Manitoba high school track-and-field provincials are coming up this weekend in Brandon, and Hapnot Collegiate will be well represented.
A total of 28 athletes will head to provincials to represent Hapnot, with several taking part in at least two different disciplines. The events will take place at the Brandon Community Sportsplex from June 8-10, with students from all Manitoba high schools eligible regardless of enrolment.
In preliminary seeding, one Hapnot athlete is ranked as a top-10 seed in their events. That athlete is Kenny McDonald, who hit the podium twice during provincials last year - gold in the boys’ junior varsity (JV) high jump and a silver in the outdoor pentathlon. Moving up to senior varsity events this year, McDonald will take part in both events again. He enters provincials seeded seventh out of 34 athletes in the senior varsity high jump and as the sixth seed of 32 entrants in the outdoor pentathlon.
Several athletes are taking part in at least two different events. On the senior side, Shanti Church is taking part in three separate individual disciplines - the varsity girls’ long jump, high jump and triple jump events. Gianna Watt will take part in both the varsity girls’ four-kilogram shotput and the one-kilogram discus, while Livi Playford, Piper Sapergia-Green and Mackenzie Schwartz will all hit the track twice in individual varsity girls’ events - Playford in the 100-metre and 200-metre races, Sapergia-Green in the 1500-metre and 3000-metre races and Schwartz in the 200-metre and 800-metre events.
On the JV side, Teslynn Beauchamp, Ariana Bellisle, Mackenzie McLean, Mila Playford, Bailey Schwartz and Blake Shirran will each take part in multiple individual events on the girls’ side. Beauchamp and Schwartz will be in three events each.
Beauchamp will take part in the girls’ 100-metre and 200-metre races as well as the long jump, while Schwartz will be in the girls’ 600-gram javelin, one-kilogram discuss and the 3000-metre race.
Bellisle will represent Hapnot in the 800-metre and 80-metre hurdles, while McLean will be in both the 100-metre and high jump, Playford will be in the 800-metre and 1500-metre races and Shirran will take part in the high jump and 400-metre race.
One junior varsity boy will be in multiple individual events - that athlete is Walter Stenbeck, who will take on the 1500-metre race and the outdoor pentathlon.
Varsity one-sport athletes on the girls’ side include Morgan Burwash (in the one-kilogram discus), Olivia Fernandes (in the 600-gram javelin), Hanna Lytwyn (in the high jump) and Jenna Thompson (in the long jump). On the senior boys’ side, one-sport individual athletes include Paxton Moore (in the 1.5-kilogram discus), Kenneth Morris (in the 100-metre race), Nole Pearson (in the 3,000-metre race) and Evan Reid and Bobby Smith (both in the 700-gram javelin).
For junior varsity, Cassidy Alexander (one-kilogram discus), Taylor Burwash (400-metre race) and Hailey Sapergia-Green (four-kilogram shotput) will take part in one individual girls’ event each, with Ashton Church (long jump), Umer Lone (outdoor pentathlon) and Scott Lytwyn (100-metre race) doing the same for the boys.
Hapnot will also field six groups in team events, three of which will be in the junior varsity girls’ events - the Kweens will take part in the junior girls’ distance medley, the 4x100-metre relay and the 4x400-metre relay. Each other division will have one team each - the varsity Kings and Kweens will each field distance medley teams, while the JV boys will have a team in the 4x100 relay.
