NACI well represented at Western Canada Challenge

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Published on Monday, August 6, 2018

Five local athletes compete for Team Manitoba

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa Banner & Press

Neepawa definitely put its best foot forward recently at the 2018 Western Canada Track and Field Challenge. The event, held in Sherwood Park, AB from July 27-29, featured the best high school age track athletes from across the prairies. For Team Manitoba, there were five individuals with a connection to Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute (NACI) selected for the team. Those athletes included Lara Denbow in the Midget Women's category and Tanner Mann, Taine Middleton, Ben Perret and Daxx Turner in the Youth Men’s category.

A solid start for day one

It was an exciting first day for the midget and youth teams at the WCC on Friday, July 27, as both squads came out soaring with a combined total of 14 medals. Daxx Turner was among those early medal winners, picking up a bronze in the javelin event, with a throw of 43.95 metres. 

In the 4x400 metre relay, Tanner Mann and Ben Perrett teamed with fellow Manitobans, Garen Nault and Trey Friesen. Their combined effort earned them a silver medal, with a race time of 3:27.57. Taine Middleton would collect another medal for Manitoba in the relay, this time with the 4x100m squad. That team finished third overall in the race and was able to set a new provincial record in the process, with a time of 43.09 seconds.

More medals on day two 

There was a pair of individual honours for NACI runners to start the day. Lara Denbow started things off with a gold medal in the high jump with a jump of 1.66 metres.  Daxx Turner also reached the podium with a third-place result in the triple jump. His jump of 13.48m was also a new personal best. In total, Manitoba was able to bring home an additional 30 medals, to go along with their 14 from day one. 

Congratulations to all the athletes who represented the province at the Western Canada Challenge.