Langley athletes captured a combined 22 medals at the B.C. high school track and field provincial championships over the weekend and the Walnut Grove Gators senior boys placed in the team category.
The Gators combined senior team also found the podium, placing third.
The meet was held May 29 to 31 at Langley’s McLeod Athletic Park.
The local athletes finished with eight gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals and Walnut Grove’s Robyn Buckingham led the way.
The Grade 11 athlete won silver long jump and bronze in the javelin. She had captured the silver medal the week before as well in the heptathlon as the multi-sport championships were held May 23/24 in Abbotsford.
Buckingham leapt 5.34m in the long jump to take second and her javelin throw of 39.73m placed her third on the podium.
The lone local athlete to find the top of the podium in the senior division at the championships was Langley Christian’s Nickolas Colyn who won gold in the men’s 2000m steeplechase event.
Colyn crossed the finish line in 5:59.14, which is even more impressive considering at the 2013 high school provincial championships, he was fifth in a time of 6:14.51.
This was one of two medals the Grade 11 student won as he finished third in the men’s 3000m with a time of 8:46.86. He also just missed the podium in the 400m race, finishing fourth.
And Walnut Grove’s Chelsea Borrowdale was also a multiple medal-winner as she snagged a pair of silver medals in the women’s 1500m steeplechase and the 3000m run.
Borrowdale finished the first event in 5:10.08 and the latter in 10:18.06.
And Langley Fundamental’s Hannah Beaton took silver in the shot put with a throw of 11.45m, a new personal best.
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The future of track and field looks promising for Langley athletes as they won seven gold, two silver and five bronze medals at the Grade 8 and junior levels.
Betty Gilbert’s Jonathan Rees won a pair of gold medals in the 800m (2:07.58) and 1500m (4:28.48) events while D.W. Poppy’s Ethan Foster won a gold in the long jump (5.67m) and bronze in the high jump (1.60m).
R.E. Mountain’s Jordan Schmidt won silver int he 3000m (10:04.14) and Brookswood’s Kayla Weltzin won bronze in the women’s 3000m (11:25.11).
And the Walnut Grove Grade 8 boys relay team of Alex Single, Braden Young, Brandon Sweeney and Michael McKay was third in the 4x400 with a time of 4:04.39.
In the junior competition, Langley Saints’ Dean Ellenwood was a double gold-medal winner, taking top spot in both the 400m (48.76m) and 800m (1:54.50) events.
Brookswood’s Jaclyn Pauley won gold in the javelin (40.00m) while Louise Forsyth won silver in the triple jump (11.07m).
R.E. Mountain’s Lauryn Cheung finished atop the podium in the pole vault (2.70m).
Langley Christian’s Kiana Bekar took third in the triple jump (10.28m) and Langley Fundamental’s Megan Champoux won bronze in the 300m hurdles (44.90).