Two athletes from Yorkton represented Saskatchewan at the Canadian National Track and Field Championships this summer.
Dami Ogunbiyi, a student at Sacred Heart HIgh School, represented Yorkton in the midget age group. He competed from August 5-7 at St. Thérése, Quebec. He competed in three events, and placed third in two of those.
He placed seventh in the 100m race, third in the 200m race and third in the youth relay 4x100m race.
The youth team is one age bracket above midget. Receiving a bronze medal against athletes up to two years older than him was called a “major achievement,” by Marcel Porte, club manager of the Yorkton Legion Track Club (YLTC).
Preston Liebrecht has been Dami’s coach throughout the summer. He said Dami didn’t know what to expect going into the National meet. But he was happy with the outcome.
“He achieved what he wanted,” Liebrecht said. “He didn’t go in expecting to medal. He ran his best, and that paid off.”
Liebrecht said for the last few months they’ve been working on Dami’s start, which was the weakest point of his sprinting. The hard work was evident at the last meet.
To add to that success, Dami received the Legion Canada Team Saskatchewan Male Athlete award at the athletics banquet once the meet concluded. The banquet included athletes from all across Canada.
Dami said his first nationals experience was incredible.
“It opened my eyes to the other talented athlete that Canada holds,” he said. “It was definitely special to represent my province doing what I love.”
Jaden Porte was the second athlete from Yorkton to represent Saskatchewan at a national championship. He competed at the Canadian National Junior Track and Field Championship in Edmonton from July 7-10.
Porte is a former YLTC member. He’s currently on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies track team.
Porte competed in the junior 800m division with 41 athletes. He placed eleventh overall.
Porte said he took a big step in his track career this season.
“I had the opportunity to watch and compete against national medalists, world championship finalists and even Olympians,” he said.
