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BC Athletics Track & Field Media Releases Aug 23/02 -- BC/Yukon athletes perform
brilliantly at the Royal Canadian Legion Track & Field National
Championships For more Pacific Northwest T&F Series media releases please see www.harryjerome.com/media.
BC Athletics Media Release BC/Yukon Athletes Perform Brilliantly at the Royal Canadian Legion Track and Field National Championships Sherbrooke, Quebec – British Columbian/Yukon athletes hit paydirt last weekend at the Legion national juvenile track and field championships, bringing home so many medals that it was wondered if a second plane would be needed to carry the extra weight. Out of 40 athletes, 57 events in total, the contingent of the BC/Yukon Legion Command team brought home a phenomenal 38 medals. The 38 medals included 18 gold, 14 silver, and 6 bronze, not bad for a weekend's work. Leading the way was Surrey's Yvonne Mensah, who went three for three – gold in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and anchoring the 4 by 100 metre relay to a new juvenile national record. The Legion national juvenile championships consists of athletes aged 16-17 (in addition to another section of the legion nationals, for 14-15 year olds), and included about 350 athletes from all across Canada. The Royal Canadian Legion sponsors and puts on the championships, as well as the three days of technical track and field camps and games that take place afterwards. BC Athletics wishes to thank the Royal Canadian Legion and its branches for their continued support in providing Canada with an excellent developmental program for young track and field stars. Complete results for BC/Yukon athletes are as follows:
Gold medals were also won by the women's 4 by 100 metre relay and the men's 4 by 400 metre relay, and silvers were won by the women's 4 by 400 metre relay and the women's 4 by 100 metre relay. - 30 - Information:
BC Athletics Media Release BC Athletes Shine at 2002 NACAC Track and Field Championships San Antonio, Texas – While the BC contingent might have been small, the contribution they made was without a doubt huge. The 2002 North American, Caribbean, and Central American (NACAC) under twenty-five track and field championships were held last weekend, and the three British Columbians out of the forty athletes on the Canadian team showed the competition what they were made of. Leading the way was North Vancouver's Ian Collings, who took home the silver medal in the 3000 metre Steeplechase. Collings ran (and hurdled) the distance in a time of 8:59.73, losing only to one of the top steeplechasers from the United States. Jas Gill of Mission also competed well, tying for the bronze medal in the men's high jump. Gill cleared the bar at 2.15 metres, and was only 3 centimetres behind the gold and silver medalists. Jennifer Joyce of Richmond also took home the bronze, winning the medal in the women's hammer throw. Joyce threw the hammer 58.61 metres in distance, and placed third to two of the best hammer throwers from the US. All in all, Canada took home twenty medals (4 gold, 7 silver, 9 bronze), with the BC contingent going an excellent three for three. The twenty medals gained was second only to the United States, who took home sixty-seven medals, but also fielded a much larger team. Jamaica took home twelve medals, with Mexico and the Bahamas taking nine. - 30 - Information:
BC Athletics Media Release BC Athletes to Compete at the Royal Canadian Legion National Track and Field Championships Sherbrooke, Quebec – 39 athletes and 7 staff members from British Columbia will be heading to Sherbrooke, Quebec this week for the 2002 Royal Canadian Legion Track and Field Championships. The Championships, consisting of athletes aged 12-17, will take place on the dates of August 17th and 18th, and will be followed by tour activities and training clinics for the next three days. For almost all of these athletes, this will be their first taste of competition on a national level. The members of the team represent communities all across BC, from Elkford to Prince George. The BC athletes will be among 350 athletes competing at the Championships, with each Legion Provincial Command territory fielding a team (BC Athletes are among the BC/Yukon Command team). The competition is excellent, and has been the starting point for many high calibre Canadian track and field international stars (such as Shane Neimi, the current national record holder in the 400m). The Royal Canadian Legion is a vital supporter of the championships and subsequent camp, providing both financial support and countless hours of volunteer support. The Legion's involvement in track and field goes as far back as the 1950's, with national camps and clinics being supported as early as 1957. Support for the BC/Yukon team is provided by the Dominion and BC/Yukon Commands of the Royal Canadian Legion, as well as BC Athletics and member track and field clubs. The British Columbian contingent will be joined by one athlete and one coach from the Yukon. Athletes and staff on the team are as follows:
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BC Athletics Media Release 3 Athletes, 2 Staff Named to 2002 Canadian NACAC Team Vancouver, BC – 5 British Columbian athletes and staff members were named to this year's Canadian NACAC track and field team, to compete at the 2002 NACAC Championships held in San Antonio, Texas on August 9th to 11th. The NACAC region consists of countries from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean (NACAC), making it quite a strong region indeed in terms of track and field talent. To be eligible athletes must be under twenty-five years of age, and had to meet a tough performance standard. This is also only the second NACAC track and field championships ever held, the inaugural one being held two years ago in Monterrey, Mexico. A total of forty Canadian athletes and 12 staff members will be making the trip down to Texas. While the British Columbian contingent is small, the talent is exceedingly excellent. The three athletes British Columbian on the team are Jas Gill of Abbotsford (high jump), Jennifer Joyce of Richmond (Hammer Throw), and Ian Collings of North Vancouver (3000 metre Steeplechase). Joyce just recently returned from the Commonwealth Games, where she placed an impressive seventh overall in the Hammer Throw. As well, Collings is the silver medallist in the 3000m steeplechase at the recently held National Championships in Edmonton, where Jas Gill also placed fourth in the High jump. All three are excellent competitors, and will no doubt be gunning for gold. Also on the team are coach Ziggy Szelagowicz of Abbotsford, and physiotherapist Mike Coey of Victoria. Szelagowicz is a renowned field coach in the lower mainland, having helped many high jump and pole vault athletes achieve excellence. Mike Coey, an excellent distance runner in the past, has spent countless hours treating injuries, and preparing athletes to achieve their best. - 30 - Information:
BC Athletics Media Release BC Track and Field Athletes Excel at Commonwealth Games Manchester, England – Track and field competition at the Commonwealth Games wrapped up yesterday, but not before the eight BC Athletes on the Canadian team made a bold statement. Leading the way was Victoria's Diane Cummins, who captured the silver medal in the 800m with a seasonal best time of 1 minute, 58.82 seconds – one of the fastest times ever run by a Canadian. Cummins placed second only to Mozambique's Maria Mutola, who is currently ranked 1st in the world by the IAAF at the distance. Also capturing a medal was Surrey's Stephanie McCann, who finished in a three-way tie for the bronze medal in the pole vault competition. Stephanie, having just recently broken her own Canadian record in the discipline, cleared a height of 4.10 metres. Graham Hood of Victoria also put in an excellent effort, finishing fifth in the 1500m with a time of 3 minutes, 38.08 seconds. The placing is even more impressive due to the fact that Hood only ran a handful of races this season, the result of a nagging, persistent leg injury. Complete results by BC athletes are as follows: Women:
Men:
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BC Athletics Media
Release Over 200 Athletes to Compete at BC Provincial Junior Championships Kamloops, BC – Junior Track and field athletes from all across British Columbia will gather this weekend (July 13–14) to compete for medals and bragging rights in the 2002 BC Provincial Junior Championships to be held in Kamloops. The championships, which consist of athletes 19 and under, will take place at Hillside Stadium, located on the campus of the University College of the Cariboo. Over 200 athletes are expected to attend, and will be vying to win a spot on the highly acclaimed provincial team heading to the National Junior Championships to be held in Kitchener later this month. With so much on the line the competition should be excellent, despite the expected sizzling hot weather. Almost every community throughout British Columbia will be represented at the meet. Included in the meet will also be sections for athletes aged 14–15, otherwise known as the Midget age class. This is to allow these athletes a chance to see their competition for the upcoming BC Summer Games to be held in Nanaimo on August 1–2. The meet begins at about 2:00 pm on Saturday, and will continue to about 8:30 at night. Action will continue on Sunday at 10:00 am, with competition expected to finish up at about 2:30 pm. - 30 - Information:
BC Athletics Media Release 8 BC Athletes Named to Canadian Commonwealth Games Track and Field Team Vancouver, BC - BC Athletics is pleased to announce that 8 British Columbian track and field athletes have been named to the 2002 Canadian Commonwealth Games team that will be competing in Manchester, England later this month. Each athlete had to overcome tough team selection standards and perform well at the recently held Commonwealth Games Trials in Edmonton to make it onto the national team. 42 athletes in total were named to the national Commonwealth team, and BC’s contribution represents about 20 percent of that, an excellent amount when you consider the population of Eastern Canada and BC comparatively. As well, 4 British Columbian coaches and managers will also be joining the squad and making the trek across the Atlantic. Leading the way for British Columbia will no doubt be Diane Cummins of Victoria. Cummins, who is coming off of a fifth place finish in the 800m at last year’s world track and field championships, will have an excellent chance at a medal, despite the tough competition she will no doubt be facing. Pole vaulter Stephanie McCann of Surrey should also be in fine form, having just broken her own Canadian record a few weeks ago. The Games, which take place between July 26th and August 4th, consist of countries that were formerly part of the British Commonwealth, such as Australia, South Africa, and Jamaica. The Games have always had a high standard of excellence, and the depth of the competition is second only to the Olympics. Approximately 5,250 athletes from 70 different countries will be competing, involved in the 17 different sports offered (sports such as cycling boxing, wrestling, etc.). British Columbians named to the track and field team are as follows:
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For immediate release: B.C. Athletes Perform Admirably at Commonwealth Trials Edmonton, Alberta – Blazing heat, intense dryness, and gusting winds were the norm at the track and field Commonwealth Games Trials (also used as the 2002 Canadian National Championships) held this weekend at Foote Field in Edmonton. BC athletes, however, were up to the challenge put forth by the weather, and competed with great strength and determination. Leading the charge was Surrey’s Stephanie McCann, who not only won the women’s pole vault competition, but also managed to shatter her own previous Canadian record. Her mark of 4.35 m puts her into excellent contention for the upcoming Commonwealth Games to be held in Manchester, England on July 26 – 31. Victoria’s own Diane Cummins (800m) and Zachary Whitmarsh (800m) also came away as champions this weekend, as they have often done in the past. Not to be outdone, Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops also achieved victory in the men’s Hammer Throw, easily outdistancing the second place competitor. Individual performances aside, the depth of the BC track and field team was also clearly apparent, most noticeably so in the longer track distances and in some of the field events, such as the women’s hammer and the pole vault. Five out of the top eight competitors in the men’s 800 metres were BC athletes, and even more impressively 7 out of the top 11 athletes in the men’s 1500 metres were from British Columbia. These results clearly show that British Columbia remains as one of the top provinces in Canada when it comes to track and field talent. A complete listing of the results of British Columbian athletes is as follows:
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For Immediate
Release: BC Track and Field Athletes to Compete at Commonwealth Games Trials Vancouver, BC – 53 track and field athletes and 5 coaching staff will be heading to Edmonton, Alberta this weekend to partake in the 2002 Canadian Commonwealth Games Trials. The team consists of 21 women and 32 men, and represents many communities throughout British Columbia. The meet is a chance for these athletes to showcase their abilities nationwide, and to hopefully represent Canada at the Commonwealth Games in England this July. All of Canada’s best track and field athletes will be in attendance, and the competition will be fast and fierce. The Commonwealth Games Trials (which will also be used as the 2002 Canadian Track and Field Championships) will take place on June 21st – 23rd at Edmonton’s Foote Field Athletic Stadium, a legacy of the 2001 World Athletic Championships. There are already a few BC athletes who have met the selection standards for the upcoming Commonwealth games, including distance legend Jeff Schiebler of New Westminster and Hammer thrower Jennifer Joyce of Richmond. Many others are extremely close to these selection standards, and with a little luck from Mother Nature may be able to achieve them this weekend. British Columbia has always been considered as one of the powerhouse provinces when it comes to track and field, and this continued excellence should again be proven at the Trials. The following is a list of the athletes and coaches representing British Columbia:
- 30 - Information: gcluff@sfu.ca (604) 737-3176
For Immediate Release: US Army Invades New Westminster Security concerns for the New Westminster Record International to be held on Thursday May 30 took a turn for the better today. Coach Tom Tellez [former coach of WORLD RECORD HOLDERS: CARL LEWIS AND LEROY BURELL] confirmed his US ARMY team of sprinters from Houston will attend the Pacific Northwest Track and Field Series. Opening in New Westminster and continuing on to the JEROME [June 2] and PORT ALBERNI [June 4], this team of sprinters should give our locals some great competition. Already confirmed for New Westminster and the Jerome is OLYMPIC CHAMPION Bruny Surin. Sprinters from Jamaica, Nigeria and the Bahamas will also be at NW/JEROME/PA. Get set for some speed...
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