The fastest races at track and field provincials were over in the blink of an eye.
The senior boys’ winner won the 100-metre dash with a sub-11-second time and the senior girls’ winner won with a sub-12-second time at the B.C. High School Track and Field Championships on Friday at Rotary Bowl stadium.
Michael Aono of Seaquam Secondary won the senior boys’ final in 10.95 seconds and Zion Corrales Nelson of St. Thomas More won the senior girls’ race in 11.85s.
“I just tried to take it out hard in the first 30 and then I was pretty confident I could hold the lead after that,” said Aono.
From there, he just tried to keep his form, he said, relaxed, but with knees up and hips forward.
“It was a pretty tough field, I’d say, but I just tried to focus on myself and do what I could do,” Aono said.
It wasn’t his best time, and he said it’s been a rough season getting over injuries. But he battled through and became B.C. champion in a race he didn’t even run at last year’s provincials.
“It’s always fun. I just love running this race,” he said.
Anastasse Eliopoulos of Vancouver College finished second and Amarveer Sandhu of Panorama Ridge was third.
Almost immediately after the 100, Aono raced the 400 and led until he was passed at the finish line by Quinn Litherland of St. George’s School. Litherland finished in 47.57s, Aono in 47.63s and Justin Questroo of Gleneagle was third in 49.39s.
Back-to-back championships for Corrales Nelson
Also racing both the 100m dash and the 400 back-to-back was Corrales Nelson, who gave everything she had in the 400 to win in 54.90s.
“I knew I was tired from the 100, so I just wanted to be able to keep my composure till at least the 200 mark and then from there, give it all I’ve got around the curve so the momentum could take me on the straightaway,” she said.
At the end of the 400 it was all about mental effort, she said, and she felt like she was grabbing at the air to will herself to the finish line. She’s a repeat champ in the 400, but she was runner-up in the 100m last year and said it meant a lot to win it this year.
“I got some PBs and I’m running stronger than I thought I would, so that’s always a great sign,” Corrales Nelson said.
Winning two provincial championship already will help her as she tries for another tomorrow (June 4) in the 200m.
“Definitely the mindset, you feel a little bit more confident, you get a feel for the track,” she said.
Runner-up in the senior girls’ 100m dash was Katherine Lucas of West Point Grey Academy in 12.13s. Hassy Fashina-Bombata of Wellington was third in 12.29s.
Runner-up in the senior girls’ 400m was Lauren D’Agnolo of Reynolds in 56.22s; Hayley Madden of Kitsilano was third in 57.31.
Results of the junior boys’ 100m dash include: Kenny Blackman, Jr., Surrey Christian, first, 11.27s; Kevin Hughes, Langley Secondary, second, 11.45s; Jesse Benneke, Mt. Boucherie, third, 11:45s.
Results of the junior girls’ 100m dash include: Jasmine Lew, Heritage Woods, first, 12.42s; Logan Bovell, Burnaby Central, second, 12.43s; Julie Kawai Herdman, Magee, third, 12.45s.
For more coverage of the B.C. High School Track and Field Championships, please visit www.nanaimobulletin.com/sports or follow @BulletinSports on Twitter. For schedule information, please click this link.
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Jasmine Lew of Heritage Woods in #PortMoody wins the junior girls' 100m dash at #trackandfield provincials… pic.twitter.com/EG4A4pQVRc
— Greg Sakaki (@BulletinSports) June 4, 2016