Local track and field athletes took to the track in search of a sugar rush. The Nanaimo Track and Field Club played host again this year to a qualifying meet for the Hershey’s Track and Field Games.
The annual meet in Hershey, Pa., brings together the best runners from every Canadian province and territory and every U.S. state. The games will be held over the August long weekend.
For the first time this year, the Nanaimo Track and Field Club opened up the free qualifying meet to anyone, not just club members. Coach Tyler Heisterman said probably half the participants were from outside the club.
Athletes won’t know if they get to go to Pennsylvania until all the qualifying times from around the province have been recorded.
Athletes trying to get to Games
Some of the Nanaimo club's standouts travelled to the Jesse Bent Memorial Meet and Canada Summer Games Trials in Coquitlam this past weekend.
Erica DeSchiffart placed first in the 800 and she and her brother and sister all placed top-five in steeplechase competition. Joel DeSchiffart was third in the 3,000m steeple, meeting the Team B.C. standard for junior natioinals. Marita and Erica were fourth and fifth, respectively, in their 2,000m steeple, both meeting the standard for the world championships. Joel also came third in the 5,000m.
Also at the Coquitlam meet were Carter Higgins, who won the 800m, and Alyssa Mousseau, second in the 800m.
Club has great results at Garriock
The Nanaimo Track and Field Club had a contingent at the Garriock Track and Field Meet in Duncan this past weekend. Top-three results include:
10-year-old girls - Madison Paugh, first, high jump, first, discus, first, shot put, second, long jump, second, javelin, third, 60-metre dash, third, 100m.
11-year-old girls - Karly Dickenson, first, 1,000m; Makayla Mitchell, first, 800m race walk, first, javelin, second, 600m, second, long jump, second, shot put, third, discus; Nnya Nbaoma, third, 200m.
12-year-old girls - Courtney Anderton, second, 100m; Julia Dimter, second, 800m race walk; Savannah Georgeson, third, discus; Maria Johnson, first, 200m, third, 200m hurdles; Amanda Merner, third, 800m; Evelynne Pallard, first, 800m, first, 1,200m run. Kaitlyn Watson, first, 300m, first, 200m hurdles, first, long jump, second, 800m.
13-year-old girls - Marina Andersen, second, 1,500m race walk, second, javelin; Madison Heisterman, first, 800m, second, 300m; Jessica Katzberg, first, discus, third, hammer throw; Sarah Kedves, third, high jump; Jessica Ory, second, high jump; Hope Stewart, first, hammer throw, second, 1,200m.
14-year-old girls - Hassy Fashina-Bombata, first, high jump, second, 100m, third, long jump.
15-year-old girls - Hayley Dickenson, second, 1,200m; Rachel Jerome, first, long jump, first, triple jump; Amy Morris, first, 800m.
16-17-year-old girls - Maya Miller, third, long jump; Manon Prairie, second, long jump, second, triple jump, third, 200m.
Seniors women - Nola Hendrie, first, 100m, first, 200m, first, long jump; Karen Shook, first, 200m, first, 400m.
Nine-year-old boys - Logan Dean, second, 60m, second, 600m, second, 60m hurdles, second, long jump; Stirling Henry, second, 100m, third, shot put; Jake Putz, second, high jump; Ryan Veasey, second, high jump; Jayden Watson, first, 60m, first, 100m, first, 600m, first, 1,000m, first, 800m race walk, first, 60m hurdles, first, high jump, first, long jump, second, shot put; Coltan Whiteside, third, long jump.
10-year-old boys - Stephen Igbinosa, first, 100m, second, 60m, second, 60m hurdles; Brett Schlitz, first, high jump.
11-year-old boys - Keaton Heisterman, first, 200m dash, first, 60m hurdles, first, long jump, second, high jump, second, javelin, third, discus; Ethan Katzberg, first, high jump, first, javelin, first, shot put, second, 60m hurdles, second, long jump, second, discus; Kintan Rasaiah, third, long jump.
12-year-old boys - Colby Day, first, 800m, first, high jump, first, javelin, second, 200m hurdles, third, 80m hurdles, third, shot put; Jett Ferraro, first, shot put, second, discus, third, 200m hurdles; Devin Tozer, first, 300m, second, 800m, third, long jump, third, javelin.
14-year-old boys - Josiah Ano, first, triple jump, second, 100m; Josh Mitchell, first, long jump.
15-year-old boys - Josh Bailey, first, 1,200m, first, 2,000m, second, 800m; Jason Clare, first, long jump; Isaac Sandri, third, 200m, third, 300m, third, long jump.
16-17-year-old boys - Charlie Andrews, first, javelin, third, 100m, third, 200m; Andrew de Groot, first, 100m, first, 800m, second, triple jump, second, javelin; Sean Miller, first, 400m, first, 1,500m; Anthony Serban, second, 400m, second, 1,500m, third, long jump; Christopher Serban, second, 800m, third, 1500m.
Masters men - Tyler Heisterman, first, 400m.
Seniors men - Sven Donaldson, first, high jump, first, triple jump, first, hammer throw; Vern Shook, first, 100m, first, 200m.