Vaisakhi was fused with sports at the third annual Valley Royals Vaisakhi Festival Track and Field Meet, which ran on Friday and Saturday at Rotary Stadium.
The event featured track and field athletes from clubs all across the Lower Mainland, along with novice athletes from the Abbotsford area, competing on the field and also celebrating the East Indian and Punjabi cultures with food and dance.
Friday night featured hammer throw and discus events, while Saturday focused on the running and field events.
Male Royals and Abbotsford racers with top three finishes included:
Samuel Rasquinha (second - long jump 12, second - 100 metres and third - shot put), Dawson Carman (first - long jump 12, second - shot put, third - 100m and second high jump), Mark Molina (second - 100m 13 and first - 200m), Gurashman Dhaliwal (first - long jump 13, first - shot put and third - 100m), Noah Molina (third - 100m U16 and first - pole vault), Thane Timmerman (first - 100m U18), Sunny Gill (first - 100m open), Parminder Bring (second - 100m open), Riley Simmonds (first - 200m 11, first - 600m and second high jump), Charlie Franson (second - 200m 11 and second - long jump), Tristan Steiger (first - 200m 12, first - 800m, first - high jump and second - shot put), Jamie Taylor (third - 200m SO), Saihajpal Takhar (second - high jump 13), Gracen Laforest (second - shot put 9 and third - long jump), William Steiger (third - long jump 10), John Pham (first - long jump SO and second - shot put), Scott Gaudet (second - long jump SO and third shot put), Percy Walker (third - long jump SO), Jesse Booth (second - shot put 10), Fatehpal Takhar (second - shot put 13), Rajvir Brar (first - hammer U18, first - shot put and first - discus), Thomas Marsh (first - shot put SO), Gurtaj Aulakh (second - discus U16 and third - hammer), Matthew Price (third - javelin U16), Travis Prachnau (first - javelin U18) and Jacky Russell (second - javelin U18).
Female Royals and Abbotsford competitors with top three finishes included:
Elliot Heath (first - 60 metres 9 and first - shot put), Jessica Tinsley (second - 60m 9), Hannah Booth (third - 60m 9), Alexia Smith (first - 600m 10, second - long jump and second - 60m), Dhea Kondolay (first - high jump 10, first - long jump, first - shot put and third - 60m), Vanessa Pirani (first - 80m hurdles U16, first - 300m and second - 100m), Paige Norton (first - long jump SO, second - 100m, second - shot put and second - 200m), Ashlyn Adams (first - 800m 12, first - high jump 12 and second - 200m), Allyssa Hutchison (first - 800m U16 and second- 300m), Aubrey Thiessen (third - 600m 10), Arshdeep Waring (first - 800m U18), Andrena Johnson (second - 800m U18), Bhavneet Grewal (third - long jump 11), Robyn Stiles (first - shot put SO and second - long jump), Linda Swart (third - long jump SO), Renee Bernier (second - shot put 10), Chloe Halloway (third - shot put SO) and Tanisha Gill (first - hammer U18 and second - discus U18).
For complete results from the event, visit valleyroyals.ca.
Video by: Joshua Watkins/Black Press
Slideshow by: John Morrow/Abbotsford News