lovett and Smith have earned spots on Canada’s team for the Summer Universiade (FISU Games), July 7-12 in Kazan, Russia.
Additionally, a pair of young Royals athletes brought home medals from the B.C. Junior Development Pentathlon Championships, held Saturday in White Rock.
Parker Wakelyn scored 2,732 points and placed second in the 12-year-old boys division, while Hannah Konrad’s 2,829 points were good for third in the 15-year-old girls category.
