West Coast, Best Coast: BC Senior Team On Top
Olympic Gold Medallist Jerome Blake flew to the top of the Senior Men's 200m podium, clocking a Championship Record time of 19.95. After false starting in the 100m semifinal, he bounced right back to take the top step on the podium. This was Blake's first time under the 20-second barrier, and he looks poised to take on the world at the World Championships in September.
Grace Fetherstonhaugh, Oregon State standout, blew her competition out of the water (pit?) in the Senior Women's 3000m Steeplechase final. Finishing nearly 30 seconds ahead of her next closest competitor, she certainly made a statement. She also competed in the Senior Women's 1500m final, where she finished 5th in a stacked field.
Praise Aniamaka was just off the championship record by 6cm, leaping into the Senior Men's Triple Jump title with a jump of 16.50m. Winning the title by nearly 40cm, Aniamaka headed into the final with just a 15.52m effort, but rallied for a huge jump when it counted.
Olympian Olivia Lundman smashed the Canadian Record in the Women's 20,000m race walk by 5 minutes- a record that had stood for 39 years. Lundman is now a multiple Canadian record holder, and is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon!
Ethan Katzberg helped prove BC is still Canada's hammer throwing paradise, dominating the Senior Men's Hammer Throw competition with an incredible 81.33m throw. Katzberg's throw was nearly a full 10 meters further than the second place throw. He's currently ranked number 1 in the world in the event at just 23 years old, and looks poised to defend his World Championship title.
Julia Hanes (F33) was a triple threat in the wheelchair throws. She claimed gold in the WC discus, WC javelin and WC shot put. Her winning mark in the discus of 18.46m shattered the previous championship record that stood at 16.80m. The story repeated itself in the javelin where her winning mark of 16.11m broke the previous champion record of 14.00m. Her winning throw in the shot put was 7.27m.