Skip to content

Three off to Legion track nationals in Ottawa

It was medals by the dozen for the kids from Oceanside Track and Field recently, as they turned in a great showing at the provincials.
37555parksvillejcPQoxlandboysWEB
The Oxland twins

It was medals by the dozen for the kids from Oceanside Track and Field recently, as they turned in a great showing at the provincials.

A showcase for the top track and field athletes in the province, the 2011 BC Athletics Championships Jamboree was played out in Coquitlam at Percy Perry Stadium July 15 to 17.

“What an outstanding facility. The track was a Mondo surface, like the tracks used in the Olympics, and it is always a fast surface,” OTFC coach Kim Longmuir said after, pointing out that despite the very wet conditions, most of the athletes competing achieved personal or seasonal best performances.

“Every single race was down to the wire,” she said, with the Midget and Youth athletes competing to achieve the Legion standard time and hoping to be selected to the BC Team to travel to Ottawa in August for the Midget (Ages 15) and Youth (Ages 16 and 17) Canadian Championships.

In the end, OTFC athletes reeled in four first place finishes, four seconds, four thirds, and five fourths.

“In the 25 events our kids competed in, there were 16 personal bests and three seasonal bests,” Longmuir said.

While the B.C.s were the end of the road for the younger members of OTFC, three of the older athletes earned themselves a trip to the Legion Nationals in Ottawa Aug. 3 to 9.

Thomas Oxland and Miryam Bassett both made Team BC on their strength of their medal performances. Oxland won gold medals in both the 800m and 1200m, and grabbed silver in the 1500m Steeplechase, all in personal best times. Bassett mined gold medals in the 800m and 1200m, “running strongly from the front in both races to win in excellent times.”

Longmuir said Oxland was in the lead going into the final steeplechase barrier, “but stumbled upon landing allowing his competitor to edge him out at the line.”

Both Oxland and Bassett ran Canadian age class times.

Outstanding performances were also turned in by Peter Oxland, who finished third in the Steeplechase and 1200m, and fourth in the 800m. Peter just missed making Team BC, but by meeting the Legion standard, he earned the right to compete in the Nationals as a club member.

This marks the first year of eligibility for the Nationals for all three athletes.

“It was pretty nerve-wracking up to the beginning but once I got a few races in it was really good,” Thomas answered when asked if he felt any pressure.

The competition, said his brother, “was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.”

In other results, OTFC’s Brycen Dorsay was second in the Triple Jump and fourth in the 100m and Long Jump.

Daniel Stewart placed third in the Shot Put and fourth in the Hammer Throw.

Kabir Bellerose finished second in the 200m, fourth in the 200m Hurdles and ninth in the 100m hurdles.

Rebecca Bassett was sixth in the 3000m and seventh in the 1500m.

Tkia King was sixth in the 1200m and seventh in the 2000m.

Taylor Chestnut was 11th in the 400m and 12th in the 800m, both in personal best times.

Kim and husband and co-coach Randy both had special props for graduating member Jenn Erickson, who competed in what might be her last track competition as an OTFC member.

Jenn, said Kim, has been a ‘lifer’ with OTFC, starting with the club at age nine “and capping off 10 years of being a very talented athlete,” finishing with a silver medal in the 800m and a bronze medal in the 400m.

Jenn recently graduated from Kwalikum Secondary School and is looking to travel in the near future and then pursue her education and track at Simon Fraser University.

 

IN OTHER NEWS

OTFC’s younger athletes had a great meet in Kamloops last weekend as they capped off their season at the JD Championships (junior development for ages 9-13) with still more gold medals for they club.

Makayla Hoey took gold in the girls 12 80m Hurdles (13.31), gold in the High Jump (1.45m); gold in Long Jump (4.55m) and gold in 3kg Shot Put (8.90m). The local standout also earned silver medals in the 300m Dash (44.81) and the 200m Hurdles (30.45) and in the Javelin Throw (25.12m). Serena Woolnough garnered gold in the 11 year old Girls Discuss throw (17.65 m) and silver in the Girls 11 2kg Shot Put (8.34 m).

On the boys side, Kintan Rasaiah reeled in four gold medals, wining the 60m Dash (9.51), the 100m Dash (15.60), the 60m Hurdles (11.60), and the Long Jump (3.64m), to go along with a bronze medal in Shot Put (5.29m).

The Longmuirs, as well, aren’t done their season just yet as they have been selected to be part of the BC/Yukon coaching team for the Royal Canadian Legion National Meet, in Ottawa, Aug. 3-9.