Niki Oudenaarden of St. Albert broke the Canadian women’s junior heptathlon record at the 34th annual Aztec Track and Field Invitational last weekend at San Diego State University.
The 19-year-old Aztec freshman won the event with 5,716 points, surpassing the previous best Canadian score of 5,688, set by Jessica Zelinka in 2000.
Oudenaarden finished first in high jump (1.67 metres), shot put (14.04m), long jump (5.74m) and javelin (45.35m), placed second in the 200m (24.79 seconds) and was third in the 800m (2:22.63) and fourth in the 100m hurdles (14.82).
The Paul Kane High School graduate also eclipsed Zelinka’s prior marks in every event except the high jump.
In second place was Allison Reaser of the Aztecs at 5,392.
Three weeks earlier, Oudenaarden established a new Canadian women’s pentathlon junior indoor mark of 3,969 points at the Mountain West Conference championships in Boise, Idaho. The record of 3,949 points was held by Catherine Bonds-Mills since 1986.
Oudenaarden placed first in shot put (13.71m), was second in long jump (5.98m), finished fourth in the 800m (2:27.59) and 60m hurdles (8.86) and tied for ninth in high jump (1.56m).
Oudenaarden was the runner-up by two points behind Reaser, a junior Aztec, for the pentathlon meet title. Her 3,971 score was a school record and Oudenaarden’s total was No. 2 all-time.
It was Oudenaarden’s first indoor pentathlon after knee surgery in September.
The Lorne Akins Gators swept the junior high 8x200 metre female and male relay finals at the 35th annual Edmonton Journal Indoor Games last Saturday at the Butterdome.
It’s the second year in a row both the A teams passed the baton to victory and the third straight triumph for the men.
In the semifinals the Gators were represented by two male and two female teams.
The lady Gators set a new event record of 3:44.60 in the semifinals and beat the old mark again in the final with a time of 3:46.03, which was faster than the Bev Facey Falcons’ winning effort of 3:49.58 in the high school female 8x200m relay final.
The previous record of 3:46.70 was set by the Richard S. Fowler Falcons in 2004.
The winning Gators are Hayley Basterash, Emily Marko, Brooke Lang, Cara Lang, Sydney Parkinson, Sarah Passek, Val Schlottke and Kaila Wirth.
The men’s team was clocked at 3:34.03 in the final after posting the fastest semifinal time at 3:33.90.
The event record is 3:26.30, set in 1987 by Steele Heights School.
The golden Gators are Matt Dejanovic, Connor Florence, Ben Grabia, Connor Guy, Matt Murray, Naiem Qaderi, Aidan Steinke and Andrew Stenzel.
Visit www.stalbertgazette.com to see the Gators’ team picture at the Games.
Meanwhile, the Muriel Martin Dinos ran away with the elementary 8x200m relay female title in 4:15.20.
The event record of 4:12 by Centennial School was set in 2005.
In the semifinals the Dinos’ A team placed second at 4:23.26 behind the 4:22.94 Sir Alexander Mackenzie girls’ A team, which was disqualified in the final.
The Dinos are Anneka Odinga, Kaitlyn Kluttig, Angelina Michailides, Meghan Sturdy, Juliann Sherbeth, Mackenzie Jean, Evangelene Doring-Lindgren, Kayley Forbes, Natasha Borrett and Ava Jahns.
Hayley Francois, a Grade 12 St. Albert Skyhawk, crossed the finish line first in the female high school 800m at 2:21.63.
Tanya Wright of Beaumont set the event record of 2:11.70 in 1997.
Morgan Christensen, a Grade 11 Bellerose Bulldog, repeated as the female high school 200m champion. Christensen’s time was 25.09 after going 25.31 last year. In Grade 9 with the Sir George Simpson Voyageurs she won the junior high final in 25.96.
Leah Walkeden of Ardrossan Bisons set the high school 200m record of 25.01 in 2010.
At the recent indoor provincials, Christensen won her age-group finals in the 200m at 25.04 and 60m at 7.71. She also finished first in the 200m at the Golden Bears’ meet a week prior to provincials.
On April 6 Christensen will represent the Bulldogs in the 200m at the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High School in Los Angeles. She is rated the fourth-fasted North American runner going into the race.
In the male high school 200m at the Games, Taylor Lazarenko of the Bulldogs finished second at 22.92 and Isaiah Jackson of the Skyhawks placed fourth at 24.14.
Selwyn Taylor of the Harry Ainlay Titans set the event record of 22.10 in 1987.
The St. Albert Fire Department placed fourth in the Battle Brave mixed 6x200m relay in 3:06.45. The winner was the Edmonton Police at 2:47.93.
A big shout out to the Bellerose Bulldogs cheer team for winning silver in the large varsity division at provincials last weekend in Drayton Valley.
Sportsmanship awards were also presented to Montanna Caissie, Evelyn Adkisson and Kayla Charbonneau.
The Harry Ainlay Titans won gold and Lillian Osborne was the silver medallist in the five-team division.
At the Edmonton zone championships last month Harry Ainlay placed first, followed by Bellerose, Jasper Place Rebels and Lillian Osborne.
The team of 21 female Bulldogs, including nine returnees from last year's third-place co-ed team at zones, also finished first out of five teams at the U of A Cheer Challenge/Ross Sheppard Cheer Championships and placed second at the Athabasca CheerFest.
Visit www.stalbertgazette.com to see the Bellerose team picture at provincials.
