The Burnaby Wildcats are heading to the provincial B.C. Track and Field championships this weekend with a bolt of momentum from last week’s zone championships.
Led by multi-medal efforts from the likes of Maneesha Dhaliwal, Christina Heslop and siblings Lindsay and Ryan Goudron, the Wildcats emerged as the aggregate champion in the combined Grade 8, junior and senior totals.
Burnaby Central posted the second-best aggregate score in the senior competition, accumulating 151 combined points between the girls and boys divisions. New West topped the seniors with 176 points. In the junior circuit, the Wildcat boys racked up a category-leading 104 points, and placed third in girls with 96 points.
Dhaliwal picked up gold in the senior girls 400-metre dash with a time of 1:05.30, the 100m hurdles (22.24) and the high jump (1.45m). Heslop, building on some stellar results at the districts two weeks earlier, topped the 1500m (5:32.98), the 3000m (12:02.40) and the 1500m steeplechase (5:58.90).
In the junior boys division, Goudron was a three-time podium topper, winning the 400m (52.54), the 800m (2:08.91) and the 1500m steeplechase (4:43.80).
Among Grade 8s, Lindsay Gourdon won both the girls discus and shotput, while Robin Rohu took the 200m hurdles and placed second in both the 100- and 400m dashes.
For Central’s Randy Kamiya, the results and depth of this year’s team has been a great way to sign-off as a coach.
“Central’s senior team is small this year but we won the district grand aggregate (including Grade 8) banner – a banner that I haven’t relinquished in the 12 years that I have coached – yet again, but it was a close race with Larry Ryan and Burnaby Mountain, who won the junior banner,” said Kamiya.
“There are so many amazing results from this year and we hope that this continues at provincials. I am so proud of these kids and as my last season coaching at Central, I couldn’t be more proud of these amazing kids.”
The Wildcats will head to Kelowna 30-strong, including Grade 8 Robin Rohu, who will compete in the 200m hurdles as a top-three candidate, and the 100m, Goudron, who established a personal best last week with the fastest B.C. time in the 400m at the multi-event championships, and sisters Priya and Maneesha Dhaliwal.
“The Dhaliwal sisters are not only amazing athletes who are both in multiple events, but they are amazing students. Both have progressed so much this year and their hard work has resulted in numerous PB’s this season. Their progress has been spectacular.”
For overall results, see 'Burnaby shines' story.
