Sprinter Emma Floris surprised her coach two weekends ago when she won the senior girls 400-metre event at the north central zone track and field championships.
Not only did she win it, but her time of 59.33 seconds ranks as the fifth-quickest posted this year in the province. That puts Floris, a senior who attends Nechako Valley secondary school in Vanderhoof, in good stead to take a run at the medal podium at the B.C. high school championships, which start today in Nanaimo.
"She's not a 400 runner but I knew in the Canadian system she would be running 300s indoors, so we had her run the 400, which I don't think she was too happy about, but her time was fantastic," said Steph Gouin, Floris's coach in Prince George.
"She ran 59.33 at zones and that's basically her second (ever) 400. I wanted to see what she would be able to do, full-out, and right now she's ranked fifth, which is a higher ranking than the 100 or 200 (in both those events she ranks 11th in B.C.). She's really powerful, she's been lifting weights all year and she's capable of running a 58-something 400."
The high school provincials are a qualifier for the Royal Canadian Legion national youth championships Aug. 5-7 in Ste-Therese-Blainville, Que. But Floris, at 18, is not eligible for the Legion meet and will instead focus on the junior national championships in Edmonton, July 2-5, and the B.C. Track and Field Jamboree in Nanaimo, July 15-17.
"She's actually doing really well - better than I expected," said Gouin. "With her program, we have her ready to peak for nationals and provincials and she's on track to do well this weekend.
"At the Dylan Armstrong meet in Kamloops three weeks ago, she set a PB in the 100 when she ran a 12.74. She won the 100 and 200 and won $500 for winning the 100. So that will help pay for some books when she goes to university."
Floris is heading to St. Francis Xavier University in Halifax on a track scholarship starting this fall.
Floris's best time in the 200m is 25.77. Her 200 time at the zone meet was hampered by cold conditions at Masich Place Stadium with the race temperature hovering close to the freezing mark.
"We're hoping for her to make finals (at the B.C. high school meet) in the 200 and 400, but the 100 is going to be tight because there are some very fast girls," said Gouin.
A busload of athletes from Prince George, Vanderhoof, Mackenzie and McBride left for Nanaimo Tuesday night. Competition at the provincial meet starts today and runs through Saturday.
Floris runs the 400m heat today. On Friday she has the 400 final and 100 heats and final. She's entered in the 200 event on Saturday.
Due to her high school graduation ceremony, Floris will miss the Spruce Capital meet in Prince George, June 11-12, but plans to compete in the Jack Brow meet in Kelowna, July 1-3.
