Jordan Jacobs, Sports Writer
Walnut Grove Secondary was very successful at the Upper Fraser Valley Track and Field Championships this past week. The competition was held at Rotary Stadium in Abbotsford on May 4th and 5th, and athletes were given almost perfect weather conditions.
This track meet was crucial for any gators who wanted to continue on to the Fraser Valley Championships and then hopefully, the Provincial Championships held in Nanaimo. The top twelve athletes in each grade (per event) advanced, with some events having more than forty athletes! Almost every event now has a Walnut Grove representative for Fraser Valleys with some events having more than ten, when combining age and grade.
One of the most well known things about Walnut Grove track is its relays, and they did not disappoint: sweeping four first places, three second places, and overall qualified fourteen teams. Multiple athletes had personal bests and a number of school records could be found broken on the ground. On the other hand, a handful of gator athletes fell injured (in some cases literally) and their track and field journey ended abruptly.
On a happy note, the grade eights captured the championship title and brought home a trophy, while the juniors and seniors placed second overall.
However, the Fraser Valley Championships are coming up on May 16th, 17th, and 19th where the stakes are much higher as only eight athletes out of multiple districts will have the chance to compete at Provincials. So, while most of the track events at Upper Frasers were during the day, the Fraser Valleys has most of its events scheduled after school. Therefore bring some friends, a blanket, and some gator spirit and come cheer on and support your gator track team!
