By Danny Daniels — Contributor
Because the B.C. Summer Games are only held every second year, the younger athletes in the 14/15 year old age group have a tough time being selected for the Zone 6 (Vancouver Island) team.
For five Pen Track athletes, this means nervously waiting to see if their wild card nomination will give them the chance to compete in this year’s Games in Nanaimo.
Ben Sammons (Pentathlon), Cameron Whalley (High Jump), Brennan Hopkins (HJ and 100m Hurdles), Finn Battersby (Steeplechase) and, in the girl’s Steeplechase, Anna-Maria Hilton, all did well in the Games Trials in Nanaimo, but were unable to unseat their older rivals for a guaranteed place on the Zone 6 Team.
For their younger team mates, there was no such uncertainty. Adrianna Hilton, 9, won the 600m, 1000m and High Jump, as well as gaining a silver in the Long Jump and bronze medals in the 60m, 100m and Shot put.
Her brother Matteo Hilton, 11, registered a 2nd place in his 200m Hurdles and was 3rd in the 1200m.
Liam Kirkendale, 11, had a winning throw of 23.36m in the Javelin, won the 600m and secured the silver in the 1000m.
Conor Loughnane, 12, had wins in the 100m, 200m and 300m plus a silver performance in the Shot Put.
Niamh Gibbons, nine, won her Shot competition while Alexis Van Den Bulk, 11, placed third in Discus.
Piper Battersby, 16, a past Summer Games competitor, had two excellent wins in the 1500m and 2000m Steeplechase and was just edged out of first place in the 800m.
The young athletes should find out by this weekend if they will be chosen as a wild card for the summer games which take place from July 17 to 20 in venues all around Nanaimo.