PB time sends Knelsen to Jr. Worlds

 

   Time in the women's 800 qualifies the 18-year old for the international meet,

   one of five PB performances by local track and field athletes this weekend

 

 

 

February 27, 2022

By Rob. J. Ross

Hallee Knelsen is a good position for her first international track meet.

Knelsen, of Malahide, set a PB of two minutes and 6.74 seconds (2:06.74), placing fourth, in the women's 800-metre run, at the Boston University Last Chance Qualifier indoor track and field meet Sunday, in Boston.

The time qualifies Knelsen for the 2022 World Athletics (Junior Worlds) U20 outdoor championships, in Cali, Columbia, August 1-6, meeting the standard of 2:07.2. Her time will have to remain one of the top two fastest among U20 females, until July, to be invited on to the Canadian team.

"Very happy with it," Knelsen said, following the race.

Last summer, Knelsen nearly qualified in the 800. This year, the 18-year old needed just one race to attain the standard.

The time also automatically qualifies Knelsen for the 600-metre run for U Sports, the National indoor championships for Canadian universities. Following conversion, Knelsen's time of 1:29.69, for the 600, is the third fastest in Canada. This is allowed because the 800 metres is not an U Sports distance.

The freshman at Western University, also ran the opening leg for Western's 4x400-metre relay team, at Boston, in 58.25 seconds. Western finished fifth, in three minutes 52.74 seconds (3:52.74).

Canadian Olympian Lindsey Butterworth won the 800 in 2:01.45, while fellow Canadian, 25-year old Addy Townsend, was second in 2:02.35.

Knelsen was one of five local track and field athletes, who had personal best (PB) performances at indoor meets this weekend.

For a third consecutive week, A.J. Stanat, of St. Thomas set PB distances in both the men's weight throw and shot put, Friday, at York University's meet in Toronto.

"It feels amazing to consistently throw personal best during consecutive meet. I'd say that both strength and technique serve as contributing factors for the increase in distances, but I'd say that technique plays more of a larger role," Stanat said. "My coaches were able to isolate the issues within my form and give me solutions to fix them, which I'm definitely grateful for. I'm also happy to see that the changes translated to the competition level."

Stanat had a toss of 13.88 metres in shot, to place seventh at the meet and giving the 18-year old freshman with the University of Windsor Lancers, the 12th best distance on the U Sports top 12 for this season.

Stanat improved his weight throw to 13.87 metres, good enough for sixth place.

Brady Fodor, from Shedden, set a PB in weight throw of 10.95 metres, throwing for Western, placing 10th, in the men's event, at the York meet.

Fodor landed a toss of 13.20m, in shot put, just short of his PB of 13.38m, to place 11th.

Madie Wilson-Walker, a para-athlete from Avon, leaped 4.34 metres, a PB for the Western Mustangs' athlete, to win the women's ambulatory long jump and place 17th overall, at the York meet

"It feels great," said Wilson-Walker.

Tristan Coles, of St. Thomas and a Grade 12 student at St. Joe's, was 27th overall, in the men's 3000 metres, finishing in 8:25.94, at Boston University meet.

"Race was super fun. Just ran competitively instead of focusing on time and a 10 second PB came from it," Coles said. "I think there's more in the tank for sure, but a really good start. The time was a good benchmark for future, really shooting for the world u20 standard come outdoors."

 

 

        rob@hometownplay.ca

 

 

 

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