The Charles Hays Secondary School track and field team wrapped up their season under clear, sunny skies on May 17 and 18 as they hosted the northwest regional zones meet.
Once again, the annual meet allowed athletes from all backgrounds to show off their prowess in a variety of diverse disciplines.
“We’ve had some great performances from everyone on our team,” said team coach Dighton Haynes. “What they’ve been doing has been great, and they’re continuing to learn and grow.”
READ MORE: Rainmakers back on track
Over the two days of competition, 13 members of the Rainmakers team had a good showing against 73 athletes from the region with a number of top finishes. In addition, two athletes, senior Cody Schaeffer and junior Dakota Knockwood, qualified for provincial competition in Langley June 1 and 2.
Smithers Secondary School took home overall top team honours.
Dighton Haynes, the team’s coach, said overall, the athletes performed well in their individual events. He said some of the Rainmakers were new to their respective disciplines and had shown significant improvements over the course of the short season.
“You see the smiles on their faces when they have that success,” he said.
Schaeffer finished as the Rainmaker’s top performer with a first in the senior boys 100-, 200- and 400-metre races as well as the triple jump and 400-metre hurdles. He also finished second in the 110-metre hurdles and long jump.
Knockwood has a similarly strong meet, finishing first in the junior boys 100- and 200-metre races and the high jump as well as second in the long jump.
Track and field veteran Henry Vo finished first in the senior boys 110-metre hurdles and long jump, and second in the high jump and triple jump. Vo suffered a leg injury during the first day of competition, but decided to continue competing.
Halle Atchison won the zone’s first 1,500-metre race-walk event.
Ethan Hunter had a best finish of fourth in the long jump. Sarah Pham, Kaia Jackson and Alison Uppal each recorded personal bests in the discus, javelin and shot put.
Both the girls and boys 4×100 relay teams won their events. The girls team consisted of Alison Uppal, An Do, Sarah Pham and Alana Rysstad, while the boys team consisted of Dakota Knockwood, Andrew Lowther, Henry Vo and Cody Schaeffer.
READ MORE: Vo, McDonald lead Prince Rupert pack in track and field zones
matthew.allen@thenorthernview.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
