By Dan Marshall

Nanaimo’s Elwood Wylie Memorial Meet takes over the Rotary Bowl this weekend

May 26, 2017 | 1:05 PM

NANAIMO — The Elwood Wylie Memorial Meet will bring 300-500 track and field athletes to the Rotary Bowl this weekend.

It’s the only major meet in Nanaimo this year for kids as young as nine right up to university age. 

Nanaimo Track and Field Club President Tyler Heisterman says this meet has a history of at least 40 years and he has a personal history with the man it’s named after.

“Elwood Wylie was the president of the club when I ran in the club back in the 80’s. This will be the only meet that we’re hosting this year. We’ve had a lot of BC and highschool championships the last few years so this is kind of a recovery year for our club,” Heisterman said.

This weekend’s meet is the last event before the BC High School Track and Field Championship in Langley next week, and it’s also a chance for athletes to see where they stand ahead to the massive BC Jamboree in July.

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There are are a number of Nanaimo athletes expected to perform well according to Heisterman.

“We’ve got Hassey Fashina-Bombata. She’s favoured to do very well at BC High Schools (next weekend) and she’ll be in some of the sprint races over the weekend,” said Heisterman. “She’s a Grade 12 student at Wellington. We’ve got Marina Anderson, she’s doing race walk and she’s favoured to do quite well. “Jessica Katzberg is a very strong thrower and her brother Ethan is as well.”    

Nanaimo is typically one of the strongest clubs on Vancouver Island so expectations are high in a number of different events.

While the Elwood Wylie is the only major track and field event this year the Rotary Bowl will be much busier in the future.

The Track and Field Club is working on a user contract with the City in anticipation of Nanaimo taking over the Rotary Bowl from the school district this summer.

Heisterman says with the long jump runway being twinned, the hammer cages built to AAF standard, and the track in great shape, they are ready to host some bigger meets.

“We’ve put in a bid to host the midget and youth national championships some time in the next four to six years. We’re working on that with some of our branch legions and with Athletics Canada.” said Heisterman.  

For complete information on the Elwood Wylie Memorial Meet go to nanaimotrackandfield.com.

dan.marshall@jpbg.ca

On twitter: @danmarshall77