With a single leap, Armstrong’s Trinity Hansma bounded to the top of the U20 women’s high jump rankings in Canada.
A freshman for the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver, Hansma, 18, a graduate of Pleasant Valley Secondary School, jumped an outdoor career best of 1.72 metres (5.6 feet) to finish second at the UBC Open track meet in Vancouver Saturday.
Hansma, who leaped a career-best 1.74m at an indoor event earlier this year, is now the No. 1 ranked women’s U20 high jumper in Canada.
The annual UBC Open at the Rashpal Dillon Oval in Point Grey brought together hundreds of athletes from dozens of universities, colleges and athletic clubs from across the Pacific Northwest.
Trinity Hansma over 1.72 and an auto qualifier to Nationals! #GoBirdsGo pic.twitter.com/4sWMyZj2zo
— UBC Track & Field (@ubctrack) March 30, 2019
“Trinity was second overall but she was the top collegian, and she’s easily the best under 20 jumper in the country,” said UBC coach Laurier Primeau.
The event was won by Marlies van Haaren of the Netherlands, who jumped 1.77 metres. Hansma failed on three attempts at that height.
Emma Kimoto of Kajaks Track and Field from Richmond was third, also clearing 1.72m. Colleen Ogilvie of the Vancouver Thunderbirds club was fourth at 1.67m.
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Maddie Taylor of Bellingham’s Western Washington University was fifth, and the second collegian behind Hansma, clearing 1.62m.
“Obviously I’m thrilled with how Trinity is progressing,” said Primeau. “Her jump Saturday was a great jump.”
Hansma, who worked with Primeau on a provincial team prior to her joining the coach and the T-Birds’ program, was one of many UBC athletes who qualified for the NAIA men’s and women’s national track and field championships May 23-27 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
“In my four years here I have to think this is likely the best opening day we’ve had in terms of qualifying people to Alabama,” said Primeau. “It’s a really good start, but it is just a start, and now it’s time for us to think forward to the meet at Western Washington and beyond.”
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Hansma will compete Friday at a meet in Bellingham, hosted by WWU, will write final exams, take a week off, then travel to Los Angeles for a pair of meets.
“It’s really good for us to have some international competition with Western Washington coming up along with Northwest University (Seattle), Trinity Western, Simon Fraser and Thompson Rivers,” said Primeau. “Fill in the lanes and entries with some phenomenal post-collegians and it’s a pretty solid March opener for British Columbia for sure.”
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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