Lindsay King won't celebrate her 14th birthday until next year but as a result of some misinformation at the administrative level she's about to take on the fastest 14- and 15-year-old runners in the province.
King's specialty is the 400-metre run and today in Langley the Prince George secondary school student will try to bring home a medal from the B.C. high school track and field championships.
"She's supposed to be going down as a Grade 8 but she's going to run in the junior division with the Grade 9s and 10s," said Prince George Track and Field Club head coach Bill Masich.
"She is the third-rated Grade 8 in the province for the 400, but through a bit of a communication error she ended up being entered as a junior and we're actually OK with that. It will help her to run faster and give her some good experience running against older kids."
King won four running events in the bantam division at the North Central district championships last week at Masich Place Stadium. She clocked 28.15 seconds in the 200m event, ran a 1:04.11 time in the 400m, won the 80m hurdles in 14.69 seconds, and took the 300m hurdles crown in a meet-record time of 50.62 seconds. The top two finishers at the zone meet qualified for those events at the high school provincials.
King was a record-setter in the 14-15-year-old girls 200m hurdles two weekends ago at the Centennial meet in Kamloops, winning in 30.57. She also placed third in Kamloops in the 300m run.
Masich says Kuort Bishop of D.P. Todd has top-eight potential in the senior pole vault. Bishop, who won the zone meet at 2.76m, is still adjusting to his switch to a longer pole but is capable of reaching 3.40m.
"If things go well and he gets over 3.50m, that could be top-five," said Masich.
Amanda Heinz of PGSS will be competing as the third-ranked Grade 8 javelin thrower in B.C.
"She threw a three-metre personal best at the Centennial meet in Kamloops two weekends ago and is really excited about her chances at high school's," said Masich.
Jeremy Matte of PGSS won the zone senior boys 100m in 11.93 seconds and claimed gold in the 200m (24.08) and he'll get set up in the blocks for those two events this weekend in Langley. Kirsten Ward will represent College Heights in the junior javelin and 100m events.
Ryan Gaiesky (100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, high jump, long jump), Linden Zazelenchuk (400m, 800m, 1,500m) , Emma Floris (100m, 200m, long jump) and Shelby Jensen (200m, 400m) will represent Athletics North Track and Field Club. Sean Gaiesky of Athletics North qualified in the 400m and 4X400m relay but won't be competing in Langley because his graduation ceremony at D.P. Todd is on Saturday. College Heights secondary school grad commitments will also keep senior runner Sinead O'Callghan from attending the provincial meet.
Prince George high jumper Alyx Treasure is in Fayetteville, Ark., today for the NCAA West regional championships. Treasure is a junior at Kansas State.
Treasure, 21, cleared 1.81m and finished second two weeks ago at the Big 12 conference championships in Lubbock,. Tex. She's trying to qualify for the NCAA outdoor championships, June 11-14 in Eugene, Ore. The women's high jump is scheduled to start Saturday at 4 p.m. PDT.
Wayne Phipps, a Prince George native who takes over July 1 as head coach of the Washington State University men's track and field and cross country teams, is also in Fayetteville, where he'll be coaching the University of Idaho track and field team.
