Mike Mason of the Valley Royals track and field team won the high jump on Saturday at the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, California, and became eligible for selection to Canada’s Olympic team in the process.
Mason cleared 2.28 metres (7’5”) to top an excellent field of jumpers that included second-place finisher Edgar Rivera-Morales of Arizona (2.25m) and Ed Wright, a U.S. international who came third (2.25m).
More importantly, Mason’s performance was the second time in three weeks that he has cleared the Canadian Olympic ‘B’ standard and makes him eligible for selection to the Canadian team that will compete at this summer’s Olympic Games in London. He must finish top-three at nationals to finalize a berth.
Mason, a Nanoose Bay, B.C. native who is now living in Abbotsford and training with the Royals, will travel to Guadeloupe next week for an international meet featuring a number of world-ranked jumpers. This will give Mason another opportunity to achieve the world ‘A’ standard of 2.31m.
The Royals’ Jessica Smith placed fifth in the elite women’s 800m run at Mt. Sac and recorded a Canadian-leading time of 2:02.10. Smith, who is contesting selection to the Olympic team under the “young hopeful” category, placed in front of Quebec’s Lemlem Ogbasilassie, the second-ranked Canadian in the 800m.
Ruky Abdulai, who is preparing for the heptathlon at the Olympics, limited herself to the javelin throw at Mt. Sac and posted a career personal best of 44.76m.