News & Updates
Second Annual Rotary Duck Race
GEA Kindly asks for Membership support for this even
Golden Ears Athletics would like to ask all its members to kindly support the upcoming Second Annual Rotary Duck Race as the Rotary Club has generously supported the club in many ways throughout the years.
Duck Race Information :
Race Day: Goal:
Duck Price:
First Prize:Aug 5/12 - Maple Ridge Park - 10am to 3pm
Raise $100k for Local Youth Group/Sports. $10.00 per Duck
2011 Jeep Wrangler 4x4 (many other prizes)Funds will be used to provide financial support to not-for-profit youth organizations like GEA in the communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Funds raised by GEA through ticket sales will be used by the Rotary to provide financial support directly back to our club. The Maple Ridge Rotary donates every buck from every duck back to the community and our share will be in exact proportion to the number of tickets that we sell.
Organizations that receive funds in September must agree to use these funds for purposes deemed “eligible” as per the Rotary's Gaming License. Organizations must also agree to report back to the Rotary Duck Race Disbursement of Funds Committee to verify that funds were spent in accordance with the Lottery Regulations. GEA will be advising its member on what the funds can be used for and what is considered to be an eligible track and field or cross country expense.
Tickets will be distributed to those athletes and members that want to participate in this fundraiser. We have a limited number of tickets (100 books with 10 tickets in each book), so once they are gone – they’re gone!
What’s in it for you and your athlete?
The funds received by GEA must be used for eligible expenditures related to track and field and/or cross country. A large portion of the funds that the club receives will be allocated based on individual ticket sales towards eligible expenditures for the direct benefit of each individual ticket seller. In other words, the more tickets you sell, the more eligible benefits you will receive. A more detailed and specific list of eligible expenditures will be provided to each participating member at the time the tickets are distributed.
If you are interested in participating in this incredible fundraising opportunity, please contact Andrew Lenton or Alanna Wadhwani for more information.
Future Olympic Hopefuls Meet Past Olympic Legend
Jessie Bent Memorial T&F Meet - Coquitlam
A few of our GEA athletes were fortunate enough to meet one of the most famous Olympic and world track & field legends of all time – Mr. Joaquim Cruz.
The 1984 Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles, and Cruz was considered to be one of the 800m favorites, along with world record holder Sebastian Coe of Britain. In the last turn of the 800 meter final, Cruz started a sprint from third place and took the lead, never losing it. He crossed the line in 1:43.00, breaking Alberto Juantorena's Olympic Record and making him the first Brazilian Olympic track and field gold medalist since triple jumper Adhemar Ferreira da Silva in 1956.
A few weeks after the Olympic Games. Cruz ran a new Brazilian 800m record of 1:42.34 at the Weltklasse meet in Zurich, becoming only the second runner in history to break 1:43. Two days later he ran a 1:42.41 at the Memorial Van Damme meet in Brussels, and then two days after that, at a meeting in Cologne, Cruz ran the second fastest 800 meters in history, his time of 1:41.77 was only four hundredths of a second outside of Coe's world record. He is still the fourth fastest athlete in the history of the event. By the end of the year, he was the NCAA champion, the Olympic champion, undefeated in all seven of his 800 meter finals, had run the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th fastest 800 meter times in history, and easily ranked as #1 in the world for 800 meters in 1984 by Track & Field News magazine.
All my years of dedication and hard work were for this moment. In the last 90 meters of the race, a wave of emotion swept over me. My legs felt heavy, but instead of the usual pain that came at the end, there was an indescribable energy. When I breathed in and accelerated, everything was in slow motion. I felt as if I were flying.
46th Annual BC High School Championships
Friday and Saturday, June 1st & 2nd, 2012
The 46th annual BC High School Track & Field Championships were held at Swan Guard Stadium this last weekend and provided a great opportunity for our Golden Ears high school athletes to turn in some great mid-season performances.
In the Senior division, both Nathan Wadhwani and Natasha Akbarizadeh performed well with top ten finishes. Nathan placed 5th in the men’s 1500m race with a time of 4:07.98 after a controversial false start disqualification in the 3000m event the previous day. Natasha placed 7th in the Women’s Discus with a toss of 30.86m and then followed that up with another strong performance in the Women’s Shot Put event with a throw of 10.06m and an 8th place finish overall.
In the Junior division, Natalie Auersperg, Isaac Wadhwani and Reid Muller all turned in exceptional performances each wining multiple gold, silver and bronze medals. Natalie placed 2nd in the Girls 200m event, 3rd in the Girls 400m and 4th in the Girls Long Jump earning valuable points for her school. Isaac Wadhwani and Reid Muller raced head to head in the boys 1500m and 800m events. Isaac edged out Reid in the 1500m with at time of 4:16.08 and Reid answered back the following day with a win in the 800m in a time of 2:05.58.
Other Golden Ears Athletes that qualified and competed at the BC High School Championships were Madysen McNeil, Taylor Blue, Trish Harrison, Niamh O’Dwyer, Janae Dunlop, Monique Lisek, Allan Read, Amy Hill, Mikayla Tinkham, Christina Johnstone, Emma Knappett, Natalie Raycroft, and Mikaela Smart.
few pics of our athletes in competition
To view photos from the meet click here
Congratulations to all GEA athletes for their outstanding performances listed below.
Senior Grades 10-12
Nathan Wadhwani, 5th in the 1500m in a time of 4:07.98
Natasha Akbarizadeh, 7th in the Discus (30.86m) and 8th in the Shot Put (10.06m)
Mady McNeil, 13th in the 1500m SC in a time of 5:43.44
Taylor Blue, 15th in the Triple Jump (9.50m) and 21st in the Long Jump (4.26m)
Trish Harrison, 17th in the 400m with a time of 1:03.15
Niamh O'Dwyer, 20th in the 1500m SC (6:24.69) and 21st in the 3000m (11:48.82)
Janae Dunlop, 20th in the Triple Jump (8.88m)
Monique Lisek, 21st in the 200m in a time of 27.34
Allan Read, 24th in the 200m in a time of 24.24Junior Grades 8 & 9
Isaac Wadhwani, 1st in the 1500m (4:16.08) and 3rd in the 800m (2:06.27)
Reid Muller, 1st in the 800m (2:05.58) and 3rd in the 1500m (4:19.18)
Natalie Auersperg, 2nd in the 200m (26.24), 3rd in 400m (59.07) and 4th in LJ (4.92m)
Amy Hill, 6th in High Jump with a jump of 1.45m
Mikayla Tinkham, 8th in the 3000m (10:59.16) and 10th in the 1500m (5:05.96)
Christina Johnstone, 12th in the 800m (2:26.96)
Emma Knappett, 12th in the High Jump with a jump of 1.40m
Natalie Rycroft, 13th in the High Jump with a jump of 1.40m
Mikaela Smart, 21st in the 800m in a time of 2:31.62For complete results for the grade 10/11/12 Senior events, Click here
For complete results for the Grade 8/9 Invitational, Click here
Coach Ed Collinson
Passed away peacfully on Thursday, May 24th
It is with deep sadness and sorrow that we announce the peaceful passing away of Coach Ed Collinson. He was a dear friend and an inspiration to us all and he will be sincerely missed. His love of sport and his unconditional generosity to share his knowledge will not be forgotten by those of us who had the privilege to know and learn from him. For the athletes he coached, his voice of encouragement will always be remembered and his demand “to be the best that you can be” will shape their lives forever. We thank you Ed, with all our hearts. We know you are in a good place where you can curl, play golf, play hockey, play baseball and throw the shot, hammer, discus and Javelin whenever you want. Heaven!
We thought about you yesterday, and days before that too.
We think of you in silence, We often speak your name.
All we have are memories and pictures in a frame.
Your memory is a keepsake, from which we'll never part.
God has you in his arms. We have you in our hearts.A celebration of life is being held on Sunday, June 3rd at 1pm at Tina Collinson's residence located at 12788 235 Street in Maple Ridge. Kids are welcome and anyone that would like to speak is encouraged to do so. If you are unable to attend and would like to share your memories of Coach Ed to be read aloud at his celebration, please contact his daughter Tina Collinson or pass on your message as soon as possible to Alanna Wadhwani who will deliver this to Tina on your behalf.
Maple Ridge runner (James Clark) takes title dispite injury
Published by Robert Mangledorf - Maple Ridge News - 05/25/2012Last month, the University of Idaho middle distance runner and Thomas Haney secondary grad was forced out of action due to worsening chronic pain in his kidneys.
The problem first arose two years ago, when Clark suffered acute kidney failure following a race in California.
“That evening I had a lot of back pain, and it kept getting worse,” he says.
Doctors took out his appendix, but had no definitive answers for Clark as to what was wrong with him. One theory was rhabdomyolysis, a condition where the body rapidly breaks down, damaged muscle cells, flooding the kidneys with harmful myoglobin protein.
All Clark knew was that his season was ruined.
In time, the pain lessened, and Clark returned to the track with a medical “redshirt,” allowing him an extra year of eligibility in the NCAA.
But after a race in April, the pain returned, forcing Clark back into hospital.
He was just coming off gold- and bronze-medal performances at the Western Athletic Conference NCAA Division 1 Indoor Track Championships in February, helping the University of Idaho Vandals men’s track team to its first-ever team win at the competition.
With the WAC Outdoor Track championships on the horizon in May, Clark says he was looking forward to helping the Vandals vie for their first team win in 10 years at that competition.
“It’s frustrating not knowing what’s going on,” he says. “All I wanted to do was run, but I couldn’t.”
Now facing weeks of bed rest, Clark says he nearly gave up on the rest of his track season.
But after two weeks of bed rest, Clark began to improve, and the pain began to subside. Suddenly, the WAC Outdoor Track championships, which the Vandals were hosting in their new $2 million track stadium, didn’t seem out of the question.
Clark was still in no shape to train, so he could only walk to stay in shape.
Then, on May 9, just two days before the meet, doctors cleared Clark to run. He had just enough time to squeeze in a single hard workout before the competition.
A serious injury, one that he might not recover from, was a very real possibility.
“There was a lot of trepidation going into the race,” says Clark. “But I knew we had a good shot [at the conference title], so we needed everyone to perform.
“I just wanted to do what I could.”
In his preliminary 800-metre race on May 11, Clark hung back in the middle of the pack, taking it easy so as not to tax his kidneys. He cruised to a third-place finish, but that was enough to get him through to the finals later that day.
“I was pretty nervous going into the finals,” he says. “My plan was to let everyone do the work, and wait until the final 100 metres to make my move.”
So Clark hung back, just as he had in the prelims. He slotted in behind the race leader, and let him block the wind. Clark kept pace, and as the leading pack rounded the final corner.
Clark made his move, surging to the front of the pack, while three other runners kept pace, each making moves of their own.
The finish line loomed and Clark, cheered on by the roaring hometown crowd and his teammates, made a final lunge.
“I had no idea if I had won or not,” he says. “It seemed like they [were reviewing the finish] forever.”
When the decision finally came down, it was Clark who was awarded the win, and the crucial 10 points for his team.
His margin of victory was just three one-thousandths of a second over Louisiana Tech’s Alwayne Green. The race is believed to be the closest in conference history, with the top four runners finishing within 0.11 seconds.
“I was blown away that it was that close,” says Clark.
Clark’s gutsy performance helped buoy the Vandals track team as they headed into their last events, says his coach Wayne Phibbs.
“He’s been through so much, and I think anyone else would have quit by now,” he says. “It was only a couple days ago that we decided it was okay for him to run and the text I got from him was, ‘I want to score some points for the team.’”
“Nobody deserves that victory more than James Clark.”
His teammates went on to register win after win, and as the Vandals prepared for the final event of the meet – the 4X400-metre relay – they got word that they had clinched the championship.
“Our guys kept winning and kept racking up those points,” says Clark. “I’m just happy I could contribute.”
Clark’s track season is over now, but thanks to his medical redshirt, he still has one more year of eligibility in the NCAA. This off-season he hopes to find some answers to the problem in his kidneys that has plagued him.
“This was my last race for while, but I’m hoping to be back healthy next season,” he says.
Fraser Valley Championships & BC Summer Games Trials
Tuesday and Thursday, May 15th & 17th, 2012
Special thanks to Andrew Lenton that stepped up as meet director and with the help of several dedicated BC Athletics Officials, the Langley Mustangs track club and a few other outstanding teachers and volunteers made the event that was just a few weeks ago on the verge of cancellation into one of the best and most successful FV Championships ever. GEA wishes to thank all of you for working so hard and in the best interest of our student athletes.
The following are links to the complete results from the Fraser Valley High School Track & Field Championships and the Zone 3 BC Summer Games Trials.
Fraser Valley High School Track & Field Championships - 05/15/2012 - 05/17/2012
Summer Games Tials, Zone 3 - 5/15/2012 - 5/17/2012
Photos from these events can be found here
Great Early Season Performances (April 2012)
GEA Athletes compete in several track meets across the boarderIt has been a very busy April for most of our high school aged athletes. They have competed in several meets throughout Washington State and Oregon facing some of the best competition North America has to offer.
Apr-14
Larry Eason Invitational
Snohomish HS, Snohomish
April 20-21
Oregon Relays
Eugene , Oregon , USA
April 20
Chehalis Activators Track Classic
Chehalis , WA , USA
Complete results from these meets are available online on our website at Track Meet Results. There are also many photos that were taken at these meets that can also be viewed and downloaded online from the Photo Library page.
Good job to all those athletes who participated!
6th Annual Birger Solberg Invitational (April 7th, 2012)
GEA Athletes turn in impressive early season results!
The first competition for the outdoor track and field season kicked off this weekend at the 6th Annual Birger Solberg Team Invitational where a number of our high school athletes turned in some impressive early season performances.
Mikayla Tinkham and Mady McNeil competed in the Varsity girls mile race finishing in a respectable time of 5:41 and 5:43 and 14th and 16th place overall. Not bad considering there were over 62 competitors in the field of which were senior in age (grades 11 & 12). With just enough time to catch their breath, they were both back on the track for the Varsity girls 800m where Mikayla
Tinkham surged with 150m to go to finish in a time of 2:44 with Mady right on her heals in a time of 2:47. Niamh O'Dwyer also turned in a solid early season performance in the Varsity girls 3200m finishing in a time of 12:46 and 11th overall. On the boys side, Nathan and Isaac Wadhwani both competed in the Varsity boys mile race finishing with times of 4:33 and 4:48 and 5th and 25th place respectively out of a field of over 64 runners.
For complete results, click here.
With over 30 schools and approximately 600 athletes participating in the one day meet the races were packed and the completion was fierce. "This meet is known to draw some of the best high school athletes in the region", said Vid Wadhwani coach and team photographer for the day. "I think everyone did very well considering how early it is in the season. The hard work these athletes are putting into their training is the reason for their early success and I expect this will continue throughout the season if they keep doing what they are doing".
Congratulations to all those athletes that participated.
Photos of the meet are also available
for viewing and download
Trevor Craven Memorial (July 9th & 10th, 2011)
GEA Athletes turning in peak performances!
Golden Ears Athletics had another great weekend of fine performances at the Trevor Craven Track and Field meet held at Swanguard Stadium on July 9th & 10th.
The weather was spectacular which fortunately made the long delays between scheduled events a little more bearable. Many personal bests were achieved and it looks like many of our athletes have timed their peak performances well this year leading up to the Championship meets in the coming weeks.
Of notable performances at the meet were Nicholas Aron who claimed 1st place finishes in all 5 of his events dominating the track for his age group from the 60m sprint to the 1000m run. Not to be outdone by her 9 year old male counterpart, Chisom Obioha, swept gold in all 5 of her events too but also managed to achieve all time BC top 10 results in both the 60m dash and the high jump.
Here are some other great performances at the meet by our GEA Athletes:
Athlete Name Place 1 Aron, Angela - Female - Year: 69 #34 Women 40-44 100 Meter Dash #310 Women 40-44 Long Jump 2 Aron, Codrin - Male - Year: 96 #10 Men 15 1200 Meter Run #94 Men 15 1500 Meter Steeplechase (. #151 Men 15 800 Meter Run #348 Men 15 Javelin Throw 600g 3 Aron, Nicholas - Male - Year: 02 #22 Men 9 1000 Meter Run #55 Men 9 100 Meter Dash #123 Men 9 60 Meter Dash #163 Men 9 600 Meter Run #311 Men 9 Long Jump 4 Auersperg, Natalie C. - Female - Year: 97 #64 Women 14 300 Meter Dash #132 Women 14 200 Meter Dash #150 Women 14 800 Meter Run #335 Women 14 Long Jump #368 Women 14 Javelin Throw 600g 5 Dunlop, Janae N. - Female - Year: 94 #382 Women 16-17 Triple Jump 6 Dunlop, Jared - Male - Year: 96 #10 Men 15 1200 Meter Run #151 Men 15 800 Meter Run 7 Haintz, Marquesis - Female - Year: 02 #21 Women 9 1000 Meter Run #162 Women 9 600 Meter Run #316 Women 9 Long Jump #352 Women 9 Shot Put 2Kg 8 Haintz, Mateya - Female - Year: 01 #340 Women 10 Javelin Throw 400g #345 Women 10 Discus Throw 750g #352 Women 10 Shot Put 2Kg 9 Harrison, Trisha - Female - Year: 96 #64 Women 15 300 Meter Dash #150 Women 15 800 Meter Run #335 Women 15 Long Jump 11 Huston, Emma K. - Female - Year: 02 #54 Women 9 100 Meter Dash #316 Women 9 Long Jump #375 Women 9 High Jump 12 Huston, Madelyn - Female - Year: 99 - #70 Women 12 300 Meter Dash #156 Women 12 800 Meter Run #307 Women 12 High Jump 14 Karamanian, Jacob J. - Male - Year: 94 - #319 Men 16-17 Javelin Throw 700g 15 Knappett, Emma - Female - Year: 98 - #46 Women 13 100 Meter Dash #136 Women 13 200 Meter Dash #320 Women 13 Long Jump #337 Women 13 High Jump #378 Women 13 Triple Jump 16 Knappett, James - Male - Year: 98 #14 Men 13 1200 Meter Run #321 Men 13 Long Jump 17 Lenton, Jorrin - Male - Year: 00 - #119 Men 11 60 Meter Dash #141 Men 11 200 Meter Dash #329 Men 11 High Jump #379 Men 11 Discus Throw 750g 18 McNeil, Kayleigh - Female - Year: 00 - #140 Women 11 200 Meter Dash #342 Women 11 High Jump #343 Women 11 Long Jump #358 Women 11 Shot Put 2Kg 19 McNeil, Madysen - Female - Year: 97 - #93 Women 14 1500 Meter Steeplechase #112 Women 14 2000 Meter Run #335 Women 14 Long Jump 20 Muller, Reid M. - Male - Year: 97 #10 Men 14 1200 Meter Run #151 Men 14 800 Meter Run #317 Men 14 Long Jump #348 Men 14 Javelin Throw 600g 21 Obioha, Chisom - Female - Year: 02 - #32 Women 9 60 Meter Hurdles (21in / #54 Women 9 100 Meter Dash #122 Women 9 60 Meter Dash #316 Women 9 Long Jump #375 Women 9 High Jump 22 Payne, Shania M. - Female - Year: 95 - #40 Women 16-17 100 Meter Dash #130 Women 16-17 200 Meter Dash 23 Read, Allan - Male - Year: 94 #131 Men 16-17 200 Meter Dash #377 Men 16-17 Shot Put 5Kg #386 Men 16-17 Discus Throw 1.5kg 24 Regan, Leah - Female - Year: 93 #5 Women 18-19 1500 Meter Run #146 Women 18-19 800 Meter Run 25 Roberts, Graeme - Male - Year: 00 #18 Men 11 1000 Meter Run 26 Smart, Mikaela - Female - Year: 97 #150 Women 14 800 Meter Run #335 Women 14 Long Jump 27 Thiessen, Andrew - Male - Year: 98 #47 Men 13 100 Meter Dash #321 Men 13 Long Jump 28 Tinkham, Mikayla J. - Female - Year: 98 #116 Women 13 2000 Meter Run #154 Women 13 800 Meter Run #199 Women 13 200 Meter Hurdles 27 #361 Women 13 Javelin Throw 400g #378 Women 13 Triple Jump 29 Wadhwani, Isaac K. - Male - Year: 97 #10 Men 14 1200 Meter Run #65 Men 14 300 Meter Dash 30 Wadhwani, Nathan S. - Male - Year: 96 #10 Men 15 1200 Meter Run #94 Men 15 1500 Meter Steeplechase (. #151 Men 15 800 Meter Run
Photos of the meet are also available
for viewing and download
GEA hosted Hershey Track & Field Games
Monday, July 4th, 2011 at MRSS Track
Golden Ears Athletics hosted the first annual local Hersheys Youth Track & Field Meet at the Maple Ridge Senior Seconday track on Monday, July 4th, 2011. The conditions could not have been better and the meet was a great success and enjoyed by all.
Special congratulations to Natalie Auersperg and Reid Muller who with their outstanding performances in the 200m and 800m respectively, qualified along with 10 year old Cade Cote of Maple Ridge to the Hershey refional team and are now off to Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA in early August to compete in the Hershey North American Track & Field Championship. Way to go guys!
Photos of the meet are available
for viewing and download
Langely Mustang's Pacific Invitational (June 17th, 18th & 19th, 2011)
GEA Athletes both young and old out in force!
GEA athletes, parents and families came out in force this Father’s Day Weekend to participate in the annual Pacific Invitational Track and Field Meet hosted by the Langley Mustangs.
GEA had one of the largest teams present and our athletes turned in a number of outstanding performances. Download results
In addition to our younger athletes, a number of parents grabbed the baton (literally) to show their prowess on the track. Leading the way was Coach Norm Tinkham who blasted his way to a second place finish in the masters 1500 meter event, and sort of blasted in the 60 meter sprint. This was followed by our women’s 4x100 metre relay team of Angela Aaron, Deborah States, Lori Muller and Amanda Roberts who did the Club proud in pounding to a solid finish. Our men’s relay team of Norm, Rick Lloyd, Roberts and Eric Muller was also outstanding in finishing (yes, it’s enough at a certain point just to say you finished!). Congratulations to all the parents who ran, had fun, showed the younger athletes a real competitive spirit, and, most importantly, spared us full body spandex!
While the weather was a bit challenging this year, the event also gave the Club an opportunity to unveil a new acquisition. During the rainy periods, the whole Club, and a host of wet others, were able to take shelter under a new GEA tent. As many will be aware, the Club has purchased a new, extra large, event tent which is decked out in GEA colours and emblazoned with the our Club logo. The tent gave GEA, by far, the most visible presence at the meet and made for a great gathering place for athletes and families during a rather wet weekend. We anticipate that our new tent will be a tremendous asset at all future track meets, both in protecting our athletes and families from the elements, but also as a source of Club pride and a gathering place to bring people together. The tent was purchased from this years fundraising proceeds and we thank everyone that contributed at both the Eagles Track Meet and the Pub Night allowing this purchase to be made.
The new shelter also allowed us to host a great BBQ on the Saturday, despite the steady drizzle. Many thanks to all the members who contributed food and beverage items for the BBQ and who brought more snacks, coffee and goodies on Sunday. The generous contribution of all the Club families helped to make this a great event for the athletes as well as for participating family members.
Contributed by Kevin Regan
Photos of the meet are also available
for viewing and download
South Fraser Junior Olympics (May 21st & 22nd, 2011)
GEA Well Represented
Golden Ears Athletics was well represented at the May long weekend’s South Fraser Junior Olympics at Surrey’s Bear Creek Park. A dull cloudy day and relative lack of announcing made one think that it might be a long day at the track. The weather, although cool held out pretty good and the meet ran smoothly and relatively on time.
Golden Ears Athletics members fared well, especially in the 9 year old category. Leading the way were Chisom Obioha (1st 100m, 2nd in long jump and high jump), Nicholas Aron (1st 1000m and 100m, 2nd in long jump) and Marquesis Haintz (1st 1000m). Brielle Cadwell ran the 60m and threw the shot put and Sydney Hennessey made the final of the 100m. In the 10 year old division Avery Walsh won the shot put
and Mateya Haintz placed 5th in the discuss. 12 year old Sarah Hoffman managed 5th in the high jump with 1.20m and 11th in the long jump. In the 800 Jamie Hennesey and Madelyn Huston placed 6th & 7th respectively with only .02 of a second separating them. They both had personal best times. Madelyn also managed 5th in the 300 and Jamie placed a strong 2nd in her first ever 1200 race in 4:27. In the boys 12 yr old division Ben Walsh placed 6th in the 200 with a 32.19 clocking. In the 13 yr old girls division Mikayla Tinkham had her first try at 1200 and managed a time of 4:35 good enough for 8th . Emma Knappet placed 4th in the 200 and 9th in the 100m. In the 13 yr old boys Andres Ortiz Soto better known for the 800 3rd & 1200 2nd won the discus with a toss of 17.35 meters. James Knappet also ran the 1200 6th plus the long jump 2nd and triple jump 4th.
Contributed by Norm Tinkham
Fraser Valley High School Track & Field Championships
GEA Athletes show solid performance before BCs
Golden Ears Athletes enjoyed a strong showing at the Fraser Valley High School Track & Field Championships this past week. The new Mondo track at Town Center proved to be very fast and the weather was favorable for most of the competition allowing many athletes to set personal bests throughout the week.
Of notable performances at the meet were Natalie Auersperg who claimed 1st place in all three of her events (Gr 8 Girls Long Jump 4.67m, 200m Dash 26.98 and 400m Dash 1:01.0) wining the Grade 8 Girls Aggregate trophy and scoring 30 points for her school. Team mate Shania Payne also gave an encore performance doubling in both the Senior Girls 100m and 200m as she glided thru the finish with a smile on her face as usual :)
Other notable performances came from Reid Muller (1st in the Gr. 8 boys 800m and 3000m and 9th in the Javelin), Ewert Van Rensburg (1st Jr. boys 800m, 2nd 3000m, and 3rd 1500m), Leah Regan (1st and 3rd in the Senior girls 3000m and 1500m respectively), Isaac Wadhwani (1st in the Gr. 8 boys 1500m and 3rd in the 800m), Christina Johnstone (3rd in the Gr. 8 girls 800m) and Janae Dunlop (4th Senior girls Triple Jump). Both Madysen McNeil (Open Junior 1500m Steeplechase - 5:46.2) and Nathan Wadhwani (Senior boys 3000m 9:15.3) also performed well running up several age groups and setting personal bests in their respective events.
The following is a complete list of athletes and their performances at the meet:
Aron, Cody - Maple Ridge
#67 Boys 14- 16 800 Meter Run Junior
02:16.0
Auersperg, Natalie - Maple Ridge
#4 Girls 14 Long Jump Grade 8
4.67m
1
#51 Girls 14 200 Meter Dash Grade 8
26.98
1
#57 Girls 14 400 Meter Dash Grade 8
01:01.0
1
Brown-Walkus, Janelle - Thomas Haney
#64 Girls 14- 16 800 Meter Run Junior
02:50.3
#70 Girls 14-16 1500 Meter Run Junior
06:02.6
18
#105 Girls 14-16 1500 Meter Steep Open Juni
07:20.0
13
Cooper, Chelsea - Garibaldi Se
#14 Girls 14 Discus Throw Grade 8
18.49m
10
#45 Girls 14 100 Meter Dash Grade 8
13.93
7
#51 Girls 14 200 Meter Dash Grade 8
28.45
5
Dunlop, Janae - Maple Ridge
#32 Girls 14-18 Triple Jump Senior
9.72m
4
Dunlop, Jared - Maple Ridge
#67 Boys 14- 16 800 Meter Run Junior
02:22.9
Harrison, Trish - Pitt Meadows
#52 Girls 14- 16 200 Meter Dash Junior
28.31
#58 Girls 14- 16 400 Meter Dash Junior
01:04.7
5
Jansen Van Rensburg, Ewert - Maple Ridge
#67 Boys 14- 16 800 Meter Run Junior
02:01.9
1
#73 Boys 14-16 1500 Meter Run Junior
04:17.0
3
#79 Boys 14-16 3000 Meter Run Junior
09:37.6
2
Johnstone, Christina - Thomas Haney
#63 Girls 14 800 Meter Run Grade 8
02:26.0
3
#69 Girls 14 1500 Meter Run Grade 8
05:27.3
7
Karamanian, Jacob - Thomas Haney
#26 Boys 14-18 Long Jump Senior
5.65m
8
Lloyd, Adam - Pitt Meadows
#3 Boys 14-18 High Jump Senior
1.60m
10
#41 Boys 14-18 Triple Jump Senior
10.86m
11
#62 Boys 14- 18 400 Meter Dash Senior
56.4
8
McDonnell, Niamh - Archbishop C
#69 Girls 14 1500 Meter Run Grade 8
05:59.6
15
McNeil, Madysen - Samuel Rober
#93 Girls 14 80 Meter Hurdles Grade 8
14.96
#105 Girls 14-16 1500 Meter Steep Open Juni
05:46.2
3
Muller, Reid - Pitt Meadows
#27 Boys 14 Javelin Throw Grade 8
26.59m
9
#66 Boys 14 800 Meter Run Grade 8
02:11.7
1
#78 Boys 14 3000 Meter Run Grade 8
10:14.7
1
Obioha, Njideka - Meadowridge
#47 Girls 14- 18 100 Meter Dash Senior
DNS
O'Dwyer, Niamh - Pitt Meadows
#70 Girls 14-16 1500 Meter Run Junior
05:49.3
17
#76 Girls 14-16 3000 Meter Run Junior
12:10.1
11
Payne, Shania - Pitt Meadows
#46 Girls 14- 16 100 Meter Dash Junior
12.82
1
#52 Girls 14- 16 200 Meter Dash Junior
26.7
1
Porta, Nico - Pitt Meadows
#101 Boys 14-16 1500 Meter Race Walk Op Jun
08:45.6
5
Read, Allan - Meadowridge
#13 Boys 14-18 Shot Put Senior
10.80m
10
#35 Boys 14-18 Discus Throw Senior
30.25m
10
#56 Boys 14- 18 200 Meter Dash Senior
25.51
Regan, Leah - Maple Ridge
#71 Girls 14-18 1500 Meter Run Senior
05:02.8
3
#77 Girls 14-18 3000 Meter Run Senior
11:03.2
1
Smart, Mikaela - Archbishop C
#51 Girls 14 200 Meter Dash Grade 8
30.42
#63 Girls 14 800 Meter Run Grade 8
02:36.8
Wadhwani, Isaac - Thomas Haney
#66 Boys 14 800 Meter Run Grade 8
02:13.6
3
#72 Boys 14 1500 Meter Run Grade 8
04:40.3
1
Wadhwani, Nathan - Thomas Haney
#74 Boys 14-18 1500 Meter Run Senior
04:20.2
#80 Boys 14-18 3000 Meter Run Senior
09:15.3
6
(May apologies if I missed anyone - please let me know)
As a result of these solid performances, an impressive number of club athletes qualified to compete in either the Junior or Senior divisions at the BC High School Track & Field Championships to be held at Swanguard Stadium on June 3rd and 4th next week.
Congratulations to all that participated!
GEA Athletes Compete in Chehalis, Washington (April 22th, 2011)
Good performances all arround at the Activators Classic T&F MeetOn Friday April 21 and Saturday April 22, five GEA athletes travelled to Chehalis, Washington to compete in the annual Activators Classic Track and and Field Meet. The GEA athletes participated as part of a combined group from Maple Ridge Secondary and Pitt Meadows Secondary. All the athletes had a great time and the weather turned out beautiful, which was a pleasant change from previous years in which participants experienced freezing weather and even snow! The GEA members traveling to Chehalis were Janae Dunlop, Ewert Jansen Van Rensburg, Shania Payne, Leah Regan and Nico Porta. Shania had a particularly good race finishing 1st in the 100m and a very close 2nd in the 200m event. Shania would likely have won the 200m race had her blocks not come lose at the start. Ewert also had a strong performance in the Boys 1600m, where he finished first in his group, and in the 800m, where he placed second. Overall, the MRSS and PMSS teams accounted themselves very well at the meet. All the athletes reported a great road trip, including the annual late night chaos at Denny's across the line.
Contributed by Leah Regan
District 42 Spring Elementary Cross Country (April 12th, 2011)
Allouette LakeThe Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge Spring Elementary Cross Country Meet at Allouette Lake was held 2 weeks early this year on April 12. With our long rainy winter the expectation was that this would be a cold, muddy event with participants battling hypothermia on the start line. Luckily, the clouds parted for a pleasant day at the lake. Golden Ears Athletics head coach Andrew Lenton redesigned the course for last falls event eliminating the dreaded hill at the end of the course ( the runners still have to plod through ‘the river’ ¼ of the way through the 2 km loop, always a favourite). However, placing the finish line next to the rocky beach start leads to a much more exciting finish with lots of fan support.
The Drama couldn’t have been much better than the finish of the girls Grade 6 event. 4 girls ran as a pack until the last 200 yards when 2 time defending champ Jaimie Hennesey took command and tried to run away with the race. During the twisting finishing stretch she was challenged by fellow classmate and Golden Ears Athletics member Madeline Husdon. In the end, Madeline (improving from 6th last fall) pulled away in the finishing stretch and Jaime ended up a courageous 3rd after tripping in the finishing straight. This should set the stage for an exciting Grade 7 rematch next fall.
The boys grade 6 race was less dramatic, but no less impressive as Ryan Butler dominated from the start to easily defend his win from last October. In the grade 4 race Golden Ears Athletics Avery Walsh led early and went on to finish 6th. Defending champion Graeme Roberts ran to a strong 2nd place in the Grade 5 boys division.
The Grade 7 boys event had a different twist with Andres Ortiz Soto defeating defending champ James Knappett. Andres, who is from Mexico is staying with the Knappett family while attending school here. Apparently James was trying to be a good host and made sure Andres had to work hard for the win. Trevor Roberts also had a strong run in this event finishing 10th. In the grade 7 girls event Emma Knappett was strangely absent in her favourite event and apparently forgot her cross country shoes so couldn’t participate. In their final elementary cross country race had strong races Mikayla Tinkham and Madeline Para had strong races placing 7th and 9th respectively. This was Madeline’s first ever top 10 finish in this event after missing the fall event due to injury.
Contributed by Norm Tinkham
Nick Wilkes Invitational Track & Field Meet (April 7th, 2011)
GEA Athletes Off to a Strong Start
The sun was out and the conditions were just right for the annual Nick Wilkes Invitational track and field meet held on Thursday, April 7th at MRSS. Fifteen of our high school athletes participated in their respective school colors kicking off the track and field season with a bang and turning in some strong performances throughout the day.
Getting off on the right foot (pun intended) with a fantastic debut in the girls open 1500 steeplechase event was Madysen McNeil who claimed victory for SRT with a finishing a time of 5:44.1 and well ahead of her closest competitors. That was quickly followed up with wins in the grade 8 Boys and grade 8/9 Girls 400m events by Reid Muller and Natalie Auesperg with times of 59.75 and 1:02.41 respectively. Shania Payne in usual stride, also took home an easy first place finish in the Grade 10 girls 100m with a time of 12.75.
GEA athletes also shined in a number of field events including the Girls 10-12 long jump where Njideka Obioha took home first place with a jump of 4.58m and the Boys 10-12 High Jump where Adam Lloyd claimed victory with a jump of 1.7m.
Good job all!
Other notable performances of the day were as follows:
Grade GEA Athlete 8/9 Girls Mikaela Smart Carney Sr. Girls (10,11,12) Nicole Foster PMSS Sr. Girls (10,11,12) Janae Dunlop MRSS Sr. Boys (10,11,12) Ewert Jansen VanRensburg MRSS 8/9 Girls Mikaela Smart Carney 8/9 Girls Niamn McDonnell Carney 8/9 Boys Isaac Wadhwani THSS 8/9 Boys Cody Aron MRSS Sr. Girls (10,11,12) Leah Regan MRSS Sr. Boys (10,11,12) Ewert Jansen VanRensburg MRSS Sr. Boys (10,11,12) Nathan Wadhwani THSS 8/9 Boys Cody Aaron MRSS Sr. Boys (10,11,12) Adam Lloyd PMSS 8/9 Boys Reid Muller PMSS Running club helps upgrade UBC trails (Pub September 15, 2010)
© Copyright Black Press. All rights reserved
A team of 40 volunteers organized by the Golden Ears Athletics Track and Field and Cross Country Running Club soaked up the rain for much of Sunday while fixing trails in the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest.
The volunteers carted and spread mulch, trimmed overgrown trees and shrubs, and removed roots and rocks impeding trails.
Many of the trail sections were in desperate need of attention and efforts focused on areas most frequented by local runners and the region’s many hikers, said Kevin Regan, a director with the running club.
In addition to directors, parents and athletes from the Golden Ears club, the work crew also included a group of hardy volunteers from the Pitt Meadows Running Club and regular users of the trails.
“The UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest was really pleased to have been able to work with the Golden Ears Athletics Club to make this project happen,” said Ionut Aron, research coordinator for the UBC operation.
“Without these kinds of community partnerships, on-going maintenance of the existing trail networks would be a challenge. We’re certainly hoping that we can continue to work with Golden Ears Athletics, the Pitt Meadows Running Club and, perhaps, in future, other local running clubs to keep up the trail system.”
Sunday’s effort at the research forest was made possible, in part, through a grant to Golden Ears Athletics by the Ministry of Housing and Social Development.
The project followed on maintenance work sponsored earlier this year by the B.C. Lottery Corporation.
In combination, these work projects represent the first major upgrade to the trail network in over 10 years.
“We were really pleased with the results of the initiative”, said Regan.
“The UBC Research Forest is a jewel in this community and we think that a partnership between the local running groups and the research forest makes a lot of sense for the clubs and for the community as a whole.
“We were particularly pleased by the turnout of our student athletes. We’re hoping that participation in these kinds of activities will instill in the kids, and others involved, a sense of pride in, and ownership of, the trail system in the Malcolm Knapp Forest,” he added.
“The Golden Ears and the Pitt Meadows Running Club volunteers did a great job yesterday, especially in the kind of weather we had and I hope to be able to keep doing this kind of maintenance on a yearly basis,” said Aron.
Golden Ears Athletics Track and Field and Cross Country and Club delivers a year-round running program focused on students from elementary school through Grade 12.
More information on the Club’s fall cross country program, its winter strength and conditioning program and on the spring track and field season is available on the club’s website at www.golden-ears.org
How to Get Recruited for College Track - NCAA TRACK & FIELD SCHOLARSHIP & RECRUITING PROCESS
US College costs are skyrocketing
What does college cost today in the United States? What will it cost tomorrow? Brace yourself for a shock. The table below shows some very real cost of attendance estimates for the 2010-2011 academic year. The costs were obtained directly from the websites of 4 schools. Search on the websites of the colleges you are interested using key phrases like "cost of attendance," to find out costs. (One of the first things you will likely find is that these total cost estimates are often hidden from plain sight. That's an acknowledgement that they are scary numbers!)
Note: these costs are for one year. Costs for four years will almost certainly exceed four times the one-year costs. This is because each year college costs increase. These costs are breathtaking. At this point, the total cost for four years at many private schools tops $200,000. There may be less expensive and more expensive schools, but these are representative costs for colleges and universities in the categories listed.
Example college costs for 1 year and 4 years
School
famous private university
small private university
small private college
famous state university (non-resident)
famous state university (in state)
smaller state university (non-resident)
smaller state university (in state)2010-2011
school year$56,135
$53,742
$50,750
$52,582
$29,771
$34,672
$23,6304-year estimate*
$235,499
$225,160
$209,524
$249,668
$143,305
$144,950
$106,570Current data from actual college/university websites.
*(Four-year estimate based on the increase in costs these same schools had from the previous year to this year.)But wait, it gets worse!
The cost picture gets worse because more than half of all college students today will take five or more years to graduate. With costs going up each year, the fifth year will cost 15-20% more that the first year and therefore that fifth year may add 25-30% to the total cost of college.
How to Get Recruited for college track
Facts about the track scouting and scholarship process
You might be one of the best runners at your school but if your not in the top 3% then don’t expect the NCAA track coaches to come to you; you have to make it happen and apply to as many colleges as possible. Remember, you wont make your dream come true if you don’t do everything you possibly can to get recruited. You must have a detailed, professional athletic resume prepared and you must get it into the hands of the NCAA track and field coaches. ...... Continued (Download full text)
Contact Information
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eMailinfo@golden-ears.org |
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Telephone (604) 628-1976 |
About Golden Ears Athletics:
Golden Ears Athletics is a Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows community based athletics club that has been providing coaching services in track & field, cross country, and road racing since 1998. It is a registered non-profit society in British Columbia.
Mission Statement: To develop a diverse athletic club which will provide participants with the opportunity to develop physically while learning new skills associated with track & field. To provide a positive environment for self growth, goal setting, physical development, competition, and increased self confidence through achievement.
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eMail Contact info@golden-ears.org |
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Telephone Contact (604) 628-1976 |
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