  | ||
|
LAST UPDATED ON Friday October 31 2003 |
|
News |
||
New Facilities Add to Hammer TraditionMay 26 2000
In Kelowna BC they're ecstatic. After years of controversy, a damaged school, and a lack of proper hammer throwing facilities, the throws athletes in the Kelowna area are happy to have a new cage and throwing facility that will be the envy of many. The facilities add to an already strong BC tradition in the hammer event and are a welcome addition to the Kelowna facilities "The circle is great and we can now boast that we have 100m of clear throwing distance and hope that this will up our entries at the Jack Brow Meet" said Keith Ankerman of the Kelowna Track and Field Club. Controversy and damaged property were a mainstay of the hammer event every year at the meet. The left sector line intersected with a retaining wall and just beyond the retaining wall was a school that became a target for many a thrower. In his high school senior year Canadian Junior record holder Dylan Armstrong was not allowed to throw at a regional qualifying meet after having hit the school earlier in the year. In previous years Ian Maplethorpe, 1999 Canadian National Champion, also has done his fair share of damage to the area. "It's really been too bad in the past because the meet is very good and offers an opportunity to throw in the beginning of July every year" noted Maplethorpe. "This will definitely add to an already excellent quality meet".
The "Brow" has become one of the premiere meets in BC and in Canada and has gone from mainly a development meet to having large numbers of high caliber athletes in many events. In 1994 they were host to large numbers of international athletes preparing for the Commonwealth Games in Victoria and set the stage for the international flavour that the meet has had. The new facilities now mean that International level hammer throwers will now be able to compete there and will likely add to the already strong tradition that BC has in hammer. "The Kelowna and Kamloops area has been a hotbed for hammer throwers in the last couple of years" says Larry Steinke, a National Throws Development Chairman "This should strengthen that tradition". BC is presently the only province that holds the event in conjunction with its High School Championships and It's therefore little surprise to many that they have provided the majority of the Canadian record holders in the event. This has been true for both men and women. 
Alberta has joined the ranks as a continual source of hammer thrower development and pressure is mounting for the event to be added to the Alberta High School Championships. "We are really trying to get things moving here in Alberta and we now have a number of quality hammer throwers from midget to senior" says Steinke. "Right now there are about 30 hammer throwers in all age groups in the province and 22 of them are from here in Lethbridge so I hope that momentum will start in other parts of the province." Steinke, who also serves as head coach for the Chinook Track Club and the University of Lethbridge says that in the last 6 years things have come a long way from the two or three male hammer throwers that were in the province. "We hope to rival BC in numbers soon and the quality is definitley getting there so the competitive oportunity for developing throwers at the Jack Brow is essential to that". The new facilities at the Apple Bowl where the meet is held will only make the meet even stronger. Jack Brow is presently the largest hammer throw development meet in the country. No other meet is held that has the same number of hammer throwers that compete there year after year across all age groups. Dylan Armstrong, Canadian Junior Record holder, was a product of the the meet and the area and Michael Ankerman of Kamloops, who is ranked number one in Canada for juveniles, is also from Kelowna. Adam Smith who placed second at the BC juvenile championships is a product of Kelowna as well. The 2000 edition of the meet will likely be the best one yet. If you are interested in the Jack Brow Meet in Kelowna which take place June 30th and July 1st and 2nd then check out the web site at http://www.ktfc.org/msg9.htm
Check out the Jumpstart Athletics Canadian National Throws Rankings for complete rankings in the throws. If you have news, results or info please let us know by using our submission form or emailing Larry Steinke [ MEET INFORMATION ] [ ANALYSIS & TIPS ] [ THROWS ARTICLES ] [ INTERVIEWS ] [ RECORDS ] [ RESULTS ] [ CLASSIFIEDS ] [ HOT LINK ARCHIVE ] [ DISCUSSION FORUM ] [ SUBMISSIONS ] [ THROWERS QUIZ ] [ GUESTBOOK ] | ||