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B.C. podium finishes for Kelowna athletes

Bryn Walsh, Muriel Stroda and Camden Elkin won medals at provincial track meet in Coquitlam
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Bryn Walsh (left) and Muriel Stroda (right) both won gold medals at the B.C. Athletics Jamboree. With them is coach Verena Stroda. -Image: Contributed

A trio of Kelowna athletes combined for six medals at the BC Athletics 2017 Track and Field Jamboree this month in Coquitlam.

Muriel Stroda, Bryn Walsh and Camren Elkin all made it on to the podium at the provincial meet, July 14 to 16.

In the youth women’s heptathlon (16-17), Stroda, 16, captured the gold medal with 4,134 points, the fifth-best score in Canada.

Muriel got off on the right foot in the heptathlon, winning the hurdles in 15.27 seconds, then tying for top spot in the high jump with a leap of 1.50m. She followed that up with a dominant win in the shotput and a PB of 11.57m.

In between heptathlon events, Stroda also competed in the individual hurdles and captured the silver medal with a PB of 14.95 seconds.

Just a half hour later in the final hep event of the day, Muriel placed fourth in the 200m in 27.06 seconds.

On Day 2, Stroda was third in the long jump and second in the javelin to go into the final event, the 800m, with a 213-point lead over Emily Morley from Golden Ears Athletics.

In the 800, Stroda turned in a personal best run of 2:43.44, enough to win gold by 69 points over Morley.

Muriel’s next competition is the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg Aug. 4-5, where she will represent BC in the heptathlon.

Meawnhile, Bryn Walsh, 17, came home with two gold and one silver medal.

Bryn’s first gold came in the 100 metre sprint in a time of 12.47, while she won silver was in the 200 metres in time of 25.92. Her sprint coach, Verena Stroda, was pleased with Bryn’s performance.

“Bryn has worked hard and improved her times over last year, making her one of the top sprinters in the province with a personal best for the 100 of 12.31 and 25.30 for the 200,” Stroda said.

Bryn also won gold in the pole vault with a jump of 3.0. Her coach in that event is Paul Selzer of Okanagan Athletics Club. Walsh will join the BC team at the Legion Youth Nationals in Brandon, Man., Aug. 9 to 14.

Camden Elkin, 14, won a bronze medal in the midget boys triple jump. His leap of 11.60m was a full metre than last year at provincials when he placed second.

In the 100 hurdles Camden was fifth with a PB of 15.06. He was also seventh in both the discus and long jump.

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Muriel Stroda clinched the gold medal in the heptathlon with a personal best in the 800 metres. -Image: S. Carthcart