One of the largest schools in the Lower Mainland won its first-ever provincial track and field title.
New Westminster Secondary’s aggregate and girls’ team banners at the 47th annual high school meet in Langley were a highlight of the year in the Royal City in 2014.
The 10-athlete Hyack team unseated defending and 10-time champion Oak Bay by a single point to claim the school’s first B.C. high school banner in track and field since the competition went to a provincial model in 1967.
New West was led by 15-year-old phenom Nina Schultz, who was named the provincial meet’s most outstanding female performer, and Grade 11 sprinter Raquel Tjernagel at the end-of-the-year track meet. The talented pair shared in six individual and relay team gold medals for New West.
Schultz won the all-events heptathlon a week before the meet, as well as setting personal bests in the high jump and triple jump.
Tjernagel won both the 100 and 200 metres also in personal-best times.
The two shared another first-place medal in the 4x400m for the Hyacks.They also helped out New West’s numbers with a fourth-place finish in the 4x100m sprint relay.
The Hyacks also got sound support from the boys’ team.
Ethan Strome won gold in the boys’ 400m hurdles, while Bogdan Pavel earned a second-place medal in the 100m hurdles.
The boys also won bronze in the 400m relay.
“We were blessed with some great athletes this year,” said Hyacks’ track coach Bryan MacMaster. “It was a real opportunity to represent something – representing their school, New West, and I think they’re really proud of that.”
