Like to run? How about running for Parliament?
While Pen Track’s current athletes pursue personal bests in the Vancouver Island summer series, former member Ryan Leef put on his shoes again in the Yukon to try for a seat as a new Conservative member in the House of Commons and, as in the past, he raced to success.
Leef, a previous member of Canada’s Junior Track Team and Mountain Running Team, will be remembered locally for his earlier win in the Sidney Days 5km Race and his second place finish in the Royal Victoria Marathon, both in the mid 1990s.
Another former Pen Track member, Matt Clout, placed third in the recent TC 10km race.
Among present members, Connor McCullough, 11, is having a banner season. At the Dogwood meet in the University of Victoria Stadium, he took five gold medals, in the 60m (9.55), 100m (15.66), 200m (31.51), high jump (1.20m) and long jump (3.76m). Isaiah Smith, 10, had three golds, in the 60m hurdles (13.17), 1,000m (4:04.78), and discus (11.21m), together with silvers in the 60m and 100m, plus bronze medals in the javelin and long jump. James Coulson was another multiple medalist, with a gold in the 600m (2:21.87), silvers in the 60m hurdles, 1,000m, high jump, discus and shot.
Kaelen Smith, 14, brought home gold medals in the 100m hurdles and long jump, plus a silver in the 800m. Other gold medal winners were Matteo Hilton, 9, in the shot; Spencer Gaby, 17, in the 3000m race walk; Kevan Brown, 18, in the 800m; and Masters competitors Les East (M70) in the high, long and triple jumps and discus, and father and son duo Don (M60) and Phil (M90) Brodeur, in their respective shot, discus and javelin events.
On the girls side, Courtney Neville-Rutherford, 15, who had previously won the high jump, shot and javelin events at the Port Alberni meet, continued her winning ways with her 1.40m high jump and 9.79m shot put, as well as getting a javelin silver (27.47m) and a discus bronze (20.43m). Race walker Jacqueline Gaby, 14, was second in her 1,500m event, as was Kelsey Vermilia in her 3000m race walk. In the steeplechase event, Gaby finished in third place behind Amelia Casciola, 14, who took the silver.
In the Masters competitions, Mette Forsberg (W60) won her 100m race, Sandy Anderson (W70) took the high jump, Ann Murfitt (W50) aced the javelin, and Peggy Morfitt (W75) had wins in the javelin, discus and shot.