Up, up and away

LCI TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE OFF TO PROVINCIALS IN EDMONTON

As far as raising the bar, Noel Vanderzee’s timing couldn’t be better.

The Grade 12 LCI student did just that at the Alberta Schools Athletic Association South Zone Track and Field Championships Thursday afternoon at the University of Lethbridge Stadium, narrowly missing the twometre mark with a height of 1.99m in the senior boys high jump.

Still, that was good enough for a first-place finish that hands Vanderzee a ticket to Edmonton for the Alberta Schools Athletic Association Provincial High School Track and Field Meet Thursday and Friday in Edmonton.

It was all a part of a busy day for Vanderzee, who earlier in the day placed second in the senior boys long jump (5.95m) and triple jump (13.06m) and then teamed up with Nate Heyburn, Nate Duda and Dean Stewart to take place in the Boys 4x400m relay open.

But as the wind howled and sun ducked in and out of the clouds in the lateafternoon, Vanderzee and Raymond’s Brock Dewsbery put on a high jump clinic for a small, but enthusiastic hooting and hollering crowd as the duo kept reaching new heights.

Dewsbery ultimately hit 1.95m to place second and earn his way to provincials next week.

But on Thursday afternoon, not even the famous southern Alberta wind could keep both athletes from flirting with the two-metre mark.

“The long jump was tough, jumping in the wind, but the triple jump was good,” said Vanderzee, who has been seriously competing in high jump for the past three years.

Those distances and heights achieved Thursday has given Vanderzee one more week of competition as the LCI student looks to leap to a provincial medal.

“I’m really excited. I’m really excited to be competing against the guys I’ve been competing against all year,” said Vanderzee.

Nearby in the shotput event, Zach McCallum of Winston Churchill celebrated a return to track and field after an absense in style, taking second place in the intermediate boys division with a distance of 11.51m, just behind Matthew Wilson of Nanton J.T. Foster (11.60m).

“I’m excited to be honest, happy. I almost thought I had

gotten third,” said McCallum. “(It was) a lot of work. I did track this year, but I was off for two years, but I got back into it this year.”

And he got a pleasant surprise with a trip to Edmonton now on tap.

“I didn’t expect to make it, but with my training I’m happy I did,” said McCallum. “I’ve been training a lot and I’ll do what I can to prepare myself.”

See Page B4 for the first part of the South Zone Track and Field Championships topthree results.