Track and field athletes from Brooks Secondary School had a breakthrough year in 2018.
At the recent BC High School Track and Field Championships in Langley, Brooks was one of the top teams in the AA junior division, returning to Powell River with six medals.
Samantha Baron, 16, was a gold medalist in 300-metre junior hurdles, claimed a silver in 80-metre hurdles and just missed the podium in long jump, finishing fourth. Also in the junior division, Drew Sundberg, 15, brought home a haul of three bronze medals in long jump, triple jump and javelin, and Keegan Abbott, 16, brought home bronze in discus.
Other notable finishes include Chris Fisher, 16, a junior running against more experienced grade 12 athletes, who placed fourth in senior steeplechase. Cole Baron, 14, finished just out of the medals with a fourth in grade eight boys high jump.
Three years ago, Brooks teacher Graham Cocksedge decided he wanted to bring back track and field and asked Connie Polman Tuin, Scott Glaspey and Jeff Pollitt to coach with him. This year, Dean Thorsell took over duties as head coach, adding Cale Hernandez to the coaching staff with Polman Tulin, Glaspey and Cocksedge.
