Morning Star Staff
The Moore family vehicle was weighed down with gold.
Brothers Stephen and Eric Moore combined for 12 gold medals – each won six gold and Eric won nine medals in total – as part of the Vernon AAA Track Club contingent that took part in the Kamloops Centennial Meet at Hillside Stadium on the May long weekend.
In the boys 13 year old age group, Stephen won gold in the 300-metre dash (49.41 seconds), 800m (2:32.56), 1,200m race (4:02.77), 2,000m (7:19.49), 200m hurdles (33.07) and long jump (4.04m). He added bronze medals in the triple jump and shot put.
Eric Moore, part of Vernon AAA’s junior development program (ages nine to 12), coached by Darlene Loland, won individual gold in the boys 10-year-old group in the 600m race (2:01.81), 60m hurdles (12.17), high jump (1.10m) and long jump (3.36m).
He added a pair of relay golds, teaming with Zach Loland, Mitchell Bond and Carter Leahy to win the 4 x 100m and the medley relay (200m, 200m, 200m, 600m), winning that race by more than 100m.
Leahy added four gold medals, including setting a new meet record of 3:19.61 in the 11-year-old boys’ 1,000m.
Leahy also won the 600m (1:55.54), 1,000m (3:19.61) and 60m hurdles (11.47).
Thirteen of the junior development athletes won a staggering 41 medals.
Zach Loland won the 11 boys javelin with a heave of 19.42 m. Bond won the 10 boys 1,000m in 3:39.21 and Gage Stoll took gold in the 12 boys 1,200m in 4:02.77.
Ageless Hedley Larsen won the 50 men’s shot put (10.52m) and discus (36.88m), while Steve Briggeman took gold in the 55-59 men’s 5,000m (19:38.53).
Chris Loland was first in the 16-17 boys javelin (39.83), and Jared Sexsmith won the 16-17 boys high jump (1.85m).
On the ladies side, Vernon AAA members were led by triple gold medalist Tyra Gilbert, who won the 18-19 women’s 100m (13.04), 100m hurdles (15.72) and long jump (4.93m).
Jaclyn Elliott and Glynis Sim were double gold winners. Elliott was first in the 12 girls 300m (54.83) and 800m (3:01.96), while Sim won gold in 16-18 women’s 800m (2:18.48) and 1,500m (4:45.81).
Abby Lawlor was the fastest in the 10 girls 60-yard dash in 10.17. Julianne Moore won gold in the 11 girls 60m hurdles in 11.68.
Czarina Wisse leapt her way to top spot in the 16-17 Women’s high jump (1.40m) and Lynn Claeys won gold in the 40-44 Women’s 100-m in 14.17.
Three other Vernon athletes, not affiliated with the club, won gold medals, led by the Harrower family.
Dad Will Harrower dominated the men’s 40-44 year old age group, winning gold in the 100m (12.33, second fastest time in Canada to date for that age group this year), the javelin (53.31m), shot put (9.28m) and discus (25.04m).
His twin sons, Carson and Anson, ended up with personal best results in every event they entered, which included a gold for Carson in the 14-15 boys javelin (32.09m).
Connor Hamilton won the 12 boys high jump.
A total of 300 athletes registered, from ages 9-82. The weather was warm Friday and Saturday and chilly Sunday.
