Posted: July 10, 2006

Athletics: Mark Steeds and Mike Mason win bronze for Canada at NACAC under-23 track and field championships

SANTO DOMINGO - Mike Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C., won the bronze medal in the men’s high jump and Mark Steeds of Paris, Ont., was also third in the men’s 5,000-metre on Sunday to conclude the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) under-23 track and field championships.

Canada ends the three-day competition with 15 medals (three silver and 12 bronze).

In the men’s high jump, Keith Moffatt of the U.S., took the gold at 2.27 metres followed by Donald Thomas of the Bahamas in second at 2.21. Mason was third at 2.19 missing his three attempts at 2.21.

“I was really happy even though it was not personal best. I had a lot fun and the competition was really good,” said Mason, the world junior champion in 2004. “I was pretty confident heading in but I never got in a groove where I felt I could make every jump. But overall things are going a lot better this year. I’ve gone back to the basics and I’m having a good year.”

In the men’s 5,000, Steeds took third spot clocking 15:02.68. Aaron Aguayo led the U.S., to a 1-2 finish clocking 14:54.55.

Other Canadian men’s results Sunday: Kyle Helf of Alliston, Ont., and Sean Steacy of Lethbridge, Alta., were fifth and sixth in the hammer throw;

On the women’s side, Rachel Lavallee of Peterborough, Ont., was fourth in the10 kilometre walk; Tabia Charles of Pickering, Ont., fourth in the long jump; Megan Brown of Toronto fifth in the 800; Adelle Johns of Richmond, B.C., and Cloe Hewitt of Victoria eighth and ninth in the heptathlon.

In the relays, Canada was fourth in the men’s 4X100 with Adam Rosenke of Edmonton, Gavin Smellie of Toronto, Justin McLennan of Mississauga, Ont., and Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I; sixth in the men’s 4X400 with Benjamin Warnock of Sault Ste Marie, Ont., Rosenke, Geoff Martinson of Victoria and Ira Thomson of Texada Island, B.C.; and sixth in the women’s 4X400 with Lauren Welch of Vancouver Bevin Kennelly of Quesnel, B.C., Jacqueline Malette of Windsor, Ont., and Brown.

The Canadian silver medallists this weekend were Krista Woodward of New Westminster, B.C., in the women’s javelin, Shannon Elmer of New Westminster in the women’s 10,000 and Adam Currie of Verdun, Que., in the men’s 800.

Besides Mason and Steeds, Canadian bronze medallists this weekend for the men were Martinson in the 800, Connaughton in the 200 and Joseph Campanelli of Toronto in the 10,000.

For the women, third place finishes were posted by Malette in the 1,500 and 5,000, Adrianne Vangool of Saskatoon in the pole vault, Sultana Frizell of Perth, Ont., in the shotput, Novelle Murray of Surrey, B.C., in the discus, Kennelly in the 3,000 steeplechase and Charles in the triple jump.

Day One

Canada wins five medals to open 2006 NACAC under-23 track and field championships

July 8th 2006, SANTO DOMINGO - Krista Woodward and Shannon Elmer, both of New Westminster, B.C., won silver medals Friday to highlight a five medal Canadian performance to open the 2006 North America, Central America, and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) under-23 track and field championships.

Woodward placed second with a 50.63 metre throw in the women’s javelin while Elmer clocked 38 minutes and 42 seconds in the women’s 10,000-metre run. In the women’s 1,500 metres, Jacqueline Malette of Windsor, Ont., took the bronze in 4:24.33 with Megan Brown of Toronto fourth in 4:24.41.

In the women’s pole vault, Adrianne Vangool of Saskatoon won the bronze clearing 3.80 metres while Sue Kupper of Edmonton did not clear her first height. Sultana Frizell of Perth, Ont., was also third in the women’s shotput with her best toss measured at 15.18 metres.

There were three more fourth place finishes for Canadians: Frizell was fourth in the women’s hammer throw at 60.61 metres just ahead of Marie-Eve Boiselle of Vercheres, Que., in fifth at 55.04.

James Poulin-Cadovius of Sherbrooke, Que., was fourth in the men’s 3,000 steeplechase while Jason Wurster of Stevensville, Ont., was fourth in the men’s pole vault. Eric Foley of Sherbrooke did not clear his first height.

In the women’s 100 final, Genevieve Thibault of Val-Belair, Que., was fifth in 11.70. In the men’s 100, Jared Connaughton of New Haven, PEI was eighth in the final in 10.66 while Adam Rosenke of Edmonton was eliminated in the semifinal clocking 10.91 for 13th overall.

In the men’s 800, Adam Currie of Verdun, Que., and Geoff Martinson of Victoria both qualified for the men’s 800 final clocking 1:53.32 and 1:55.46 respectively. Lauren Welch of Vancouver also qualified for the women’s 400 hurdles final clocking 1:00.48.

Competition continues through to Sunday.

Day Two

Eight more medals for Canada at NACAC track and field championships

July 9th 2006, SANTO DOMINGO - Adam Currie of Verdun, Que., and Geoff Martinson of Victoria were second and third respectively in the men's 800-metre to highlight aneight-medal day for Canada Saturday at the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC)under-23 track and field championships.

Duane Solomon of the U.S., won the race in 1:48.96 while Currie set a personal best 1:49.22 for the silver. Martinson took a hard-fought battle for the bronze over Andre Drummond of Jamaica.

"I told Geoff I would set the pace and he should keep on my shoulder and the race went pretty much as we expected," said Currie, 21. "It's great to win a medal against such a solid field. The race started slowly but I had a great second half to get my best time by a tenth of a second."

Canada's other six medals were all bronze. Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I., was third in the men's 200 with Justin McLellan of Mississauga, Ont., seventh; Novelle Murray of Surrey, B.C., took third in the women's discus with Chantal Spies of Saskatoon sixth; Jacqueline Malette of Windsor, Ont.,won bronze in the women's 5,000 with Laura Moulton of Hamilton fourth;Bevin Kennelly of Surrey, B.C., in the women's 3,000 steeplechase; other bronze were earned by Joseph Campanelli of Toronto in the men's 10,000 and Tabia Charles of Pickering, Ont., in the women's triple jump.

Campanelli, 22, only started running two years ago to keep in shape and he can now show off an international medal he's won for Canada. A former high level baseball player, Campanelli passed a runner in the final 800-metres to snare the bronze in his international debut.

John Moore of the U.S., won the race in 30:16.03 and Campanelli clocked 31:04.62. Adrian Lambert of Edmonton was fifth.

"I came here to get a medal and I achieved my goal," said Campanelli, a commerce student at the University of Toronto. "I was 35 seconds off my personal best but I'm still happy about my race. It was very strategical and I was pleased with how I kept an even pace."

Charles, 21, delivered another strong performance. At the Penn Relays in April she broke the Canadian record in the women's triple jump reaching 13.94 metres. On Saturday, she fouled out on four of her six attempts. Her third attempt at 13.62 kept her in third until the finish. Yariah Martinez of Cuba won at 14.28. "I would have never thought that third jump would staymin the medals," said Charles, who graduated in psychology this year at the University of Miami. "I felt great heading in and it was very unusual for me to foul out so often. But the track here was very fast and that affected my timing."

Other Canadian final results Saturday included: Mark Stewart of Paris, Ont., fifth in the men's 110 hurdles and Gavin Smellie of Toronto and Ira Thomson of Texada Island, B.C., 10th and 20th in the men's 400; Wade Huber of Saskatoon 10th in the men’s long jump while Benjamin Warnock of Sault Ste Marie, Ont., did not finish.

Megan Brown of Toronto also qualified fourth for the women's 800 final set for Sunday. After the first day in the women’s heptathlon, Adelle Johns of Richmond, B.C., is ninth and Cloe Hewitt of Victoria 10th.

After two days of competition, Canada has 13 medals (three silver and 10 bronze). Competition ends Sunday.

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