ICYMI: BC High School Athletes Shine on the National Stage

This past week, BC athletes competed on the biggest stage in Canadian track and field: The 2024 Bell Trials, which served as the Canadian Track and Field Championships as well as the Canadian Olympic Team Trial meet. In case you missed the action from Montreal, QC, lets take a look at the current BC high school athletes who shined on the national stage and brought home medals, in addition to some of the senior athletes who are headed to Paris.  

The meet started off with Heavy Metal Night, where BC's prowess in the hammer throwing shone. 

Before Camryn Rogers punched her ticket to Paris and BC made up the entirety of the Senior Mens podium with Ethan Katzberg, Rowan Hamilton, and Adam Keenan, the U20 age group got their chance to shine. BC showed that not only do we have outstanding senior hammer talent, but the future of Canadian hammer is firmly in BC's grasp as well. BC High School Championships silver medallist Elise Drake came out on top on the national stage in the U20 Women's Hammer title with an outstanding throw of 51.51m. 

Also in the circle, Talia Phangura is the U20 Women's Shot Put National Champion, dominating the competition on the national stage after winning all three circle throws events at the BC High School Championships. Her 12.70m effort was nearly a meter further than the silver medallist. Out on the javelin runway, BCHS silver medallist Martynas Bajarunas brought home a national silver medal in the U20 Men's Javelin, throwing 58.07m. 

Team BC continued its long-running success in the distance events as well. 

While the Senior BC women swept the 3000m Steeplechase, led by Ceili McCabe, BC's steeplechase future was represented by Jaina Kang, two-time 2024 BC High School Champion. Kang won the bronze medal for BC in the U20 Women's 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 11:15. Meanwhile, in the U20 Men's 3000m, the dynamic duo of Charlie Mlotshwa and Yemane Mulugeta took home gold and silver, respectively. Mlotshwa ran 8:28, while Mulugeta ran 8:30. 

The jumps crew leapt to success in Montreal, with several outstanding performances. 

2024 BC High School Champion Alec Brent earned a silver medal in the U20 Men's High Jump, with a jump of 2.01m. Mackenzie Hurtubise, 2023 BC High School Junior Champion, also brought home a silver medal for BC in the U20 Women's Pole Vault, vaulting 3.60m in a tight competition. 

The sprinters brought the heat to the track. 

Pishon Haughton took the nation by storm, going sub-47 to take the U20 Men's 400m title with a time of 46.97. Haughton, BC and now National Champion, gapped the field by nearly half a second. Maiya Brunoro took the U20 Women's 400m Hurdle title in an excitingly close race, running a time of 1:00.25. Brunoro was also 5th in the U20 Women's 400m Final. Last month, Brunoro won both events in Nanaimo at the BCHS Championships.

BC High School athletes proved this weekend that they can hold their own against the nation's best. Next up is the 2024 BC Jamboree in Nanaimo, followed by an exciting season of national and international youth championships.