Nina Schultz is making a strong case for Canada’s top up-and-coming athlete in the jump events.
The 15-year-old New Westminster athlete won two medals in horizontal jumps, including a national championship gold medal in the under-18 girls’ long jump, with a winning leap and personal-best effort of 5.82 metres at the Legion Canadian Youth Track and Field Championships held in Langley last weekend.
Schultz, who won the B.C. high school’s most outstanding athlete award at the provincial championships in June, needed her best jump of the day to beat Ontario runner-up Jamilah James, who was tied with the New West Spartan club athlete at 56.5m heading into the final round of jumps.
Moments earlier in the competition, Schultz, who is ranked No. 1 in Canada in the youth and junior division in high jump, failed to make 1.65m and had to settle for fifth place in what is considered her best field event.
A day earlier, James topped Schultz in the triple jump.
Schultz placed second in the event with a PB jump of 12.17m. James won the triple with a 12.61m best.
Schultz also ran a strong opening leg on B.C.’s 4x400m relay team, clocking a personal-best split time of 57.80 seconds in the finals.
Team B.C. placed fifth in the race, behind champions Team Alberta and runners-up Quebec and Ontario.
