Nanaimo has a pair of B.C. champions and multiple other medallists following the recent B.C. High School Track and Field Championships.
Nanaimo District Secondary School athlete Tessa Bell won the junior girls' heptathlon at multi-event provincials May 30-31 at North Delta Secondary, and the following weekend, John Barsby Secondary athlete Autumn Techen claimed first in the para shot put at track and field provincials June 5-7 at McLeod Stadium in Langley.
In the heptathlon competition involving more than two dozen athletes, Bell was in first place after the Day 1 events – 80-metre hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200m race, then started Day 2 by winning the long jump to build what proved to be an insurmountable lead. A strong javelin throw extended her points lead and she was able to coast to victory in the final event, the 800m race.
At track and field provincials, in addition to Techen's gold medal, Elizabeth Linder of Dover Bay Secondary had a noteworthy performance winning three medals: bronze in long jump, silver in triple jump, and another silver as part of the school's 4x400m relay team running with Elizaveta Bobkova, Kamryn Bains and Evelyn Argyle-Anderson.
Also, Mason Miller of NDSS earned silver in the junior boys' hammer throw, Brynne Reilly of NDSS ran to silver in the Grade 8 girls' 800m, and Skyla Webber of Nanaimo Christian School took silver in Grade 8 girls' 200m hurdles.
Bell won a pair of bronze medals in the 80m hurdles and triple jump, Baraka Gibson of Barsby leaped to bronze in the Grade 8 boys' high jump, and Brooklyn Chase of NDSS earned bronze in the junior girls' discus throw.
