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Teen runner to Pan Am semifinals

Local sprinter Raquel Tjernagel qualified in the women's 200-metre heats at the Pan Am Games on Thursday.
Raquel Tjernagel
Coquitlam Cheetahs club runner Raquel Tjernagel qualified for the semifinals of the women's 200 metres at the Pan Am Games on Thursday.

New Westminster sprinter Raquel Tjernagel qualified for the women’s 200 metres at the Pan Am Games in Toronto on Thursday.

The 17-year-old New Westminster Secondary senior finished fifth in her heat in a time of 23.63.

The top-four finishers in each heat and the next four fastest times moved on to the semifinals later today.

Nercely Soto of Venezuela, Sheniqua Ferguson of Bahamas and Kanika Beckles of Grenada all qualified from the heats with faster times.

Tjernagel, who ran a personal-best 23.34 in the 200m at the Brian Clay International meet in California in April, outpaced Sharolyn Josephs for the final berth in the semifinals despite a personal-best time of 23.70 for the Costa Rican runner.

Kamaria Durant of Trinidad and Tobago had the fastest time in the heats, clocking a 22.74 in Heat 2.

Evelyn Ashford of the United States holds the Pan Am Games record with a time of 22.45 recorded in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1979.