There is setting a new personal best and then there is what Adam Marshall accomplished, which was smashing his PB.
The 18-year-old Grade 12 student at Brookswood Secondary not only won the gold medal in the men’s 2000m steeplechase event, he obliterated his previous best time of 6:25.00.
Marshall crossed the finish line in 6:08.77 at McLeod Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon at the B.C. high school track and field championships.
Marshall’s previous best came a few weeks ago at the Fraser Valley championships, when he placed third.
But Marshall fully expected to make a better showing at provincials.
“For Fraser Valleys, I had the 800 heats and finals the same day as the steeplechase,” he explained.
“So for provincials, I scratched the 1500m (event) so that I would be able to be fresh for the steeplechase.”
And that is exactly what happened, as he won by three and a half seconds over North Surrey’s Ephraim Tadesse.
Langley Christian’s Nick Colyn came fifth in the event, finishing in 6:14.51.
Marshall had finished ninth at the provincial championships last year, so to finish atop the podium this time around “was a pretty good feeling.”
While Marshall sat out the 1500m race, he did take part in the 800m, and just missed the podium, placing fourth in a time of 1:56.35, only four-tenths of a second from third place.
He had been second after the preliminaries.
“I was happy (with fourth),” he said.
“I didn’t have any expectations going into the event.”
And with his high school competing days now over, Marshall plans to continue in the sport.
He is a member of the Langley Mustangs Track and Field Club, as well as training with the Trinity Western Spartans. He is undecided on his post-secondary plans.
