CLUB SHINES IN HOSTING THE BC SUMMER GAMES TRACK MEET

It’s been more than two years since the Valley Royals hosted a track and field meet but the job accomplished during the Athletics portion of the BC Summer Games showed that the club is still more than capable of staging a first rate competition…

CLUB SHINES IN HOSTING THE BC SUMMER GAMES TRACK MEET:  VR ATHLETES WIN FIVE MEDALS

It’s been more than two years since the Valley Royals hosted a track and field meet but the job accomplished during the Athletics portion of the BC Summer Games showed that the club is still more than capable of staging a first rate competition.   To go along with the organizational success, club athletes won five medals during the two-day meet.

“This was undoubtedly one of the best organized of the BC Games Athletics competitions and as a club member that makes me feel proud,” stated Dale Loewen the government appointee to oversee the Games track and field segment.

A successful meet means that hours of planning has had to go into the production and thanks for that has to go to Debbie Foote who assumed the role of Athletics Chair and as such attended numerous Games’ meetings and made the appointments that are vital to a successful meet.  Serving under Debbie was Sue Northey in the position of meet director and her firm hand meant that that no significant problems arose.  Dave Driver had the unenviable chore of assuring that all equipment and implements needed were provided and positioned at the various venues.   Jason Swan and Shirley Young, as usual, timed the track events and processed results. John and Carol Cull coordinated the officiating and made certain that all event areas were covered while Peter Fejhar made several trips to Abbotsford from his home in the lower mainland, including the days of the Games, to assure that the venue was technically up-to-scratch.

And like an army, the array of officials and volunteers need to be fed if they are to retain the energy to carry out their assignments.  Thanks for this go to Elaine Motion and Christa McAuley, and their crew of volunteers, who first of all scrubbed out the food room and then spent the next two days preparing and serving the food. 

And high praise is extended to our young JD athletes who served as basket carriers transporting the contestant’s warm-ups from the start of a race to the finish and, despite the hot sun, remained with their assignments from beginning to end.

And there were countless other Valley Royal parents and athletes who performed a variety of duties and for that the club is very thankful.

And competitively club athletes won three individual and two relay medals.  Rachel Mortimer completed her season on a high-note and was rewarded for following her coaches advise.  Rachel, who loves to lead in the early portion of races but can pay dearly for that endeavor during the latter laps, with the firm encouragement of her coach, was much more patient this time.   Rachel won the silver medal in the 2,000 meters (3:45.50) finishing just one second behind gold medalist Anna Maslechko  (3:49,50).  Mortimer took the bronze medal in the 1200 meters (3:45.50).

Josh Carsience, who is best known for his middle distance running, took up the pole vault for this competition and came away with a bronze medal with a height of 2.60 meters.

Elliott Payne threw the javelin 35.52m to finish 10th in his competition.

The club’s final medals were awarded to Cassidy Hutchison and Shaunika Suriya as members of the Zone 3 girls’ 4×400 meter relay team that won the gold medal. 

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VR Athletes at BC Summer Games

Here are the VR athletes that will be attending the BC Summer Games hosted by the Club this year….

Congratulations to our club athletes who will be competing in the BC Summer Games July 21st – 24th at Rotary Stadium in Abbotsford…

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Joshua Carsience – 2000m, Pole Vault

Rachel Mortimer – 1200m, 2000m

Cassidy Hutchison – 800m

Shaunika Suriya – Hammer, Discus, High Jump

Elliott Payne – Javelin

Canada Sr/Jr Championships 2016

MIKE MASON NAMED TO OLYMPIC TEAM:  THREE MEDALS WON BY VALLEY ROYAL ATHLETES AT CANADIAN JR/SR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Edmonton, Alberta July 7-10, 2016:  Mike Mason won the men’s high jump silver medal on Saturday evening, but more importantly, his second place finish assured him of selection to Canada’s Olympic Team headed for Brazil.

Mason cleared 2.23 meters at the meet to place second behind Canadian record holder Derek Drouin’s 2.30 meters.  Django Lovett gave the Royals a second medal in the high jump as his performance of 2.18 meters was the bronze medal height.

Vikramjit Gondara moved up an age division at this meet but still was able to win the silver medal in the junior hammer with a throw of 58.94 meters.  Gondara also took part in the discus event and finished seventh (42.92m).

But for the last 30-meters of her senior women’s 800 meter race, Jessica Smith might also have been on her way to Brazil.   Smith had secured the Olympic standard last year and to assure herself of a place on the Canadian team she needed to place second at these trials.  Until the last 30-meters she had second place in her grasp but things seemed to collapse over those final painful meters and she fell to fourth position with a time of 2:03.77.

Lindsey Butterworth came up with an excellent effort in the senior women’s 800m placing fifth in the final with a personal best time of 2:04.55.  Butterworth will now extend her season by traveling to Europe to take part in several invitational meets on that continent. 

Jayden Driver had a successful meet by placing fifth in the junior men’s hammer (54.54m) in a tightly contested battle for the bronze medal.  Had Driver been able to throw 24-cm further he would have been the bronze medalist.  Driver was ninth in the discus with a toss of 41.00m.

Tanner Geary got his first taste of national championship competition and it taught him that tactical racing is the name of the game at this meet.  In his heat of the junior men’s 1500 meters, Geary positioned himself well in a very slow paced race and was able to secure third place (4:01.14) to qualify for the final.   The final was again a tactical run and Geary learned that the last 300-meters is like an all out sprint at this level and after all was said and done he settled for seventh position (4:01.14).

Tasha Willing traveled to the championships and equipped herself well by placing fifth in the junior women’s shot put (11.72m) and ninth in the hammer (44.68m).

Valley Royal Event Centre athletes Joel Della Siega won the junior men’s high jump with an impressive leap of 2.10m while Alexa Porpaczy was the silver medalist in the junior women’s high jump (1.71m).

Results from Surrey, July 2, 2016

Results for VR athletes in Surrey on July 2, 2016….

Surrey, July 2

Women,
1/ Alexa Porpaczy.  –   1.70 m

Men :
1/ Mike Mason.  –   2.29 m. ( Olympics  standard )
2/ Django Lovett.  –   2.15 m
4/ Joel Della Siega.   –   2.00 m
5/ Zach Kuzik.   –   1.95 m. ( Standard for National Region in QB )