A large contingent of BC athletes made their way to Vancouver Island this past weekend to compete at the 2023 BC Athletics Provincial Track and Field Championship Jamboree at the Rotary Bowl in Nanaimo. With over 1250 individual entries across the U16, U18, U20 and Senior categories, the energy was high and everyone came to perform! All three days saw similarities of heat, swirling winds and of course great performances.
Let's dive into just some of the highlights and for full results click here.
Thrilling Showdowns in the 100m Dash
In the Girls U16 category, Kiara Malcolm emerged as the champion, clocking an impressive time of 12.51 seconds. Alexia Latore claimed second place with a time of 12.58 seconds, closely followed by Siena Mostowy, who secured third place, also with a time of 12.58 seconds. It all came down to that lean!
Moving on to the Boys U16 division, Tason Tran secured the victory with a wind-aided time of 11.23 seconds. Christian Aghedo finished in a close second place with a time of 11.33 seconds, while Derek Frimpong claimed the third spot on the podium, clocking a respectable time of 11.44 seconds.
In the Girls U18 category, Makenna Self's performance stood out as she battled against a headwind to claim the provincial title. She crossed the finish line with a time of 12.20 seconds. Caitlin Peever secured second place with a time of 12.32 seconds, while Alexandra Tenn closely followed in third place, clocking a time of 12.33 seconds.
The Boys U18 100m dash was dominated by the speed of Ryan Lofstrom, who emerged as the champion with an outstanding time of 10.74 seconds. Lofstrom's time ranks him second in the national rankings for the U18 category. Daniel Mandic showcased his talent as well, securing second place with a time of 11.00, while Joe Kanuka rounded out the top three with an impressive time of 11.10 seconds.
The reigning BC High School Provincial Champions in the Senior 100m, Jordyn Reed and Liam O'Donnell, won the U20 100m division with times of 12.06w and 10.72 respectively.
In the women's 100m dash wheelchair event, Tiana Hesmert emerged as the champion with a time of 30.36 seconds, racing into a -1.4 wind. On the men's side, Nathan Dewitt crossed the finish line in a time of 18.49 seconds. Paulo Guerrero followed closely, finishing with a time of 19.85 seconds, also against a -1.4 wind.
Mastering the Middle Distances
In the Girls U16 800m, Maggie Epp dominated the competition, crossing the finish line over seven seconds ahead of her closest competitor with a time of 2:18.23. Meanwhile, in the Boys U16 division, Arjun Sandhu showcased his talent, securing the victory with a time of 2:01.33.
Moving on to the U18 category, Chloe Symon left her mark in the 800m, clocking a time of 2:13.35. Symon also dominated the 400m, winning by over a second and a half with a time of 56.08. Speaking of 400m performances Elisabeth McDowell-Mitchell won the U20 400 with an impressive time of 55.74, over two seconds faster than second place. As for the Boys U18 800m event, spectators were treated to an exhilarating battle for the gold. Mark Molina emerged as the champion with a time of 1:53.37, narrowly edging out Bernardo Sada, who finished just behind with a time of 1:53.40.
The U20 division saw Maya Baechler as a dominant force in both the 800m and 1500m races. Maya claimed victory in the Girls U20 800m race with a time of 2:11.93, finishing over seven seconds ahead of her closet competitor. Additionally, she showcased her endurance in the 1500m race, crossing the finish line with a time of 4:32.42, solidifying her position as the BC Provincial Champion. Not to mention only a few weeks ago she completed the double at the BC High School Provincial Championships. On the Boys U20 side, Tion McLeish won with a time of 1:56.86, over Colton Plummer who ran 1:57.19 to take second place.