Oak Bay is the best in B.C. as far as boys track is concerned. The team topped provincials while the overall Oak Bay High track team took second, one slim point behind New Westminster. The girls’ side and the junior boys team both finished third in B.C.
“We’ve had a few injuries this year, our best runner is out so we didn’t know what our expectations would be going in,” said coach Mark Sheffer. “We thought we’d be in the neighbourhood but we weren’t sure.”
The team of full-time track and field athletes, those who participate in school track only and those melding with multiple other sports proved a winning combination.
This despite multiple athletes heading back and forth between senior girls soccer provincials, and the track championships in Langley.
“We had eight girls co-ordinating to go back and forth. Some of our best athletes were trying to do that,” Sheffer said.
Grade 10 student Caroline Crossley, for example played four soccer games and ran two 100 metre relays and three 400 metre races over the weekend.
A total of 17 Oak Bay High athletes cracked the top eight standings. Among them are Mick Taylor 400-metre champion, Lucas Petruzelli silver medalist in men’s pole vault and Danika Postle, second in triple jump.
The men’s 4x400 relay was second in the province while the junior boys relay topped the podium with 4x100 gold.
“We tend to do quite well in the relays. We have some success there,” Sheffer said. “It’s a pretty high standard. We’ve won 10 championships in the last 14 years, and come second the other years.”