Canada has a famous pedigree in the 4x100 relay, especially on the men’s side, culminating at Atlanta in 1996. Not bad for a hockey country. The effects still ripple, right down to the high school level, where nobody has matched the Cowichan Thunderbird girls’ lacerating speed.
Three of the four burners who set the B.C. high school record of 48.27 last year, to eclipse the old standard of 48.49 established by the Johnston Heights Eagles of Surrey in 2007, are back to defend.
Taryn Smiley, now a freshman NCAA sprinter at Missouri State, was the only runner to graduate from Cowichan’s two-time defending Island and B.C. 4x100 team. Chicago Bains, Casey Heyd and Nicole Lindsay are all back.
Considering that a young Reynolds Roadrunners team won the 4x100 bronze behind Cowichan last year at the B.C. championships, there will be speed to spare today and Thursday in the 2016 Island high school track and field championships at Centennial Stadium. Action runs all day both days.
Emily Lindsay, returning runner Nicole Lindsay’s sister and a B.C. team sevens rugby winger, replaces the NCAA-graduated Smiley, as Cowichan looks for the girls’ 4x100 three-peat on both the Island and in B.C. The streak began when Nicole Lindsay, Bains and Heyd were in Grade 10 and Smiley in Grade 11.
“[Sister and relay team newcomer] Emily is pretty quick . . . I have been passing on some track knowledge to her,” said Nicole Lindsay, of the new Thunderbirds configuration.
“I would be thrilled with the Island and B.C. three-peat — it would make my high school career — and it would be so cool to win this last one with my sister.”
There will be a new family challenge in the fall. Nicole Lindsay will run in the NCAA Div. II with the Simon Fraser University Clan. Also in the conference is her brother and Cowichan-grad Liam Lindsay, who runs for the University of Alaska-Anchorage.
Anchor-leg runner Bains, meanwhile, is also the two-time defending champion at both the Island and B.C. championships in the 100-metre hurdles. She is being recruited by NCAA Div. 1 schools, and recently visited Missouri State, where former Cowichan teammate Smiley runs, and North Dakota.
“It’s an exciting and busy time,” said Bains, who expect to make her NCAA decision within a week.
This is still an explosive Thunderbirds mix, even without Smiley, and could challenge the provincial record Cowichan set last year.
“We have three of us back, and have the potential for it,” said Bains.
Nicole Lindsay concurred: “I think it’s possible. It would be crazy if it happens.”
Meanwhile, Oak Bay is after its 25th consecutive Island team championship.
The Bays had won 11 B.C. high school track and field overall team championships in 15 years — they were second the other four times — before slipping to sixth place last season behind the 2015 champion New Westminster Hyacks.
The top-placers in the Island high school meet over the next two days will advance to the 2016 B.C. championships June 2-4 in Langley.
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