After medaling against some of the best track athletes in the province, two Red Deer runners got another surprise Thursday.
Both Jared Howse and Jeremiah Lauzon collected medals at the CALTAF Calgary Track Classic with the Red Deer Titans Tack and Field Club last weekend, now they will represent Team Alberta in Winnipeg next month.
The two teens were named to the Team Alberta roster for the Western Canadian Tri-Prov Championship and will compete from July 14-16.
Lauzon, who just finished grade 10 at Lindsay Thurber will race in the 200 metre, where he finished second at CALTAF, a result that he said was unexpected.
“My prelims were pretty slow, so I wasn’t feeling super confident for the finals because everything up until then hadn’t been too good. My (personal best) wasn’t very good either,” he said. “(In the final) the start wasn’t the best, other than that I felt it was a good race.”
His time in the 200m was 21.98 seconds, with the top time in Tri-Prov in his age group last year being 22.70.
Howse won three medals at CALTAF in the men’s midget 14-15 age group, including the steeplechase, an event that he hasn’t really run that much.
“I’ve done it twice before but never really worked on it, two days before we decided to try it out and I just got the form down,” he said. “I felt like (the race) went really well, I didn’t trip up. I stutter stepped a few of them. it went really smooth.”
By trade Howse is a long-distance runner, his favourite season of the year is in the fall when he runs cross-country, but he’s making noise on the track now too.
His 1500m steeplechase time (4:35.68) in Calgary was one of the fastest in his age group across Canada this year. In Winnipeg he might have to run a 2000m steeplechase, which he’s fine with.
“I can do either one,” he said.
Last year the top time at Tri-Prov in his age group for steeplechase was 4:34.46.
Howse was also second in the midget 2000m in Calgary, which automatically qualified him for Winnipeg. He said racing there will be equal parts nerve-racking and exciting.
“I’m really excited about it, it’s going to be good,” he said. “I think it will be good meeting new people and the challenge will be good.”
He was also third in the 1200m in Calgary.
Lauzon was introduced to track in middle school and his first attraction was the high jump. He was named the most improved male athlete for the Lindsay Thurber Raiders track team this season.
In his first year with the Titans, he’s being drawn to the sprint game, focusing more on the 100 and 200m races.
”I enjoy it, I’m decent at it,” he said modestly.
He’s also a bit stressed about the idea of going to Winnipeg, but excited too.
“It’s kind of stressful and I’ve never gone before,” Lauzon added.