The Royal Canadian track and field championships in Saskatoon was well attended by local athletes. The week-long camp ran from Jun 30-July 4 and offered the runners expertise coaching in all track and field events. At the end of the camp, competitions are held in order to determine a group of athletes who will then move on to represent Saskatchewan at the national track championships, being held in Ottawa.
Three locals will be representing Yorkton. Avery Westberg, a student at the Yorkton Regional High School, Matthijs Wenning, also of the Yorkton Regional High School, and Preston Liebrecht, student at Sacred Heart. They will be in Ottawa this week.
Westberg also received the female leadership award at the camp in Saskatoon as is also coming off a very good performance at provincials held in June in Moose Jaw.
At the end of July, Wenning, Westberg, Kyla Bassingthwaite as well as Melville sprinter Stephanie Sawchuk travelled to Winnipeg for the western midget juvenile championships. Wenning won a gold medal in the midget 2000-metres, Sawchuk won gold in the triple jump and silver in the long jump.
Westberg took a pair of bronze medals in the 3000-metres and the steeple chase, a first-time showing for Westberg. Bassingthwaite had a solid performance in the throwing event, earning a fourth place in javelin and discus event in shot put and a first-place finish in the hammer throw.
