It might seem utterly bizarre to describe someone winning a pair of gold medals at the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association track and field provincials as anticlimactic, but in this situation, that’s pretty much the case.
Cornerstone’s Aliyah Block didn’t just finish first in her events at the event in Regina on Friday and Saturday, she left the field in the dust on her way to claiming gold in both the senior girls discus and shot put.
It was a fitting end to a season that featured nothing but winning -- as in, first place each and every event, each and every time -- right from the first competition of the season in early May.
Block picked up her first gold on Friday in spectacular fashion, getting off a throw of 38.15 metres in the discus to win the event by nearly eight metres over silver medalist Marissa Skavlebo from Shellbrook.
Things didn’t change much 24 hours later, as Block again torched the field in the shot put, this time winning by a full metre over Denae King from Weyburn with an 11.37-metre effort.
All told, the two medals gave Block four gold for her high school career after winning the same events at the 2019 provincials in Moose Jaw.
It was a solid weekend in general for local athletes, as Moose Jaw competitors won 12 medals and had double that in top five finishes through the weekend.
Central’s Katie Rogers won two silver in the Intermediate girls long distance races, finishing second in the 1,500 metres in a time of 5:04.83 and following up with an 11:22.37 to take second in the 3,000 metres.
Cyclones teammate Akuol Riak won double bronze in the Senior girls middle distances, first running 1:00.50 to land third in the 400 metres and crossing the line in 2:20.05 for third in the 800 metres.
It was a great weekend in general for Central, who would go on to win the 4A school team title just ahead of Peacock.
Provincial cross-country champion Jadyn Palaschuk won silver in senior girls 3,000 metres with a time of 10:55.11 and Javin Boynton crossed the line in second place to land silver in the Junior boys 100 metres in 11.50 seconds.
Jacob King rounded out Central’s medal haul with a bronze in the 400 metres in 52.47 seconds.
Peacock’s Arianna Wakeford came as close as can be to a gold medal in the Senior girls triple jump when her 11.18-metre effort finished only five centimetres behind Regina Riffel gold medalist Kaidyn Keith.
Kylie Howe also picked up silver for the Tornadoes, with her 10.08 metre effort landing second place in the Junior girls triple jump.
Riverview’s Jake Gyman capped off a stellar season with a bronze medal in the Senior boys hurdles, crossing the line in a time of 14.37 seconds.
