The Burnaby Striders launched the indoor track and field season with some wind in their sails.
The program saw newcomer Brandon Hsu set the tone, winning a pair of gold medals at the Harry Jerome Indoor Games in Richmond.
Hsu won the 13-year-old boys 60-metre race in a time of 8.20 seconds, and followed that by topping the 600m dash in 1:48.37, finishing six seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
Also earning the top spot on the podium was the Striders’ Jaeland Cummings, who collected gold in the 13-year-old girls’ 60m dash with a finish time of 8.61 seconds.
Fifteen-year-old Rachael Chiang picked up a pair of silver medals in the girls midget division, finishing second in the 300- and 600m races. Chiang finished the first race in 47.34 seconds, just 0.78 seconds behind Vancouver’s Logan Fung. In the 600m event, Chiang crossed the line in 1:53.23, just two seconds shy of Kajaks’ Claire Bosma.
Katelyn Malmquist was handed an honorary gold in the midget girls 300m, due to time keeping issues.
In her first indoor track meet, Burnaby’s Annika Steele scored silver in the 13-year-old girls 600m, in a time of 1:57.66.
Finishing just shy of a medal was 14-year-old Ryan Goudron, who placed fourth in both the boys midget 400- and 1000m races.
In the men’s 16-17 division of 60m hurdles, Burnaby South student and New West Spartans’ Diego Medrano captured the gold with a time of 8.82 seconds.
Simon Fraser University freshman Diana Voloshin, meanwhile, shared first place in the women’s 18-to-60 division’s 60m hurdles, completing the event in 9.13 seconds. She also finished second in the 60m dash, with a time of 7.86 seconds – just 0.06 seconds back of Vancouver’s Jonelle Bell-Spence. Placing fourth overall was SFU’s Kira Pederson.
