Georgia Ellenwood capped off a dominant high school career with three gold medals and one silver at the B.C. high school track and field championships in late May and early June.
Included in that, was Ellenwood’s fourth consecutive heptathlon title, as well as gold in the long jump and 100m. She took silver in the high jump, losing on a tiebreaker as both competitors cleared the same height, but Ellenwood needed one extra jump to do so.
Regardless, the track and field standout finished with 10 gold medals and three silver while representing Langley Secondary from Grades 9 to 12.
In the heptathlon — Ellenwood’s specialty — she also set a new provincial record with 5,296 points over the course of the six events: 100m, high jump, shot put, long jump, javelin and 800m. Her total betters a mark that had stood for 27 years and was set by another Langley athlete, D.W. Poppy’s Kelly Ann Kempf, who had scored 5,262 points back in 1986.
Ellenwood’s victory also broke a three-way tie as she, Kempf and G.P. Vanier’s Katie Gallagher had all won three heptathlon titles. Kempf won in 1985, 1986 and 1988 while Gallagher took her titles in 2004, 2005
and 2006.
The Langley teen — who turned 18 in August — said it was amazing to beat such lofty competitors in the history books.
“I know they both went on to amazing things after their high school careers, so I am just looking forward to the future, as they did,” she said.
And this was just the start of things to come in the summertime for Ellenwood.
Representing Canada at the Pan-American junior championships in Medellin, Colombia on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, Ellenwood not only managed a new personal best (5,493 points), but she also found the podium for
the first time on the international stage with a bronze medal.
This was her third time representing Canada.
Her score put her 10th in the world junior rankings and third on the all-time Canadian junior list.
Ellenwood is now at the University of Wisconsin on a track and field scholarship and in December, was presented with the B.C. Athletics junior female athlete of the year award.