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Yukoners bag 30 medals at Kelowna track meet

A record-sized Yukon team produced a record-sized medal haul for the territory over the weekend in Kelowna, B.C.
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A record-sized Yukon team produced a record-sized medal haul for the territory over the weekend in Kelowna, B.C.

A squad of 26 Yukoners amassed a pile of 30 medals at the 2016 Jack Brow Memorial Track and Field Meet, which was also the B.C. Masters Outdoor Championships. That’s up from nine medals last year and seven in 2014.

“We probably had more than half the team medal, which we’ve never had before, and I think pretty much everybody got ribbons (by placing) top eight,” said Athletics Yukon head coach Don White.

“It was the July 1 long weekend and in the past when we’ve gone down there have been 15-20 teams and there weren’t quite that many represented this time. So the kids had a better chance at getting onto the podium,” he added. “Even so, in some cases there were like 15 kids competing in an age group and an event. So they did quite well.”

Yukon was represented by 21 youth and five adults – four of whom will represent the territory at the 2016 Canada 55+ Games this August in Brampton, Ont.

Dawson City’s Jack Amos took in the most hardware for the younger Yukoners in Kelowna. He won gold in the 1,200-mere (3:28.94) and 2,000-metre (5:58.61), and silver in the 800-metre (2:08.58) for boys 14-15.

“Jack Amos improved hugely over last year,” said White. “He’s a year older and probably a foot taller – not quite.”

Whitehorse’s Brenda Dion climbed the podium the most. Competing in women 55-59, Dion threw for gold in discus (18.78 metres), and took silver in the 100-metre (17.05), javelin (20.07 metres) and long jump (3.47 metres).

“All the masters ended up medaling, taking first or second in their events,” said White. “But often there was only one person or two people competing. It was really under represented this year unfortunately.”

The only other youth team member to claim gold was Whitehorse’s Isaac O’Brien in the 12-year-old boys division, placing first in the 1,200-metre with a time of 4:00.07.

Though he didn’t win any medals, Old Crow’s Caleb Charlie received praise from White for his diligent training in the northern community.

“With no facilities, he was using rocks on the airstrip to mimic blocks for his block-start practices,” said White. “He didn’t perform as well as he wanted to, but the mere fact that he was doing training specific to sprints and stuff like that in Old Crow without any facilities speaks highly to his perseverance and his tenacity.”

Contact Tom Patrick at

tomp@yukon-news.com

Yukon medals

Anju Perren (girls 11) SILVER 600m – 1:56.14

Isaac O’Brien (boys 12) GOLD 1,200m – 4:00.07 SILVER 800m – 2:38.66

Naoise Dempsey (boys 13) SILVER 2,000m – 6:46.87 BRONZE 1,200m – 3:58.51

Breda McIntyre (girls 14-15) BRONZE 2,000m – 8:22.72

Jack Amos (boys 14-15) GOLD 1,200m – 3:28.94 GOLD 2,000m – 5:58.61 SILVER 800m – 2:08.58

Sophie Janke (women 16-17) SILVER javelin – 32.12m BRONZE shot put – 9.38m

Alysha Gullison (women 16-17) SILVER hammer throw – 39.63m BRONZE discus – 22.23m

Joe Parker (men 16-17) SILVER 3,000m – 9:47.91

Skyler Bryant (men 16-17) SILVER long jump – 5.92m

James Russell (men 16-17) SILVER discus throw – 25.65m

Zoe Painter (women 18-19) BRONZE 1,500m – 5:34.38

Kuduat Shorty (men 18-19 BRONZE long jump – 5.66m BRONZE javelin throw – 39.23m

Lisa-Marie Vowk (women 40-44) SILVER javelin – 23.64m

Brenda Dion (women 55-59) GOLD discus – 18.78m SILVER 100m – 17.05 SILVER javelin – 20.07m SILVER long jump – 3.47m

Bonnie Love (women 55-59) GOLD 1,500m walk – 10:21.15 GOLD 3,000m walk – 20:20.04

John Storms (men 55-59) GOLD 1,500m walk – 8:23.22 GOLD 3,000m walk – 17:13.28

Don White (men 65-69) GOLD 1,500m – 5:48.75 GOLD 3,000m – 12:29.31