NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Tristan Friesen of Medicine Hat High winds up his discuss throw in the senior boys discuss event Saturday morning during the Provincial finals held at the Medicine Hat Rotary track.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
It was a strong showing of Medicine Hat athletes on the provincial podium this weekend.
The rain held off Saturday as two local high schools, Medicine Hat High and Eagle Butte, were in the top three of the team titles at the track and field provincial championships, held in the Hat Friday and Saturday.
Eagle Butte finished third in the 3A team championship standings and Hat High won the 4A team championship. Schools receive points based on medals won by their athletes, which are added up at the end of provincials to crown a team champion.
Hat High’s win Saturday marks the school’s fourth consecutive trophy, with their being no provincial track competitions running in 2020 and 2021.
Tristen Friesen contributed two golds in javelin and shot put and a silver medal in discus to Hat High’s point total. Friesen spoke to the News Saturday before Hat High had won the team championship but said he was happy to help.
“It feels great to contribute a lot to the win,” Friesen said.
He said it was nice to get back to provincials in his senior year and to see the track busy again.
“The energy was just a lot better and usually the track is empty and doesn’t have many people, so it’s just nice to see the track full and everyone warming up, it’s just a good experience,” Friesen said.
Medicine Hat hosted both the two-day provincial championships at Rotary Track beside Crescent Heights High School, and the South Zone finals May 26, with the top two placing athletes earning a spot at provincials.
Friesen was close to capturing gold in the discus event but could not overcome Adam Jorgensen from Olds High’s distance of 40.10 metres.
He said he didn’t have the speed he wanted to in discus and he had a hard time staying in the throwing circle, picking up two fouls.
He was able to best his bother Riley in the shot put and discus competitions, who took home a silver and a bronze in his two respective events. He said with a laugh that it’s nice to beat his brother one last time.
“We’ve been competing against each other since Grade 9, it’s a rivalry,” Friesen said.
Riley Friesen said it had been tough the last few seasons not performing to the level he wants and going through COVID. He said the two medals he won mean a lot.
“It means a lot to me because in Grade 10, 11 we never got to compete,” Friesen said. “It just felt so good to get at least two medals in provincials.”
Aaron Kruger led the Hat High Hawks in medals with three bronzes and two silvers. Sarah Pimblett was the leader of the Eagle Butte Talons medal charts, with a bronze and a gold.
Medicine Hat provincials results
Intermediate
Women’s pole vault: Mieke Siegert, Hat High, silver
Men’s 100 metre hurdles: Shunsuke Yamagata, Hat High, silver
Men’s pole vault: Tesema Veurink, Hat High, silver
Men’s javelin: Tesema Veurink, Hat High, silver
Senior
Women’s long jump: Sarah Pimblett, Eagle Butte, bronze
Women’s high jump: Sarah Pimblett, Eagle Butte, gold
Men’s 200 metre dash: Aaron Kruger, Hat High, bronze
Men’s 400 metre dash: Aaron Kruger, Hat High, silver
Men’s 100 metre hurdles: Aaron Kruger, Hat High, bronze
Men’s shotput: Tristan Friesen, Hat High, gold
Riley Friesen, Hat High, bronze
Men’s javelin: Tristan Friesen, Hat High, gold
Men’s discus: Tristan Friesen, Hat High, silver
Riley Friesen, Hat High, bronze
Open
Men’s 4×400 metre relay: Eagle Butte, gold
Women’s 100 Meter Dash Open Intellectual: Japleen Rekhi, Hat High, gold
Women’s 200 Meter Dash Open Intellectual: Japleen Rekhi, Hat High, gold
Men’s 100 Meter Dash Open Intellectual: Keegan Kolody, Hat High, silver
Men’s 200 Meter Dash Open Intellectual: Keegan Kolody, Hat High, silver
Men’s 300 Meter Hurdles: Aaron Kruger, Hat High, Silver
Men’s 100 Meter Dash Outdoor Pentathlon: Stefano Sala, Hat High, bronze
Men’s High Jump Outdoor Pentathlon: Stefano Sala, Hat High, bronze
Men’s Long Jump Athlete Unified Heptathlon: Emmitt Janes/Chris, Medicine Hat, silver
Men Long Jump Partner Unified Heptathlon: McKenzie Giesbrech, Medicine Hat, bronze
Men 400 Meter Dash Partner Unified Heptathlon: McKenzie Giesbrech, Medicine Hat, bronze
