The W.J. Mouat Hawks and Abbotsford Christian Knights fashioned memorable team performances at the Fraser Valley track and field championships at Rotary Stadium last week.
The event, which ran Monday to Thursday, saw the Hawks finish atop the aggregate standings in four of six possible categories. They won the junior girls and senior boys divisions, along with the overall junior and overall senior titles.
“We have great individuals, but we’re a team,” Mouat coach Cameron Smith enthused. “We’ve got a great bunch of kids.
“We really stress (events) in the field and on the track, whereas some schools are either in the field or on the track.
“All the kids step up, try their best with smiles on their faces, and have fun. That’s the main thing. We have fun.”
Mouat’s distance-running stars, Alex Siemens and Callum Pilgrim, continued their remarkable dominance en route to individual aggregate awards. Siemens won the 800 metres, the 1500m and the 3000m in the senior girls division, while Pilgrim won the same races in the junior girls class.
It marked the third straight meet where Siemens and Pilgrim both swept all three events – they also achieved the feat at the Abby-Mission district championships and at the Upper Fraser Valley zone meet.
“You can run a 100 and a 200 and do the long jump and win all three, but that doesn’t stress your body as much,” Smith said. “For these girls, running the 3000, 1500 and the 800 in three days and winning all of them? Unreal. And they’re good girls. They’re at the finish line, hugging everyone who comes in.”
The Knights made a bit of history, winning the senior girls aggregate title for the first time.
“Our goal was this, right here, from the beginning of the season,” noted Scott Visser, who coaches the Knights along with Jack Boersma.
“We knew we wanted to get our kids in different events, especially ones that score well. We did well in things like the steeplechase, and intermediate and short hurdles.”
Abby Christian also finished second in the senior overall – an impressive feat for a smaller school. Visser attributed the success to a two-pronged focus.
“We emphasize elite-level achievement for kids who are at that point, but we’re also very participatory,” he said. “We get everybody involved. For many kids, this is their only sporting event, and we work with them . . . to achieve their personal best. That’s what track is about.”
PODIUM FINISHERS
The following is a listing of Abbotsford’s medallists at the Fraser Valleys.
W.J. Mouat
Alex Siemens – gold, senior girls 800m; gold, 1500m; gold, 3000m
Spencer Spenst – gold, senior boys pole vault; bronze, high jump
Jacob Firlotte – silver, senior boys 400m; bronze, 200m
Levi Hua – silver, senior boys shot put
Sarya Ross – bronze, senior girls 3000m
Callum Pilgrim – gold, junior girls 800m; gold, 1500m; gold, 3000m
Alicia Unruh – silver, junior girls 1500m steeplechase; bronze, 3000m
Amanda Thompson – gold, junior girls javelin
Jayden Driver – gold, junior boys hammer
Josh Adhemar – gold, junior boys 300m hurdles
Anthony Bilodeau – silver, junior boys 300m hurdles
Mikala Kerr – silver, junior girls hammer
Makaila LaPoint – bronze, junior girls pole vault
Alex Ruzhyn – bronze, junior boys pole vault
Rachel Krayerhoff – bronze, junior girls triple jump
Danielle Thune – bronze, junior girls 400m
Senior boys 4x100m relay, gold and silver
Senior girls 4x400m relay, gold
Junior girls 4x100m relay, gold
Junior boys 4x100m relay, silver and bronze
Junior girls 4x400m relay, silver
Junior boys 4x400m relay, silver
Abby Christian
Aly Cheese – gold, senior girls high jump
Catherine Taekema – silver, senior girls pole vault
Curtis Ridder – silver, senior boys pole vault
Daniel Ediger – silver, senior boys discus
Amber Piers – silver, senior girls 400m hurdles
Eden Luymes – silver, senior girls 1500m steeplechase
Emily Enns – bronze, senior girls 1500m steeplechase
Heidi Olthuis – bronze, senior girls triple jump
Sam Goertzen – gold, junior boys pole vault
Aaron Postma – bronze, junior boys triple jump
Zach Marhaais – bronze, junior boys 1500m race walk
Cameron Piers – gold, Grade 8 boys 400m
Abresia Foote – bronze, Grade 8 girls discus
Faith Kampman – bronze, Grade 8 girls shot put
Junior boys 4x400m relay, bronze
MEI
Nate Allison – gold, junior boys 3000m
Hannah Kornelsen – gold, junior girls 1500m race walk
Tim Bertness – silver, junior boys triple jump; silver, 110m hurdles
Paige Bergen – silver, junior girls 200m; bronze, 100m
Priscila Neudorf – silver, junior girls 1500m race walk
Paige York – silver, Grade 8 girls 400m
Cade Smith – silver, Grade 8 boys javelin
Grade 8 girls 4x400m relay, gold
Grade 8 girls 4x100m relay, silver
Grade 8 boys 4x400m relay, bronze
St. John Brebeuf
Zach Choboter – silver, senior boys long jump; bronze, 100m; bronze, pole vault
Rachel Choboter – silver, junior girls pole vault
Jacob Smart – silver, Grade 8 boys shot put
Yale
Elijah Vaughan – gold, senior boys 1500m race walk
Hannah Konrad – silver, junior girls 400m
Senior boys 4x100m relay, bronze
Abby Senior
Manpreet Grewal – gold, senior girls hammer; bronze, discus
Jamie Konrad – silver, senior boys triple jump
Rick Hansen
Monique Sever – gold, junior girls triple jump; gold, long jump
Robert Bateman
Oliver Jorgensen – silver, senior boys 2000m steeplechase