Nanaimo’s track is where championships are decided.
That’s becoming truer all the time, as the Nanaimo Track and Field Club continues to put on major meets at Rotary Bowl stadium.
This weekend (July 10-12), the city gets the B.C. Athletics Jamboree, which are club provincial championships for athletes in the midget, youth and senior divisions.
The local track club is busy making its facility welcoming. Last week workers twinned the long jump pit, the track surface has been washed and the lines will be re-painted.
“So it’s going to look awesome,” said Tyler Heisterman, Nanaimo Track and Field Club president.
Next year the club will host high school provincials in the spring and then the jamboree again in the summer.
“We feel that in order to keep the bowl the way it is, we’ve got to bring some events to town. We’ve got to show that it can drive money for our economy. That’s honestly a lot of the thinking behind it,” Heisterman said.
The bonus is the very best track and field in B.C., right at the Rotary Bowl. Athletes around the province have been targeting this meet since the off-season. There are not only championships at stake, but also spots on Team B.C.
Heisterman, who is also coach of the track club, said a lot of athletes have already run the provincial team standard times, but need to do it again at the jamboree, while making sure they also win.
“They have to come here and be fast or throw far or jump long, and they need to be first place to make those teams,” Heisterman said. “ So all the kids are coming here ramped up and ready to go and give their best performance.”
One of the athletes to watch is sprinter Hassy Fashina Bombata, recently named to B.C.’s Western Canada Games squad. Some other Nanaimo club members with high hopes are Madison Heisterman in the 800 metres, Jessica Katzberg in the hammer throw, Amy Morris and Jenaya Pynn in the 1,500m and 3,000m, Isaac Sandri in javelin and Carter Higgins in the 400m hurdles.
Events are from 3-9 p.m. on Friday, 8:25 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m. on Sunday. The 100-metre dash finals will be held Saturday at 1:10 p.m. and the 200m finals are Sunday at 12:25 p.m. For more schedule information, please visit www.nanaimotrackandfield.com.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
Nanaimo Track & Field Club athletes practising their starts to prepare for the B.C. Athletics Jamboree this month… pic.twitter.com/21KQMA726E
— Greg Sakaki (@BulletinSports) July 3, 2015