Valley Royals Track & Field Club

May 12, 13, 14—2015:  With a pair of victories apiece, Vikramjit Gondara and Daniel James led Valley Royal athletes at the Fraser Valley Track and Field Championships that took place in Abbotsford during this past week.

Gondara obliterated the junior boys hammer record throwing the ball and chain 57.99 meters, a full 10.27 meters further than the former record established by Abby Christian’s Derek Kampman in 2004.  Not satisfied with his hammer record Gondara tossed the junior discus 46.10 meters to break the former record of 43.52 meters set by Barry McBain of Newton in 1969.   It was a great start to the season for Gondara who at 16 years of age is considered to have all the ingredients needed for both the national and international stages in his specialty.

On the track, 15-year old Daniel James won both the junior boys 1500 and 800 meter events.   James had little trouble winning the 1500m as he ran away from the field over the last 150m to win in a personal best time of 4:19.23.  But James’s 800-meter victory was not as nearly as easy and it came after a hard fought battle with Walnut Grove’s Will Riley.  With 150-meters to go Riley had a 30-meter lead on James but in final dash to the tape James put on a spurt that caught the Walnut Grove runner just two meters before the finish line and won with a personal best time of 1:59.75 to Riley’s 1:59.85.

As usual Tasha Willing was a busy young lady winning the senior girls shot put (11.98m) and added to that by placing second in the discus (35.08) and fourth in the hammer (44.47m).

Parmvir Waring had a busy three days of competition competing in three events that included four races.   But despite the ambitious undertaking, Waring won the silver medal in the junior boys 1500m (4:23.33), came fourth in the 3-k run (9:36) and placed sixth in the 800m.  

Michael Lambert won the junior boys high jump with a leap of 1.88m and then showed his diversity by placing third in the discus ((33.41m).  Tim Bertness won the senior boys pole vault (3.40m) and was third in the javelin (44.37m) while Jayden Driver was the silver medalist in both the senior boys discus (37.25m) and hammer (49.06m).

Josh Adhemar had a few problems with his pacing between barriers but still had a convincing win in the senior boys 400-meter hurdles finishing with a personal best time of 56.77 finishing almost four seconds in front of his nearest competitor.   Devon Kular was first in the junior boys pole vault (2.60m) and came fifth in the 300m hurdles (45.74).

The senior girls’ 800m was a close race with the first four runners finishing within a one second difference of each other.  Hannah Konrad came second in the two-lap race (2:18.03) with Catlin Leblanc placing fourth (2:18.83).  Konrad also placed second in the 400m (61.10) while Leblanc was fourth in the 1500m (4:51.87).

Kate Sokolowski placed fifth in the junior girls 1500m with a personal best 4:57.92 and was second in the 800m with another personal best 2:20.83.  Angela Gourley secured a third place finish in the senior girls 100m hurdles (16.73) and was sixth in the 400m hurdles (72.52) an event she was running for the first time.

All the above athletes have advanced to the BC High School Championships that take place on June 4, 5, 6 in Langley.

Many of the Valley Royal’s distance crew were hard at work this past week competing for their high school in the Upper Fraser Valley Track & Field Championships.  It was a chance to them to see that, yes,  their hard work is paying off.  Josh Adhemar lead our Grade 12  boys contingent taking a 1st place in the 400m Hurdle event and running a new personal best in the 400m to take 3rd.  Aiden Bingert is coming back slowly from an injury that has hampered him for 3 months.  He was able to take home two 3rd place finishes in the 800m and 1500m.   Caitlin LeBlanc led the way for the Grade 11 & 12 Girls with a 3rd place finish in the 800m and 4th in the 1500m while Delaney Chapman was close behind in the same races placing 7th and 6th respectively.    Katrina Palmer also qualified for the Fraser Valleys in the 800m placing 11th,  both herself and Harneet Uppal will also move on in the 3000m while Erica Johnson will do so in the 1500m and 1500m Steeple Chase.

Our Grade 8, 9 and 10 athletes had a very strong showing.  Daniel James won both the 800m and 1500m in personal best times while Parmvir Waring also ran personal bests  taking 2nd in the 800m and 3rd in the 1500m, he also placed 2nd in the 3000m.  Kate Sokolowski took second in the 1500m, she also qualified in the 800m and 3000m while Gurleen Gill moves on in the 1500m.

ROYALS ATHLETES MOVING ON TO THE FRASER VALLEY CHAMPIONSHIPS (Gerry and Jane Swan Track May 11, 12 & 14)

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR DIVISION
Josh Adhemar         1st 400m Hurdles 51.67, 3rd 400m 51.67
Aidan Bingert        3rd 800m 2.06.9, 3rd 1500m 4.27.0
Caitlin LeBlanc        3rd 800m 2.24.6, 4th 1500m 5.03.3
Delaney Chapman    7th 800m 2.34.3, 6th 1500m 5.14.1
Katrina Palmer         11th 800m 2.59.9, 7th 3000m 13.47
Harneet Uppal         9th 3000m 16.03.4
Erica Johnson            7th 1500m 5.15.9, 2nd 1500m SC 6.00.2

HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR DIVISION
Daniel James            1st 800m 2.08.3, 1st 1500m 4.25.6
Parmvir Waring        2nd 800m 2.09.5, 3rd 1500m 4.32.3, 2nd 3000m 9.43.5
Kate Sokolowski         6th 800m 2.33.2, 2nd 1500m 5.04.3, 3rd 3000m 10.55.4
Gurleen Gill                10th 1500m 5.53.1

One of the highlight club events takes place on Wednesday evening February 18 when the our Awards Banquet will be held at the Legacy Centre located adjacent to the track at Rotary Stadium.  In an evening dedicated to celebrating another successful year for the club, this event is also a chance for everyone to dress up and come and enjoy an evening of companionship and fun.  The banquet is held to celebrate all members of the club and every athlete that attends will be recognized and presented with an award.

In addition, the quiz sheet will once again be passed out and the athlete (or parent) who obtains the highest score will win a very worthwhile prize.  This year we will indeed have a new quiz champion as fortunately for this year’s contestants, Sarya Ross, who has dominated this contest for all so many years, will not be present this time as to her regret the trip from school at the University of Ottawa is just a little too expensive.  But at least it’s an open competition this year so study up on your Valley Royals history and you might be a winner.

The dinner is always a highlight of the evening and once again this year it will feature a multi choice buffet and all attendees should relish that.  The evening will conclude with the presentation of awards to the club’s outstanding athlete(s) in all age classes. 

So we look forward to having all club members and parents and friends on hand come February 18.  It will be a great opportunity for younger athletes to meet and chat with a number of the club’s international caliber athletes and to generally have a great evening of eating and socializing.

The indoor season got underway for two Royal internationals Saturday, January 17 at the Dempsey Indoor facility on the University of Washington campus.  Mike Mason began his season by winning the men’s high jump (2.15m) and Jessica Smith was first in her section of the women’s 400m (55.62) and then placed 8th in the final section of the mile run (4:48.37).

This coming Saturday Mason, Smith and Helen Crofts will again travel to Seattle for the second of three indoor meets at that facility.  A week later (Sat., Feb. 7), a group of Sue Northey’s middle distance runners plus a couple of Harold Willers’ throwers will take part in the Jerome Indoor Games to be held at Richmond’s Indoor Olympic Oval.   It will be a nice experience for the Royal athletes and a change of pace from training in the wet and cool weather conditions that are prevalent during the winter months in the lower mainland of BC.

After two months of slogging through the rain and mud, a number of Valley Royal athletes will compete this Saturday at the Canadian National CC Championships taking place at Vancouver’s Jericho Beach Park.

Caitlin Leblanc, who prefers track races of 800m to cross country, has made steady improvement throughout the season and on Saturday she will be among the more then 100 other girls that compete in the Youth Women (under 18 years of age) 4-k race.  “Caitlin is now grasping how to fight through fatigue and if she holds herself together on Saturday, I believe she will place in the upper half of the field.  In any case her dedication this season will hold Caitlin in good stead for next season’s track season,” stated coach Sue Northey.   

On the boy’s side, both Tanner Geary and Aidan Bingert will contest the Youth Boys 6-k run on Saturday.   “Like Caitlin, both Tanner and Aidan much prefer distances of 800 meters but they both know how vital cross country is for preparing them for the coming track season,” were coach Northey’s words.

A number of other Valley Royal athletes will take part in the All Comers Race that is part of the meet.

Two Valley Royal athletes were members of the Simon Fraser University Men’s Cross Country team that qualified Saturday for the National Division 2 Championships.

In Saturday’s West Regional Championships that took place in Billings, Montana, Oliver Jorgensen and Travis Vugteveen both overcame health problems to help the Clansman grab the sixth and last qualifying spot for the National Championships.   It’s the first time ever that a men’s team from SFU has qualified for the Division 2 NCAA Cross Country Championship.

The women’s team had a much easier time qualifying for the nationals by placing first in Montana.  “It was a great day for both teams,” stated Clan Coach Brit Townsend and we look forward to the national championships.”  The Clan teams leave bright and early next Tuesday morning for Louisville, KY and Tom Sawyer Park, the site of this year’s national meet.