It’s shaping up to be an awfully busy summer for members of Ocean Athletics.
The Semiahmoo Peninsula-based track-and-field club – who recently had a handful of members win medals at BC Summer Games – has a strong contingent in Kelowna this weekend for BC Athletics’ Junior Development Track and Field Championships, and early next month, the club will host an even bigger meet – 2018 Canadian Masters Track and Field Championships.
The national-level masters event will run Aug. 3-5 at South Surrey Athletic Park, and will feature competitors who are 30 years old and above.
The event – the 45th annual – should attract a number of high-end athletes from across the country, especially considering it’s scheduled just a few days after another big west-coast meet that often draws competition from far and wide – the USA Track and Field Masters Outdoor Championships, which are being held in Spokane, Wash. this weekend.
For more information, including a meet schedule, go to www.oceanathletics.org or visit www.canadianmasters.ca
A total of 30 youth Ocean Athletics athletes are scheduled to take part in this weekend’s junior-development meet in Kelowna, however air-quality concerns – due to wildfires throughout the Okanagan region – could threaten the event.
On the BC Athletics website, organizers have posted a series of air-quality updates dating back to July 21, with each one stating that, “at this time… BC Athletics is not considering relocating the BC Athletics Junior Development Track and Field Championships.” The most recent update was posted Thursday.
“BC Athletics continues to monitor the situation in Kelowna and the Okanagan region… the primary concern is the health and safety of everyone,” the notice continues.
The same wildfires concerns plagued last year’s event, which was also scheduled for Kelowna but, at the last minute, moved to South Surrey Athletic Park.
