The Western Canada Summer Games were a final test of the season for one local track and field star.
Shalane Haselhan brought home a silver and bronze medal during the 10-day event in Kamloops. She won silver in the multi-disciplined heptathlon, the bronze in individual long jump, with a jump of 5.5 metres, and recorded a fifth-place finish in high jump and a seventh place in individual javelin throw.
For the Lampman native, this was her first trip to the West Canada Games, and she was one of four team captains. To qualify for the opportunity to compete for Team Saskatchewan, she had to attend a trial meet in Regina.
"There are certain standards that you have to meet, or if you make top-two at the meet. Then the coaches just kind of do a selection board thing and base you on you're past experience, as well as how well you did at (the trial) meet. They pick based on that."
Haselhan attends the University of Regina, where she competes on the track and field team, so she had been training with her coach at the university in order to prepare for her events. He was also her coach for the Games.
She, until recently, typically competed only in individual events, excelling at high jump and long jump. She competed in her first pentathlon this past year with the U of R.
The heptathlon includes long jump, high jump, 100 m hurdles, javelin, shot put, 200 m and 800 m. The heptathlon then runs off a points system. Athletes earn a certain number of points based on their performance, not based on which place they finish in each event.
"If I don't do good in one of my good events, it's kind of stressful, (knowing) I have to do better in the next event, so I definitely look at the points and see what I have to do in each event."
She said that helps her motivate and push herself in each event. Her strong events are a chance to gain ground, or pull away, and her weaker events require good outings so as to not lose that gap.
Haselhan finished with the silver, just ahead of her teammate Kelsey Bohachewski, who is also part of the Cougars track team at the U of R. Though they haven't trained much together, as she does more jumps and Bohachewski is more of a sprinter.
"I still have better events than others, but I am fairly rounded now," she said. "There are still the better events in there. I think I can excel at high jump and long jump, so I'm definitely going to work towards that and aim for a new personal best every time."
She ended up doing 10 events during her four days of competition, but she didn't feel she was stretched too thin. The days were long and hot but she's used to doing seven events in two days.
"I balanced it pretty good to do all of them and kept busy."
Haselhan said she's still deciding whether she is going to continue to pursue heptathlons and pentathlons, or move back to competing in individual events.
"I'm kind of torn between the two. I really like high jump and long jump, but I do like keeping busy at doing all the events and being well rounded."
For her first trip to the West Canada Games, she said she was blown away by the volunteers, because it takes a lot of them to organize it.
"All the people helping out were really helpful and really happy, and it's nice to know they'd always answer your questions. And it was beautiful, beautiful to see Kamloops. I really enjoyed the experience overall."
