Several future Olympians have come through the Island high school track and field championships, and one-by-one, many of their meet records have tumbled over the years.
Yet, some have proven stubborn, such as Olympian and former Claremont star Debbie Bowker’s 40-year-old record in the girls’ 3,000 metres. But it too fell when Desirae Ridenour of Cowichan jolted the opening day of the 2016 Island high school meet at Centennial Stadium by running to gold in 9:48.42 to lop more than 10 seconds off Bowker’s now-former record of 9:58.60 from 1976.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Ridenour, who is only in Grade 11.
“It’s a really old record … I can’t even believe it … it really didn’t hit me until later in the day.”
Track isn’t even the Cowichan Bay resident’s main sport. Ridenour trains at the National Triathlon Centre in Victoria, with top triathletes from across the country, and hopes to follow in the footsteps of older sister Christine Ridenour to the national and international levels.
“I’m just in junior, but I want to train at a high level, and maybe get to the Olympics and world championships in triathlon,” said Desirae.
She will contest the 1,500 metres today at the Island high school meet, chasing another 40-year-old record held by Olympian Bowker [nee Scott]. Male Olympians still holding Island meet records include Michael Mason out of Ballenas in the high jump from 2002, Zack Whitmarsh out of Oak Bay in the 800 metres from 1995, and Murray Keating out of Mount Douglas in the discus from 1970.
The other Island record Wednesday came when Nathan Downey of Carhi in Campbell River clocked 6:31.27 in the boys’ 1,500-metre race walk to eclipse the former standard of 6:35.10 set by Blair Miller of Alberni District in 1994.
There were only a few finals on the first day. Most events were qualifiers for today’s finals-loaded closing day, with speed being the operative word. All the sprint records look to be in jeopardy today, including Commonwealth Games medallist and former G.P. Vanier burner Nathan Taylor’s marks of 10.73 and 21.51 in the boys’ 100 and 200 metres from 2001.
The sprint girls Wednesday were also explosive, despite blustery conditions, and showed they too will be chasing former Claremont runner Aleisha Cobb’s standard of 12.21 in the 100 metres from 2009 and former Dover Bay sprinter Veronica Luedke’s 24.98 in the 200 metres from 2010.
Hassy Fashina-Bombata from Wellington flashed across in 12.36 to lead the eight qualifiers in the 100 metres. The top-five were all under 13.00, as Rachel Jerome of Ladymith clocked 12.69, Callie-Ann Abbott of Brooks from Powell River and Laura Grohovac of Oak Bay both 12.78, and Casey Heyd of Cowichan 12.97.
The Wellington Wildcats are known for their middle-distance prowess with Fashina-Bombata the notable exception.
“Our team’s skill is mostly in the longer distances . . . and then there is me,” beamed Fashina-Bombata, who also qualified first for the 200-metre final.
There is her, indeed. Fashina-Bombata, who is in Grade 11, set the girls’ junior high records last year in the 100 and 200 metres at the B.C. championships. Her goal is to do the same in senior high.
“I take this sport very seriously and want to reach the next level,” said the personable Fashina-Bombata, who came to Nanaimo with her family from Nigeria when she was 10.
Heyd, meanwhile, is also a member of the nearly all NCAA-bound Cowichan 4x100 team that today will attempt to topple its own Island (48.70) and B.C. (48.27) records set last year.
