Abbotsford athletes made a huge impact at the Fraser Valley high school track and field championships, and it was the ladies who led the way.
W.J. Mouat distance runner Alex Siemens was a double gold medallist at the zone meet, held Monday through Thursday at Coquitlam's Town Centre Stadium. The Grade 10 athlete won the junior girls 1500-metre and 3000m races.
At the senior level, the top local performer was Aisha Klippenstein of the Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts (ASIA). The Grade 12 phenom crushed the field in the triple jump, winning by more than a metre (11.25m), and added a silver medal in the 100m hurdles.
All told, of the 12 gold medals that went around the necks of Abbotsford athletes, eight went to the ladies.
Individual champions included ASIA's Emma Beckett (senior girls pole vault), Aly Cheese of Abbotsford Christian (junior girls high jump), Mouat's Caitlyn Warmerdam (senior girls 1500m race walk), and MEI's Paige Bergen (Grade 8 girls 100m).
On the boys side, MEI's Ryan Markloff (senior boys hammer) and Abby Christian's Garret Groeneweg (senior boys race walk) climbed to the top step of the podium. Markloff also took home the trophy as the Fraser Valley's most inspirational athlete.
Team-wise, it was a meet to remember for the Mouat Hawks. Mouat won the senior overall points title, and also finished first in the senior boys division.
Dominance in the relays paved the way for Mouat's aggregate success. In the junior boys 4x100m relay, the Hawks A and B teams finished first and second – a remarkable accomplishment. Mouat also qualified four senior boys 4x100m relay teams for provincials.
Other gold medal-winning relay performances came from Yale's 4x100m senior boys team, and MEI's 4x100m Grade 8 girls team.
Yale sprinter Chantel Desch had a big meet, winning bronze in both the senior girls 200m and 400m races, and helping the Lions 4x100m relay team to silver.
Other multiple medallists from Abbotsford included Manpreet Grewal of Abby Collegiate (silver, junior girls discus; silver, hammer throw); Mouat's Tanner Strauss (silver, senior boys pole vault; bronze, 110m hurdles), and Alicia Unruh of MEI (silver, Grade 8 girls 3000m; bronze, 1500m).
The following is a full listing of local medallists at the Fraser Valleys:
W.J. MOUAT
Alex Siemens (gold, junior girls 3000m; gold, junior girls 1500m)
Caitlyn Warmerdam (gold, senior girls 1500m race walk)
Tanner Strauss (silver, senior boys pole vault; bronze, 110m hurdles)
Derek Bergen (silver, junior boys pole vault)
Melissa Lokombo (silver, senior girls shot put)
Christine Smith (silver, senior girls pole vault)
Sarya Ross (bronze, junior girls 3000m)
Hailey Gibson (bronze, junior girls 100m)
Chris Brake (bronze, junior boys hammer)
Francesca Jackman (bronze, senior girls 400m hurdles)
4x100m junior boys relay, gold (A team) and silver (B team)
4x400m junior girls relay, silver
4x400m junior boys relay, silver
4x100m senior boys relay, silver
ABBY CHRISTIAN
Aly Cheese (gold, junior girls high jump)
Garret Groeneweg (gold, senior boys race walk)
Chelsea Jenner (silver, junior girls 400m)
Sarah VanWoerden (bronze, senior girls 1500m race walk)
Ryan Couperus (bronze, senior boys 2000m steeplechase)
Catherine Taekema (bronze, junior girls pole vault)
Leah Saathof (bronze, senior girls pole vault)
Connor Poirier (bronze, junior boys pole vault)
Rueben Paul (bronze, senior boys race walk)
MEI
Ryan Markloff (gold, senior boys hammer)
Paige Bergen (gold, Grade 8 girls 100m dash)
Alicia Unruh (silver; Grade 8 girls 3000m; bronze, 1500m)
Merrick Eshuis (silver, junior boys race walk)
Amanda Thompson (bronze, Grade 8 girls 80m hurdles)
Christiann Pedersen (bronze, Grade 8 girls shot put)
Grade 8 girls 4x100m relay, gold
Grade 8 boys 4x100m relay, bronze
YALE
Chantel Desch (bronze, senior girls 200m; bronze, 400m)
Nakai Luyken (bronze, senior boys 100m)
Jamie Konrad (bronze, junior boys triple jump)
4x400m senior boys relay, bronze
4x100m senior girls relay, silver
4x100m senior boys relay, gold
ASIA
Aisha Klippenstein (gold, senior girls triple jump; silver, 100m hurdles)
Emma Beckett (gold, senior girls pole vault)
ABBY TRADITIONAL
Katie McPhedran (bronze, senior girls javelin)
Ashton Eagles (bronze, junior girls triple jump)
ABBY COLLEGIATE
Manpreet Grewal (silver, junior girls discus; silver, hammer throw)