A new banner will be hanging in the gym at St.Augustine School for Katherine Bergum for her silver medal in senior girls shot put at the provincial track and field meet that was held in Calgary on May 30 and 31.
Bergum is the first girl to medal at provincials from St.A’s and was very happy with her accomplishment.
“It’s pretty amazing seeing last year I got sixth,” said Bergum.
She achieved a new personal best with a throw of 10.09 metres. This season she placed first at areas and third at zones and was able to compete at provincials because someone else dropped out.
Ponoka Composite High School sent four athletes to the provincial tournament and finished 18 out of 48 schools in the event. Track coach Jody Carothers thought it was huge that such a small team cracked the top 20 for the whole province.
Candance Loewen finished in seventh place in discuss and fourth place in shot put in senior girls. Amara Fosana placed fourth in intermediate boys high jump. Wendy Salvisberg finished seventh in senior girls long jump and tenth in hurdles. Matt Curie had a personal best time of 2:06:74 finishing fourth in the 800 metres and seventh in 400 metres.
The junior high school teams are preparing for the Wolf Creek championships on June 5 at PHCS. The Broncs will be sending 20 athletes to compete and Carothers is looking for a strong showing from her team. She notes that Jesse Raugust and Colin Horan finished first and second at the Red Deer Invitational Meet in triple jump and that Emily Jensen in discus should also do well.
To qualify for the June 5 meet athletes from St.A’s competed in the Wolf Creek North Championship on May 27. Jaycee deVries from Crestomere won the Grade 9 girls high jump with a jump of 1.32 metres and second place went to Regina Bossart from St.A’s. Bossart is hoping to place in the top three at the finals and thinks that she has to work on her approach and not leaning in to the bar as much.
St.A’s finished in first place with 644 points, Rimbey was second with 369, followed by Crestomere with 252, Bluffton in fourth with 226 and Mecca Glen placed fifth with 181 points. The overall aggregate winners are; Grade 7 girls Kaitlyn Lomas, St.A’s. Grade 7 boys Josh Prediger, St.A’s. Grade 8 girls Katie Walcheske, St.A’s, Grade 8 boys Jordan Harder, Crestomere, Grade 9 boys Mike Steeves Bluffton and Grade 9 girls Mia Huysmans, St.A’s.
Diamond Willow Middle School held their qualifying meet for the finals on May 23. They will send 50 athletes from Grades 7 and 8 to compete in Wolf Creek finals. They have athletes competing in single events and others will compete in as many as five events in the day for overall aggregate point honours. The Grade 7 top prospects include: Kolby Vold, Dez Robinson, Blake Bergsma, Alyssa Goodwin, Amy Lank and Brianna Green. Some of the members of Grade 8 team are Taner Bragg, Curtis Orme, Tyler Kim, Kristie Ward and current multiple record holder Isatu Fofarah will anchor the girls. She currently has a Wolf Creek record in Grade 7 100 metres, 200 metres and long jump from last years meet.
As all the athletes put their finishing touches on their routines the track will be busy on June 5 at PCHS, watch for the results in your Ponoka News.