Day one of track and field provincials in Kelowna begin for Prince Rupert athletes

Prince Rupert’s track and field athletes put their best foot forward on day one of provincials in Kelowna this Thursday.

Four boys were sent down to B.C. after competing in the regional zone meet earlier this month where one broke northwest regional records and others achieved their personal best.

Logan Hughes and Benjamin Visser are the first two boys to ever represent Prince Rupert Middle School in provincials.

READ MORE: Prince Rupert Middle School track team headed to provincials for the first time

Visser, who recently broke the 1983 northwest high jump record, placed fifth in the event with a height of one metre 65 centimetres. Hughes placed behind him tying for ninth place with a height of one meter 55 centimetres.

READ MORE: Prince Rupert Middle School athlete breaks northwest high jump record

Both boys maintained their personal best records while Junior Dakota Knockwood set a new personal best for himself in the long jump. His score came in at five metres 39 centimetres, 19 centimetres higher than his previous record. Overall he placed 26 out of 33 in the long jump.

Previous to departing for Kelowna, coach Dighton Haynes said provincials are particularly challenging for athletes from the northwest. With only seven schools competing in the zone meets, some of which have outdated equipment, there is a lack of competition to help the boys improve.

“The other problem is getting adequate competition because there’s not enough teams [in the northwest] and so it’s not unusual for some of the athletes to go down to provincials and see 32 [athletes] in each event. That’s every 2,400 athletes. They’re just overwhelmed,” he said.

Coach Haynes said that if each boy can maintain or beat their own personal records, they are all going home winners.

The second day of provincials are being held today in Kelowna.