Langley’s Ellenwood adds another four medals to her high school haul

Both Georgia Ellenwood and younger brother Dean finish atop podium at B.C. high school track and field championships

Langley Secondary’s Georgia Ellenwood separates from  St. Thomas More’s Zion Corrales-Nelson in the 100m at the B.C. high school track and field championships at McLeod Athletic Park. Ellenwood edged Corrales-Nelson for the gold medal.

Langley Secondary’s Georgia Ellenwood separates from St. Thomas More’s Zion Corrales-Nelson in the 100m at the B.C. high school track and field championships at McLeod Athletic Park. Ellenwood edged Corrales-Nelson for the gold medal.

Georgia Ellenwood leaves the high school ranks as one of the most decorated track and field athletes.

Ellenwood added four more medals — three gold and one silver —  to bring her total to 13 medals over the last four years at the B.C. high school track and field championships.

The Grade 12 student at Langley Secondary won gold in the long jump, 100m and the heptathlon — which was held the week before in Abbotsford as part of the multi-sport championships — and a silver in the high jump on Friday and Saturday at McLeod Athletic Park.

Ellenwood actually tied for the top mark in the high jump as both she and Little Flower Academy’s Jessica Hanson cleared 1.65m but Hanson did so in two attempts while Ellenwood needed three tries.

It brings her mark to 10 gold and three silver over an illustrious career that has netted Ellenwood a track and field scholarship to the University of Wisconsin.

“I was happy with my long jump and my 100m,” she said.

And while the long jump has been a staple event for Ellenwood over the years, the 100m was just added this year.

“I wasn’t expecting to win (the event),” she said.

“I was going in it for fun and seeing how I did.”

She qualified for the finals after winning her heat in 12.29 seconds and then took gold by 0.10, in 12.36.

Ellenwood won the long jump with a leap of 5.65m and her heptathlon score of 5,296 points was not only a personal best, but also a new provincial record.

The high jump was a sore spot for her however, as she cleared just 1.65m.

By comparison, in the heptathlon, Ellenwood jumped 1.74m.

“That is very inconsistent,” she said.

But overall, there were no complaints.

“I am happy with it for my last year of high school, but also kind of sad that it is over now,” she said.

“But it  is good to see the younger kids, all the great athletes, coming up,” she said.

As for the rest of the summer, Ellenwood will now focus on qualifying for the Canadian junior nationals in Montreal next month and then the Pan American Junior Games at the end of August in Colombia.

She has represented Canada for the past two summers.

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And Ellenwood was not the only member of her family to find the podium over the weekend in Langley.

Her younger brother, Dean, was a double gold medallist in the Grade 8/9 championships, which were also held at McLeod Athletic Park.

Dean Ellenwood, a Grade 9 student at Langley Secondary, took top spot in both the 400m and 800m events.

He won the first race in 51.32 and the latter in 1:57.59.

Langley Times