Posted: July 9, 2005

Athletics: World junior champion Mike Mason wins high jumps at Canadian junior track and field championships

MONTREAL- World junior champion Mike Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C., won the gold medal Friday in the men’s high jump to open the Canadian junior track and field championships at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.

Mason, 18, cleared 2.10 metres well off his best heights this season but was still satisfied with his showing. The competition is the trials for the Pan American Junior championships at the end of the month in Windsor, Ont.

“I just came here to qualify,” said Mason, whose season’s best height is 2.20. “The best part of my jumping today was the take-offs but generally I was all over the place.”

Mike Woods of Ottawa earned the gold medal in the men’s 5,000-metre, his first competition at the distance this season, clocking 14 minutes and 15.86 seconds. Jake Gallagher of Halifax was second in 14:44.21 and Jeremy Fisico of Windsor third in 14:46.94.

“I wasn’t too sure how I would fare tonight,” said Woods, who broke the Canadian junior record in the 3,000 a couple of weeks ago. “But luckily for me the pace was pretty slow at the start and in the last 400 metres I felt I had a lot of energy left and went for it.”

In the women’s 100-metre hurdles, Genevieve Thibault of Quebec City was the winner in a personal best 13.71 seconds as she begins a quest for triple gold this weekend. Nikkita Holder of Oshawa, Ont., was second in 14.30 and Heather Bergland of Edmonton third in 14.42.

“I had a great start and my first few hurdles went extremely well,” said Thibault, 17, whose previous best was 13.81 set last month. “Unfortunately I started to lose speed at the end mainly because I made big movements with my arms. There are definitely some technical aspects I need to shore up.”

Danette Doetzel of Saskatoon won the women’s 3,000 and Jamie Ryder of London, Ont., was first in the men’s 110 hurdles.

Competition continues Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Afternoon finals start at 2:30 p.m. and evening finals get underway at 6:30 p.m.

Friday’s results at the Canadian junior track and field championships in Montreal:

MEN

110 hurdles: 1. Jamie Ryder, London, Ont., 14.59 ; 2. Chris Theriau, Halifax, 14.96 ; 3. Rayn Tremblay, London, Ont., 15.06.
5,000 : 1. Mike Woods, Ottawa, 14:15.86 ; 2. Jake Gallagher, Halifax, 14:44.21; 3. Jeremy Fisico, Windsor, Ont., 14:46.94.

WOMEN

100 hurdles : 1.Genevieve Thibault, Quebec City, 14.14 ; 2. Nikkita Holder, Oshawa, Ont., 14.38; 3. Heather Bergland, Edmonton, 14.42.
3,000: 1. Danette Doetzel, Saskatoon, 9:30.68; 2. Mandy McBean, Toronto, 9:31.26; 3. Alyson Kohlmeier, Sarnia, Ont., 9:31.73.