Local junior and Grade 8 athletes led the way at the B.C. high school track and field championships.
Langley athletes combined to win 11 gold, eight silver and a dozen bronze medals, with the Grade 8 and junior-aged athletes taking more than three quarters (24) of those.
The three-day championships were held at Langley’s McLeod Athletic Park with the Walnut Grove Gators winning the junior girls provincial banner while the junior team finished runner-up for the aggregate title.
“It was a good showing and a lot of fun,” said Walnut Grove coach Gary Lutes. “The kids worked hard and they enjoyed it (and) it was nice for other people to see what I see on a regular basis.”
The Gators also led the way among Langley schools, capturing a total of 15 medals among the three age-groups.
Langley Christian won four medals, Credo Christian and R.E. Mountain each won three, Brookswood took a pair and Langley Fundamental, Langley Secondary and D.W. Poppy each won one medal.
In the individual events, Cassidy Cardle blew away the field in the 1500m race walk, winning by nearly 23 seconds with a time of 7:20.56.
Prabhasha Wickramaarachchi, Holly Harrison and Jordan Jacobs each took bronze in their individual events. Wickramaarachchi was third in the long jump (5.10m), Harrison won bronze in the 80m hurdles (12.42) and Jacobs was third in the 200m (26.27).
And the Gators junior girls relay teams — consisting of Jacobs, Harrison, Wickramaarachchi and Samantha Matthewman — won gold in the 4x100 (49.73) and silver in the 4x400 (4:07.86).
For Walnut Grove’s Grade 8 boys, David Midgley and Nicholas Monro did the bulk of the damage, each winning three medals, including a pair of gold medals apiece in individual events.
Midgley was tops in the 100m (11.55) and 200m (23.13) as well as taking silver in the high jump (1.75m).
Monro won the 400m (54.68) and the long jump (6.02m) while taking third in the javelin (37.40m).
Midgley and Monro were also part of the 4x400 relay team — along with Jakob Neufeld and Jack Hardy — which won gold in the 4x400 with a time of 3:49.90.
And Walnut Grove’s Natalia Monro (senior girls) won silver in the long jump with a leap of 5.34m while the Gators Grade 8 girls won bronze in the 4x100 with a time of 53.95.
The runners were Juliana Jacobs, Veronica Robertson, Rebecca Rankin and Sianne Whibley.
Langley Christian was led by Brooke Mussche who won gold in the junior girls 800m (2:17.88) and bronze in the 400m (58.93). For the Grade 8 boys, Jordan Dickhof took gold in the javelin (39.22m) and Brady Sandes won bronze in the 100m hurdles (16.33).
Twin brothers Zach and Tate Wyatt both found the podium for Mountain, with Zach winning the gold in the senior boys 2000m steeplechase with a time of 6:00.75.
That was two seconds faster than Tate (6:02.76), who won bronze.
The brothers were also part of the Eagles’ 4x400 relay team which won silver with a time of 3:27.47. The other two members were Xavier Soh, who ran the lead, and anchor Jordan Schmidt.
Ian Vandergugten won gold for Credo Christian in the junior boys 100m hurdles (13.92) with his teammate, Elia Farag Alla, winning bronze (14.42).
Farag Alla also won silver in the high jump, clearing 1.75m.
Brookswood’s Dominique Ronse (junior girls) won silver in the long jump (5.11m) while Druv Sobti (junior boys) won silver in the shot put (14.19m).
And Ethan Foster (Poppy) won gold in the senior boys pole vault, clearing 3.80m; Tanika Dolfo (Langley Fundamental) won silver in the senior girls hammer throw (47.85m) and Kevin Hughes (LSS) took bronze in the senior boys 200m with a time of 22.62.
