Nanaimo's fastest kid was faster than ever at provincial championships.
Hassy Fashina-Bombata of the Nanaimo Track and Field Club won both the 100-metre dash and the 200m this past weekend at the B.C. Athletics Championship Jamboree at Rotary Bowl stadium.
The 200m win was especially sweet for the hometown racer, as she set a personal best of 24.65 seconds that was well under the B.C. Athletics time standard of 25.04.
“It was really, really good,” Fashina-Bombata said. “I didn’t think I was going to get a PB but I actually got a PB and smashed the standard, so I’m pretty happy.”
She knew she got a good start and nailed the turn, so she was totally focused for the home stretch “to bring it, raise my knees, just keep driving no matter what and keep going and just bring it to the finish line.”
She anticipates that the performance will mean a spot on Team B.C. at youth nationals.
“It’s actually a really big deal because last year I was really hoping I would [make nationals] and I got really excited and I didn’t get to go…” she said. “I’ve been really working really hard since [the high school season] so I’m really glad it’s paying off.”
Other highlights of the track meet were the senior men's and women's 1,500m races, which featured international-calibre competitors including three 2016 Olympians. For the full story on those races, please click here.
Three other Nanaimo athletes won provincial championships. Jason Clare won the junior pole vault with a 4.65m leap, Steen Rasmussen won the midget pole vault with a 3.40m jump and Paul Little won the senior high jump, clearing 2.04m.
Also at the jamboree, Alyssa Mousseau took second in the junior 400m and Amy Morris was second in the junior 1,500m. Kaitlyn Watson earned silver in midget triple jump, Jessica Katzberg was second in youth hammer throw, Ben Toth was second in midget javelin and Isaac Sandri took second in junior javelin.
Mairin Shields-Brown earned bronze in youth long jump and Ethan Katzberg won bronze in high jump and hammer throw in midget competition.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
Very cool. World-class runners gathered for a sort of match race in the 1,500m… https://t.co/VJkkMVciaz #running pic.twitter.com/0eFbJqUSf9
— Greg Sakaki (@BulletinSports) July 18, 2016