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Oliver Jorgensen will make history when he competes for SFU at the NCAA Division 2 National Championships as he becomes his school’s first male track and field athlete to do so.

Jorgensen, a freshman, won the conference championship in the 3-k steeplechase last week with a time of 9:17.20.

In the race, Alaska Anchorage’s Micah Chelimo, who is the top ranked runner in the 5k and 10k in NCAA Division II, crashed in the water jump and Jorgensen took advantage of that.

With three other runners between Jorgensen and first place, the Clan freshman took the lead with three laps to go and then held off charges by runners from both Western Washington and Western Oregon universities.

Previously Jorgensen had turned in a time of 9:09.38 at the Mount Sac Relays, a performance that places him second in the Canadian Men’s Junior rankings for the steeplechase.

“I’m really proud to make nationals as a freshman,” said Jorgensen. “I barely missed qualifying individually in cross country and my goal has been to qualify in outdoor track so it’s a good way to end it. The transition into SFU couldn’t have gone any better. It was smooth and I’ve matured as a person and an athlete. At the championship, my goal is to make the final and hopefully earn All-American status. I look forward to representing the Clan with Sarah at the championship and working to improve over the next few years.”

At the Fraser Valley Championships numerous Valley Royal club throwers and middle distance runners qualified for the BC High School Track and Field Championships that take place in Langley May 29, 30, 31.

Leading the way were middle distance runner Tanner Geary and thrower Adam Lambert. Geary had personal bests in tying for first in the junior boys 800m (2:01.63) and placing second in 1500m (4:15.08) while Lambert had first place finishes in both the senior boys discus (47.36) and hammer (55.88).

In the heats of the senior boy’s 800m, Aidan Bingert turned in a personal best 1:58.5 and came fourth in the final (2:00.06). Sarya Ross won bronze medals in the senior girl’s 1500m (4:53.26) and 3,000m (10:33.29).

Josh Adhemar had a very creditable personal best of 58.49 for a fourth place finish in the senior boy’s 400-meter hurdle event.

JoJo Calverley placed first in the grade 8 girls 400-meters and will take part in her first high school provincial meet.

Tasha Willing was second in the senior girls hammer (44.37) and won the discus with a throw of (44.37m). Although recovering from an injury, Vikramjit Gondara was first in the junior boys hammer (47.28m) and second in the discus (36.92m) while another injury plagued thrower, Manpreet Grewal, came third in the senior girls discus (34.93m) and fourth in the hammer (44.97m).

Other performances by Valley Royal athletes that advanced them to the BC Championships include:
Alicia Unruh—7th in the senior girls 3,000 and 4th in the 1500m SC
Callum Pilgrim—7th in senior girls 1500m and 800m.
Kate Sokolowski—3rd in junior girls 3,000m and second in 1500m
Manpreet Grewal—3rd in senor girl’s discus and fourth in hammer (44.97)

Ruky Abdulai and Helen Crofts paced Valley Royal performances Saturday afternoon at the Emilie Mondor meet held at Simon Fraser University. In weather conditions that for a change featured sunny and mild temperatures but with head winds, Ruky Abdulai and Helen Crofts both performed well.

Abdulai, back in action after taking a year off to have her first child, had no trouble in winning both the women’s long jump (6.17m) and 200 meters (25.79). Crofts, who is best known as an 800-meter specialist, ran the 400 meters on Saturday and had no trouble winning that event (55.49). It was a good start to the season for both athletes who next week travel to Los Angeles were they will be joined by Jessica Smith and Mike Mason at the Mt Sac Relays.

Three Valley Royal secondary school aged runner’s recorded personal best performances. Hannah Konrad dipped under the 60’second mark for the first time in the 400-meter event placing second in her section with a 59.72 clocking. Sixteen year old Tanner Geary and 17-year old Aidan Bingert both came up with personal bests in the first section of the men’s 800 meters. Geary held on to the pace for the first 600 meters then took the lead to and held on to win in 2:02.22. Bingert who had led the race for most of the way was rewarded with a third place finish and a personal best 2:03.76.

Sixteen-year-old Josh Adehemar ran his first ever 400-meter hurdle event and came

up with a creditable time of 60.77.

Full results of the meet can be found at: www.tfrrs.org/results/35229.html

The weather was just what you might expect Saturday afternoon at UBC’s Dhillon
Track (wet and cold) but in spite of the inhospitable climate, Mike Mason won the 
high jump event with a height of 2.24 meters. It was a good warm-up event for 
Mason who in two weeks will travel to Los Angles for the Mt. Sac Relays. 

In addition, three other Valley Royal athletes took part in the UBC meet. Hannah  Konrad won the “B” section of the 400 meters (1:00.45), Helen Crofts placed first in the women’s 1500 meters (4:24.93) and Spencer Spenst had a 1.70 meter performance in the high jump.

Meanwhile at the Stanford University meet, Oliver Jorgensen got his outdoor season off to a good start by recording a 4:19.11 performance in the mile, a time that is a provincial qualifying mark for the conference meet.

Yakima, Wash, March 29:  The distance crew had a very successful weekend competing in Yakima at the  40th Annual Don Holder Relays.  The team was led by veteran Sarya Ross who chalked up a win in the 2 mile race (11.46.2), in spite of having to battle gale force winds. In the boys’ varsity mile race, Peter Mitchell   ran 4.56 (19th)  with Aidan Bingert (23rd) close behind in 4.59.    Caitlin Leblanc, a first year Royal, ran strongly in the girls’ Varsity mile to win her section (5:41) and placed 8th overall.  Delaney Chapman followed closely behind Caitlin and had a 5.46 clocking.  

Arsh Ganda had a busy day running both the varsity mile and 400 meter races.  In the freshman/sophomore division, Tanner Geary, in spite of the heavy winds, ran to a personal best in the 400m (55.66) to win the bronze medal and followed this with a second place finish in the 800m (2:10.47).

Kate Sokolowsky was the leader amongst our freshman girls and placed third (5.46.2) in her first ever attempt at the mile distance.  Later in the meet, Kate placed second in the 800m (2:32.6).

Katia Heppell won her sections of both the 400m and 800m races placing 4th and 7th respectively.  

The real excitement came when the Royals stepped onto the track to compete in the distance medley relay.  Aidan Bingert ran the opening 1200m leg and his strong finish kept our team in contention.  Aidan passed the baton to Tanner Gerry who ran a solid 56 seconds for the 400m.  Arsh Ganda ran well in his 800m leg and although it looked like he might have gone out a little to hard, he fought the fatigue over the last  200m and finished strongly.  Peter Mitchell went on to run a solid mile and when he crossed the finish line he had our team in fourth place.

The girls distance medley  team was led off by Delaney Chapman who ran a well paced 1200 meter.  Delaney’s effort was matched by Katia Heppell in the 400m second leg.  By the time Catilin Leblanc got the baton for her 800m third leg the Royals were battling it out with 2 other teams for 2nd place,  Catlin was passed but then managed to find another gear, battled back and at the completion of her run our team was in second place.  Sarya Ross ran the final mile leg for the team and closed the 30m gap on her first of four laps to put our team in the lead.   But the effort took too much out of  Sarya and despite an excellent 5.22 effort, our team had to settle for the silver medal.  

It was a great season opener for the crew and judging by the performances it looks like it is going to be an exciting outdoor season.