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Prince Rupert's Rioux cracks top 15 at provincials

Kevin Rioux reached 12th place in two of his three jumping events at the B.C. High School Track and Field Championships.
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Kevin Rioux had a strong showing at the track and field provincials.

Kevin Rioux reached 12th place in two of his three jumping events at the B.C. High School Track and Field Championships held in Langley, and if it wasn't for a heel injury he probably could have a third top-15 score.

The lone Charles Hays representative to reach provincials this year, Rioux and coach Dighton Haynes returned on Saturday night, bringing with them a very respectable showing even if it wasn't Rioux's personal best scores.

Out of 30 competitors in high jump, long jump and triple jump, Rioux finished 12th in long and triple, and 23rd in high jump.

"His heel was really affecting his jump," said Haynes after the meet.

"Too much soccer, basketball and track all at the same time."

Rioux, who visited the Lower Mainland as part of the Rainmakers' senior basketball team that finished second in the province earlier this year, didn't let the injury stop him from having a good time though.

"He's got a good attitude, he takes it in stride," said the coach.

"He's an excellent jumper."

The pair visited the therapist on site and she remedied the foot a little, but Rioux will need to see a doctor upon returning home, said Haynes.

"All these athletes who have been training all year long have made some great progress and we're seeing that with the ones who are going to the Summer Games (Cody Schaeffer, Isobel Leblanc, Emily Cavin and Cody Deschamps). Some of them peaked out maybe a week early ... that's something we're trying to figure out; how to get each of the athletes to peak as they go to zones and two weeks later in provincials."

Rioux reached 1.6 m in high jump (his best being around 1.75), 5.62 m in long jump (10 cm lower than his best) and 11.18 m in triple jump, which is close to his personal best.

As for next year, Haynes is looking forward to having a solid crop of returnees from this year's team.

"There's a good number of Grade 8s coming up ... some of the athletes came out expecting the program to fold and they weren't as committed to it thinking it was going to fold [this year, like it has in the past] so the students now know who I am and what I'm expecting and hopefully we'll build from there," said Haynes.

Schaeffer, Deschamps, Leblanc and Cavin will participate in the upcoming Summer Games taking place on July 17-20 in Nanaimo. Deschamps and Cavin are listed as alternates.