Area athletes shine at 55+ B.C. Games
The 55+ B.C. Games were held in Kelowna from Sept. 10 to 14, where more than 4,200 people gathered to participate in more than 30 different events. There were several local participants in track and field representing North Central, Zone 9, which includes all athletes who are 55 years and older from Williams Lake to Prince George.
All categories are set by age in five-year increments. The following results are from the 55+ B.C. Games website and not all times and distances were available as of press time.
Tom Ukonmaanaho from Prince George took three gold medals and two silvers during the competition before he had to bow out after sustaining a leg injury during his 200-metre race, which he still won.
He took gold in the men’s 70 - 74 100 metres, 400 metres with a time of 1:14.80 and 200 metres with a time of 30.96, along with silver in javelin with a distance of 29.92 and a silver in pole vault.
Joan Harris from Prince George took gold in the women’s 55-59 long jump and javelin, silver in the hammer throw, and bronze in shot put, weight throw and the throws pentathlon.
Brad Frenkel from Prince George took gold in the men’s 55-59 weight throw and hammer throw and silver in the discus with a throw of 30.24
Kelly Sharp from Prince George took gold in the men’s 65-69 1,500 metres with the time of 6:06.92 and placed fourth in the 10-kilometre road race with a time of 51:59 and silver in the 800 metres with a time of 2:52.58. Sharp also took fourth in the 5,000 metres with a time of 24:00.49.
Leo Rankin from Williams Lake took silver in the men’s 65-69 1,500 metres with the time of 6:17.68 and gold in the 10-kilometre road race with a time of 47:47 and gold in the 5,000 metres with a time of 22:17.59 and bronze in the 5,000 metre power walk.
Bryan Chubb from Big Lake Ranch took bronze in men’s 70-74 10-kilometre road race with a time of 50:35 and took gold in the 5000 metres with a time of 23:16.34.
Pat Harton from Williams Lake took bronze in men’s 75- 9 1,500 metres with a time of 6:31.90, bronze in the 5,000 metres with a time of 25:26.65, bronze in the 800 metres with a time of 3:05.84 and fourth in 10-kilometre road race with a time of 1:09:04.
Jim Johnston took gold in the men’s 75-79 triple jump and pole vault, while earning silver in the pentathlon the long jump with a distance of 2.79 metres and javelin with a throw of 22.33.
Jim Dyer from Quesnel took gold in the men’s 75-79 weight throw and hammer throw, while getting silver in the discus with a throw of 24.19 and bronze in the shot put.
Cris MacDonald from Prince George took gold in women’s 75-79 400 metres with a time of 2:00.89, silver in hammer throw with a distance of 16.27 metres, 50 metres, 100 metres and 200 metres, as well as bronze in discus with a distance of 14.03 metres, weight throw with 6.11 metres.
Natasha Yungman from Prince Geroge took gold in the women’s 55-59 triple jump with a distance of 6.10 metres, silver in long jump with a distance of 2.71, 400 metres with a time of 1:48.34, 1,500 metres and 5,000 metres in 28:16.95.
Arna Kristian from Prince George was very consistent in women’s 85-89 as she took silver in javelin, shot put, weight throw, hammer throw and the throws pentathlon.
Suzanne Sharp from Prince George took gold in the women’s 65-69 1,500 metre race walk and 5,000 metre power walk, silver in the 5,000 metres and bronze in the 10-kilometre road race.
Keith Taylor from Prince George took gold in the men’s 85-89 high jump.
Don Stinson from Prince George took fourth place in the men’s 8084 hammer throw.
Barb Saunders from Prince George took bronze for women’s 80-84 400 metres.
Kathy Dyer from Quesnel took silver in the women’s 70-74 1,500 metre race walk and the 5,000 metre power walk.
LindaMeise from Prince George took bronze in the women’s 70-74 triple jump with a distance of 4.32.
Christine Hinzmann from Prince George took silver medals in the women’s 55-59 discus, shot put, weight throw, and throws pentathlon and bronze in the javelin and hammer throw.