2009 in Review

Junior Development and Youth

Track & Field 
2009 was another spectacular year for VOC athletes!  Our JDs and Youth won 174 medals including 45 gold.  Leading this year’s medal charge were Stephanie Cho (33 medals); Megan Picken (29 medals); Sophia Pauls and Thomas Nobbs (15 medals); Heather LePard (13 medals); and Jessica Hanson (12 medals). 

VOC athletes competed in twelve track and field meets this year including the Jack Brow in Kelowna, the JD Provincial Championships in South Surrey, the Youth Provincial Championships in Abbotsford, and the National Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, Quebec.    

Three medals at Canadian Youth Championships!   Katherine Tourigny and Devan Wiebe qualified for Team BC this summer and competed at the Canadian National Championships in Sherbrooke, Quebec.  The girls won three medals for BC:  Devan a gold medal in the 4x400m relay, Katherine a silver medal in 300mH and a gold medal in 4x100m relay.

Eight BC Athletics JD Awards!  Vancouver Olympic Club was once again a top club at the BC Athletics Awards ceremony.  Megan Picken received three awards:  60mH, Triple Jump, and Pentathlon.  Stephanie Cho and Sophia Pauls received two awards each:  Stephanie for 200mH and Triple Jump, Sophia for High Jump and Pentathlon.  Jessica Hanson received her award for High Jump. Honourable mention goes to Paolo Mallari and Brandon Siu who achieved a BC Athletics Award standard but did not compete in the requisite sanctioned meets.   

Twelve Championship Titles!   Here are our VOC champions: 
Cassie Cannon - 3000m; Stephanie Cho - 200mH; Jessica Hanson - HJ; Paolo Mallari - 100m and 200m; Brandon Siu - LJ;  Roderick Moy - Triple Jump; Devan Wiebe - 400m Provincials, 4x100m Nationals;  
Katherine Tourigny - 80 mH and 300mH Provincials, 4x100m Nationals.

Twenty-one VOC athletes received B.C. Athletics Achievement Crests for their 2009 track and field accomplishments.  Gold crests go to Cassie Cannon, Stephanie Cho, Jessica Hanson, Heather LePard, Megan Picken, Sophia Pauls, Anastasse Eliopoulos,  Benjamin Gebaur, Roderick Moy, and Thomas Nobbs.  Silver level crests go to Brooke Cannon, Samantha Cho, Lillian Fu, Lauren Lam, Kirsten Miller, Calista Valente, Brandon Dang, and Will MacKay.  Bronze crests were earned by Madeleine Pringle, Giordy Belfiore, and Max Hnatiuk. 

Cross Country
Our athletes competed in the five cross country races this fall that comprised the B.C. Championship Cross Country Series.  An athlete’s top three races are used for scoring.  Again, VOC shone!  Winning the series silver for their age categories are Jessica Hanson and Thomas Nobbs.  Two other VOC athletes with impressive series results were Noah Proust (4th) and Samantha Cho (5th).

Congratulations to all our young VOC athletes who competed this year.

The Vancouver Olympic Club JD and Youth athletes are coached by Besnik and Tatjana Mece.   Congratulations coaches!

Junior and Senior

2009 was a fairly quiet but nonetheless reasonably successful year for our contingent of senior athletes.  Standing out were our  newly acquired athletes from UBC: Joel Halcro and Andrew Nathan.

Joel Halcro ran a 47.93 on the way to the NAIA collegiate semi final and he went on to represent VOC  at Canadian Nationals where he made it to the finals.  Andrew represented BC at the National Junior Championships and the Canada Summer Games both in the 100m and the 4x100 relay. He scored a PB in the 100 10.76. Earlier in the season he had run another PB (21.97) in the 200. For his efforts he was awarded provincial carding by BC Athletics.

Zaria Stoffman,  despite being hampered by by an unfortunate injury, valiantly represented VOC at the Canadian National Championships, and BC at the Canada Summer Games. She has had to spend most of this season re-habbing, but looks forward to a more successful 2010.

Other athletes proudly  representing us with modest success throughout the season were long-standing members Janessa Chin Aleong and Adam Street.

Congratulations to all.

The Vancouver Olympic Club Junior and Senior athletes are coached by Richard Hillson.