Home >> Track & Field >> Around the Track Archives >> August 15, 2005
2005 BC High School Track and Field Championships Review
The 2005 BC High School Championships took place at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby from June 3rd to June 4th. Based on the many great performances from the early club meets, there was expectation of a competition full of tight races and record breaking results, and the youthful athletes did not disappoint.
The athletic talent was spread throughout, from the track events to the field events, from returning seniors to incoming freshman. Corri-Ann Campbell-Fell (12) of Point Grey and Curtis Moss (12) of Burnaby Central led the way with record breaking performances. Campbell-Fell ran a time of 60.27 in the 400mh and Moss threw a distance of 61.98m in the javelin. Campbell-Fell added gold in the 400m, silver in the 100mH, and silver in the heptathlon. Moss added bronze in the discus, 4th in the Shot Put, and 4th in the Decathlon. Their efforts were rewarded as they received the female and male most outstanding performer awards. On the strength of Campbell-Fell's 36 individual points, Point Grey tied for 1st in the women's team title.
The male and female inspirational performances were awarded to the enduring Justin Marpole-Bird (11) of Saint George's and the versatile Melissa Appelt (12) of Holy Cross. Marpole-Bird won gold medals in the 1500m, 3000m, and 2000m Steeplechase. The latter event was perhaps his finest, as he toed the line without any hurdle experience. He compiled a perfect 30 points to help Saint George's claim the men's and the overall team titles. Appelt took silver in 400mH final, pushing Corri-Ann Campbell-Fell to her record breaking performance, while dipping under the old mark herself with a 60.44 clocking. She displayed her range and recovery when 25 minutes later she came back to win gold in the 1500m Steeplechase in a time of 5:00.59, less than one second off the provincial record.
Elizabeth Gleadle (11) of Kitsalano won the women's javelin with a record throw of 49.46m, solidifying her selection to the Canadian Team for the World Youth Championships. Also strengthening his grip on one of the two Canadian Team qualifying spots in the 400m was Kevin Lim (11) of Windsor. Lim defended his title in a time of 48.78 after a silver medal result with his teammates in the 4x100m relay. He managed to come back comfortably and secure a second gold medal running 22.14 in the 200m event.
Whitney Wellington (11) of Fleetwood Park continued her assault on the triple she has been searching for since Grade 8, competing in the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints. She showed that she is closer than ever to this goal, winning gold in the 200m, while grabbing silver in both the 100m and 400m. Although she fell short of the triple gold medal performance, she was certainly consoled by her selection to a second Canadian World Youth Championship Team. Katie Gallagher (11) of GP Vanier confirmed that she would be joining Wellington in Marrakesh 2005, as she did in Sherbrooke 2003, by scoring 4554pts and winning the heptathlon. She added another gold in the triple jump and silver in the high jump to cap a successful championship.
The class of the throwing events athletes was Chelsea Payne (12) of RC Palmer. Payne won gold medals in the shot put and the discus. She completed her events with a bronze medal in the hammer throw. Palmer finished in the top ten on the women's side, despite sending no other competitors.
Although the senior athletes are not quite ready to make way, the youth movement has made its presence known. Sabrina Nettey (9) of Johnston Heights made waves in 2004 when as a grade 8 she won gold medals in the 100m, long jump and triple jump events, as well as the 4x100m relay. Nettey demonstrated her pedigree early this season at the Mount Sac Relays by winning the invitational long jump in a Canadian Youth Record of 6.17m. She missed this year's championships, but her sister Christabel (8) managed two medals with a bronze in the long jump and gold in the 4x100m relay for Johnston Heights.
Alana Pattison (9) of Walnut Grove headed this year's core group of youngsters with gold in the long jump and silver in the 800m, after bronze in the heptathlon. Pattison joined her teammates to add two more medals in the relays, wining gold in the 4x400m relay and bronze in the 4x100m relay. Supported by her 24 individual points, Walnut Grove tied with Point Grey for 1st in the women's team title.
2005 Notable Absences:
Sabrina Nettey (9) - Short Sprints, Jumps
Brandt Fralick (12) - Short Sprints
2005 Standings:
Overall Title
1 Saint George's 101 pts
2 Oak Bay 99 pts
3 Walnut Grove 61 pts
3 Burnaby Central 61 pts
Men's Title
1 Saint George's 101 pts
2 Vancouver College 57.5 pts
3 Burnaby Central 55 pts
Women's Title
1 Point Grey 48pts
1 Walnut Grove 48pts
3 Oak Bay 47pts
2006 Returning Stars:
Justin Marpole-Bird (12) - Distances
Elizabeth Gleadle (12) - Javelin
Whitney Wellington (12) - Sprints
Reid Gustavson (12) - Combined Events
Katie Gallagher (12) - Combined Events
Lisa Egami (12) - Middle Distances
Leo Murray (12) - Jumps, Short Sprints
Billie Whitegibson (12) - Short Sprints
Jessica Smith (11) - Distances
Angela Shaw (11) - Middle Distances
Brianna Kane (11) - Long Sprints
Sabrina Nettey (10) - Jumps, Short Sprints
Alana Pattison (10) - Long Sprints, Jumps
Ryan Chester (10) - Hurdles, Long Sprints
Kaitlin Nelson (9) - Long Sprints, Mid Distance
Christabel Nettey (9) - Jumps, Short Sprints
Justine Johnson (9) - Distances