The Township of Langley, B.C., proudly hosted the 2023 Bell Canadian Track & Field Championships, which featured national championships for U20, Senior, Para Athletics, and Combined Events. The meet also served as Trials for the 2023 World Athletics Championships which is set to take place later this month in Budapest, Hungary. As for the U20 category, there was fierce competition and outstanding performances from high school athletes, soon to be college freshmen and first year university standouts from across British Columbia.
Below is a recap of the U20 results.
Dash of Determination: BC's Speed Stars Shine!
In the men's 100m, several BC athletes made their province proud in the finals. Ryan Lofstrom, a U18 athlete competing in the U20 division, secured a remarkable 5th place with a time of 10.72. Following closely behind were Liam O'Donnell and Logan Duley, both clocking the same time of 10.77, finishing 7th and 8th, respectively, with it all coming down to the thousandth of a second. In the women's 100m, Jordyn Reed advanced to the final and placed 7th with a time of 12.03 seconds.
Lofstrom continued to impress in the 200m, claiming 4th place with a wind-aided time of 21.45 (3.8m/s). Mattias Eastman was right behind him, securing 5th place in a time of 21.62 (3.8m/s).
A number of these athletes took their speed to the 4x100m relay. In the men's U20 mixed team 4x100m relay, the team of Eastman, Lofstrom, Haughton, and O'Donnell won in a time of 42.35 seconds. The women put together a team composed of both U20 and Senior athletes. Jordyn Reed, Jaeland Cummings, Hanna Sobkowich and Katherine Lucas won the women's senior mixed 4x100m relay, making it double gold for BC.
Moving up in distance, the 400m saw Hudson Irvine from Oceans Athletics finish 6th with a time of 49.20 seconds. In the 400m hurdles, Will Van Schagen and Tyson Carr put up commendable performances, earning 5th and 6th place, respectively. On the women's side, Maiya Brunoro triumphed in a thrilling fight for first place, claiming the national championship title with a time of 1:01.56, while Amelia Kristen finished a close second in 1:01.93. Lacie Simmons rounded out the BC trio, securing 5th place in a time of 1:05.13.
In the 110m hurdles, Michael Scherk of the Norwesters Track and Field Club dominated the competition, becoming the national champion with an impressive time of 13.68, over half a second ahead of second place. Iyimi Fagbamiye secured 4th place with a time of 14.52 seconds. Meanwhile, in the 100m hurdles, Krysthina Vlahovic narrowly missed the podium, finishing 4th with a time of 14.48. Kristen, Simmons, and Delaney Self secured the 5th, 6th, and 7th positions, running 14.68, 14.69, and 14.72 seconds respectively,
BC's Distance Dynamos: Pushing the Limits
In the women's 800m, 16-year-old Alexa Dow secured a silver medal, clocking 2:07.65, while Maella Hodgson finished 8th with a time of 2:13.87. Hodgson also raced in the 1500m final, placing 11th with a time of 4:38.13.
In the men's 3000m, Yemane Mulugeta was third to cross the line, with a time of 8:19.29, while Charlie Mlotshwa finished 6th in 8:32.55, and James Hodgson of Ocean Athletics secured 9th place with a time of 8:35.98. In the 5000m, Mulugeta once again showcased his talent, crossing the finishing line second with a time of 15:04.69, while Mlostshwa improved his position from the 3000m, finishing in 15:28.15. In the women's 3000m, Ruby Broadbent secured the third spot on the podium, with a time of 9:47.79. Rachel McDonald finished 11th in 10:07.64. In the 3000m steeplechase, Ella Madsen won a bronze medal, completing the race in 10:49.83, while Jaina Kang finished 5th with a time of 10:57.54.
In the men's 10,000m racewalk, Lowell Solmes emerged as the national champion, completing the event in a time of 49:17.00. While Grace Wong won the women's event in 56:14.00!