Competing up an age group was no problem for Megan Champoux.
The 15-year-old Grade 10 student could have run at the junior level.
But with an eye on qualifying to represent Canada this summer at the World Youth Games in Colombia, Champoux ran at the senior girls level over the weekend at the B.C. high school track and field championships at McLeod Athletic Park.
And Champoux did not look out of place, snagging a pair of personal bests en route to a gold and bronze medal in the senior girls 400m hurdles and 100m hurdles races, respectively.
“I was running as a senior, so it was a little nerve-wracking,” she admitted.
“But really, I was just looking forward to (trying for) personal bests and improving my time in the 400m hurdles going towards worlds.
“I was just looking forward to doing my best.”
The junior girls division only offers a 300m distance at the hurdles, but Champoux wanted as many opportunities as she can get to try and improve her time in the 400m hurdles in hopes of qualifying to represent Canada.
Champoux, who is cross-enrolled at Langley Fundamental — she spends part of the school year home-schooled — won the 400m hurdle title with a time of 1:00.56, edging Cowichan’s Chicago Bains for the gold medal. This was on Saturday and it was payback for Champoux as the day before, it was Bains winning gold in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.41. Champoux was third at 15.20.
Champoux also placed fifth in the 400m.
The pair are friends and Champoux said she knew she was in tough.
“I know she is a tough competitor (and) we were close in times,” she said.
“It was a tight race, pretty back and forth.”
Last year at the junior level, Champoux won bronze in the 300m hurdles.
Champoux will look to improve on her 400m hurdle time this weekend as she competes at a meet in Coquitlam with the Langley Mustangs Track and Field Club.
