A trio of Victoria teens hit the podium at the 2018 Canadian Track Championships held April 13 to 15 at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ont.

Claremont secondary student earned six junior titles. The 16-year-old Pickrell, of Cordova Bay, won gold while setting a Canadian record in the junior menB次元官网网址檚 team sprint with Tyler Davies and Ethan Ogrodniczuk, and won gold in the individual sprint, the keirin, the elimination race, the B次元官网网址榢iloB次元官网网址� (one-kilometre) time trial, the junior menB次元官网网址檚 madison (with Ogrodniczuk) and silver in the junior menB次元官网网址檚 pursuit final.

ItB次元官网网址檚 PickrellB次元官网网址檚 first year competing as a U19 junior. He was well decorated .

B次元官网网址淚 came into the weekend expecting to do well, and I think I achieved what I came to do,B次元官网网址� Pickrell said. B次元官网网址淚 was moving up a category [to junior], so I thought the competition would be as hard as it was. IB次元官网网址檓 super excited about the Canadian record [in the Team Sprint]. My teammates and I have been working hard all winter for it, nailing the exchanges, and it all came together.B次元官网网址�

Local Victoria cyclist and Oak Bay High student was also impressive with several podiums of her own, a dominant debut at the junior womenB次元官网网址檚 level.

Van Dam won gold in the junior womenB次元官网网址檚 sprint, gold in the 2km pursuit, gold in the keirin, gold in the 7.5km scratch race, silver in the points race and bronze in the junior womenB次元官网网址檚 team pursuit.

Van Dam partnered with Casey Garrison of Reynolds secondary to win gold in the junior madison, silver in the team sprint and the two won bronze in the team pursuit with Elizabeth Gin and Bronwen Campbell.

With these results, both van Dam and Pickrell have hit the required standards to compete at the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships.

CONGRATS to our Sprint Champions on Day 2 (l-r) Madison Dempster (U17), Sarah Van Dam (Jr), Andrew Scott (U17), Riley Pickrell (Jr)

B次元官网网址� Canada's Cycling Mag (@pedalmagazine)

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 pretty unreal,B次元官网网址� van Dam said. B次元官网网址淚 came into this competition thinking that there were so many good riders here, so I was just taking it race by race. I just worked on good positioning for every race and it turned out well. I knew I came here near the top, but I didnB次元官网网址檛 know I was going to be at the very top; thereB次元官网网址檚 so many strong riders here.B次元官网网址�

Saanich swimmers on top at Western Swimming championships

The same weekend, April 13 to 15, Saanich Commonwealth Place hosted the 2018 Speedo Western Nationals swimming competition with plenty of locals hitting the podium.

SaanichB次元官网网址檚 Molly Gowans, 18, a in the 400m and 1,500m womenB次元官网网址檚 freestyle, was back in the mix over the weekend with two medals. Gowans was first in the 16-and-over 100m freestyle and first in the 200m freestyle. Gowans was also second in the 800m free.

B次元官网网址楤次元官网网址橧 havenB次元官网网址檛 gone that fast in a long time,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Gowans. B次元官网网址楤次元官网网址橧 just went in to have a good race and I wasnB次元官网网址檛 really expecting that time. I was happy when I saw it.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

National champion Danielle Hanus of Victoria was first in the 100m backstroke and second in the womenB次元官网网址檚 100m free and Eric Hedlin of the UVic Vikes took gold in the 1500m freestyle.

VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Josh Zakala won three gold medals with victories in the 200m IM, the 800m freestyle, and 400m individual medley.

Among other locals winning were Sophie Lorette, first in the 1500m freestyle, Keir Ogilvie, first in the 200m butterfly and Michael Schmidt first in the 200m breaststroke.

B次元官网网址楤次元官网网址橧tB次元官网网址檚 great to put down strong races in that event two weeks in a row,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Zakala. B次元官网网址楤次元官网网址橧 was especially pleased with my backstroke split tonight which had been a bit flat lately in that race.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Island Swimming finished third in the team standings.

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