By Andy Pfeiffer, RSS Athletics
A strong finish to the high school track season was punctuated at the B.C. High School Track Championships in Langley this past weekend, with a silver medal, four top eight finishes, and hopes for the future of Revelstoke Secondary track and field.
Peter Behncke, as expected, battled it out with Maple Ridge’s Mark Kalmykov for the gold in the men’s hammer throw on the first day at McLeod Athletic Park. After opening with a 53.09m throw, Behncke was bested when Kalmykov launched a 54.65m toss. Both athletes were unable to ramp up those distances in their next five attempts, with Behncke settling for the silver medal to add to the bronze medal he won last year at provincials. Behncke and Kalmykov will compete as teammates this fall as they both join the Simon Fraser University Clan track and field team in September.
Chris Andrews, as a grade 10 competing against 11’s and 12’s, did well with two top-eight finishes, throwing 13.18m in shot put for seventh, and chucking the 12-pound hammer 46.08m for a 6th place finish. With two years of eligibility left in high school track, Andrews has set himself up nicely for the coming years.
The future also looks bright with some up and coming junior athletes. Peter Grimm surprised the junior shot putters with an 11.27m throw to finish in the top eight. Competing against seniors, Jacqueline Cottingham ran a season’s best time in the 400m hurdles, missing out on finals by a mere 0.3 seconds, breaking Melissa Stenset’s junior school record in the process.
Paige Makarweicz also raised some eyebrows jumping 1.45m in the high jump, adding her name to the Revelstoke Secondary School track record page. Rounding out the top 10 finishers, Mack Reynolds broke the 30m mark in the junior discus, a distance he’s tried to break all year long.
With over 50 students as part of the track and field team this year, and a staff of five coaches, the Revelstoke Secondary School Track and Field team continues to be arguably the strongest high school track and field team in the interior of the province.