A15 has spent the last three days at the National Legion Youth Track & Field Championships which were held here in Ottawa. After a year of training three times a week it has been a very satisfying and exciting end to the season. Before she left for Iceland she qualified in local meets for the 100m, 200m & 300m sprints in the under 16 age group.  Her times in the 100m and 400m also gave her a place in the 4x100m relay and the sprint medley relay. Club teams and provincial teams from all over Canada came to compete in U16 and U18 events.

The weather all weekend was hot and usually sunny.  I volunteered on the first two days of the meet and was very happy to be given a job in the shade of a tent.  Many volunteers and officials were out in the sun most of the day.  Being a volunteer also gave me the opportunity to watch A15 from the track side if I wished.  Her first race, the 100m heat, can be seen here ; she is in lane one in the first heat shown. She was happy with all her results, but getting a personal best in the 300m, advancing to the finals of the 200m, also with a PB, and medals in both relays were definitely the highlights.

Above: 100m heat

Above: Silver medalists U16 Open Club 4x100m relay

In the photo above you can she is finishing her 400m leg of the medley relay. The medley is a strange race made up of a 400m, two 200m and an 800m. A15 was the first runner and she gave her team a lead which they maintained to the end, winning them the gold medal. Video now available here.

Above: Gold medalists U16 Open Club sprint medley relay