© copyright – 2022 – Athletics Illustrated

The University of Victoria Vikes hosted an invitational track meet at Centennial Stadium on Saturday. It was a rust buster for many. Travel to Washington State where an indoor meet was taking place at the University of Washington’s 307m indoor track wasn’t in the cards due to the pandemic.

The meet got started with a pair of 3000m races. Tokyo Olympian, Natalia Hawthorn (1500m), took in the men’s 3000m instead of the women’s. If she was to set a record it wouldn’t count but the race was really about getting race legs ready for the season.

Natalia Hawthorn in the chase pack in the men’s 3000m. Photo credit: Christopher Kelsall/Athletics Illustrated

She finished eighth and in the time of 9:02.66. The race was won by UNBC’s Cole Dinsdale who clocked an 8:21.30 personal best time. Daniel Damian finished second while Gabe Van Hezewijk took third in the time of 8:27.24 and 8:32.29, respectively. The latter two are Vikes.

Hawthorn’s coach Chris Johnson made the trip over to watch his athlete. Another athlete of his, John Gay, was in New York at the Millrose Games 3000m. 

Johnson said, “he should run around 7:45,” and added, “9:00 to 9:05 for Hawthorn.”

Moments later, Gay texted him, “7:45.” 

For Hawthorn, her unofficial personal best is from 2019 at the University of Washington which she ran in 9:06.01.

The 27-year-old’s next race will indeed be in Washington, but over in Spokane. It will be an indoor 5K at the Lilac Grand Prix at The Podium, which is a new facility for Spokane.

“We are really pleased with the turnout today, said Vikes coach and race director Hilary Stellingwerff. “We had Olympians and pros, collegiates and high school athletes all in one meet.”

The consensus from athletes was that it was great to be able to compete again. 

“I came in hoping to run 9:05 today,” said Hawthorn. “To wake the legs up for 5K in a couple of weeks, and I did just that. It was great to have a group of men from UVic to work with, I think we both helped each other out today.  A big thank you to Hilary for organizing the meet and being so adaptable for everybody.”


“Several of our Vikes athletes ran pbs, which is a good confidence booster for them leading into the rest of indoors. Overall, it was just refreshing to have real races despite all that’s happening in our world. We’re grateful for that,” added Stellingwerff.

The women’s lead pack in the Vike’s 3000m women’s race. Photo credit: Christopher Kelsall/Athletics Illustrated

Kate Current from London’s Western University took the opportunity to run out of the snow. Four-thousand kilometres west, she took advantage and won in the time of 9:32.52.

Mikayla Tinkham with Miles2Marathon (M2M) took second in the time of 9:43.72. Julia Howley finished third in 9:47.03.

Second-year Vike David Waller, originally from Halifax took the 1000m race with a personal best of 2:30.56.

Asked about his tactics, he said, “sit on the pacer for 800m, then see what I have.”

In reference to carrying a piano on his back, laughing, he said, “I don’t think I was moving too fast over the final 200m.” 

David Waller edges Michael Barner. Photo credit: Christopher Kelsall/Athletics Illustrated

But he ran fast enough to win while Michael Barber was hot on his heels taking second in the time of 2:30.99. The third spot was taken by Matthew Thibodeau in 2:31.36.

Masters athlete Aaron Holmgren who coaches at the Peninsula Track and Field Club mixed it up with the kids clocking a 2:38.86 for seventh. 

Interviews to follow, see David Waller post-race interview, here>>

Full results

Event 1 Mixed 3k
Final
Place Name Affiliation Time

1 Dinsdale, Cole UNBC 8:21.30
2 Damian, Daniel UVIC 8:27.24
3 Van Hezewijk, Gabe UVIC 8:32.29
4 Gravel, Christian TBIR 8:34.66
5 Goerzen, Chet UVIC 8:49.96
6 Stanley, Liam PIHR 8:59.46
7 Ganz, Marcus UVIC 9:02.35
8 Hawthorn, Natalia TBIR 9:02.66
9 Webster, Jacob UVIC 9:05.38
10 Screen, Jack UNBC 9:07.96
11 Richard, Francois UVIC 9:09.08
12 Konkin, Jaxon Unattached 9:12.76
13 Yuzdepski, Mathias UVIC 9:19.45
— Thibodeau, Matthew UVIC DNF
— Vail, Brandon UVIC DNF
— Kuipers, Anton UVIC DNF

Event 2 Women’s 3k
Final
Place Name Affiliation Time

1 Current, Kate LWTF 9:32.52
2 Tinkham, Mikayla M2M 9:43.73
3 Howley, Julia TBIR 9:47.09
4 Ayers, Katelyn UVIC 9:47.25
5 Hewitt, Chloe LWTF 9:56.22
6 Lee, Kirsten M2M 10:00.80
7 Lacis, Nicole TBIR 10:07.56
8 Broadbent, Ruby VICS 10:12.17
9 Clement, Sidney WVAN 10:15.32
10 Erickson, Jennifer 10:24.93
11 Henry, Heidi UNBC 10:25.72
12 Cockburn, Samara EDMH 10:53.71
13 Watkins, Rachael WVAN 11:09.32
14 Harker, Jamie UNBC 11:24.65
15 Dommann, Alita WVAN 11:35.88
— Chan, Delaney UVIC DNF

Event 3 Men’s 3k
Final
Place Name Affiliation Time

1 Dommann, Marten WVAN 9:39.12
2 Jivraj, Keyaan WVAN 9:39.15
3 Nozick, Ethan PIHR 9:44.00
4 Mlotshwa, Lungelo Charlie PIHR 9:48.72
5 Robertson, Lucas WVAN 9:56.50
6 Martinez, Jorge WVAN 9:59.36
7 Kanuka, Charlie WVAN 10:01.93
8 Dhillon, Aman WVAN 10:04.11
9 Zhang, Tianyi WVAN 10:08.36
10 Dhaliwal, Rohin WVAN 10:34.82
11 Gladstone, Hunter WVAN 11:09.86

Event 4 Women’s 600
Final
Place Name Affiliation Time

1 Zrinyi, Ilona UVIC 1:38.89
2 Cholakis, Ernest WOAC 1:38.97
3 Palma, Lucia UVIC 1:41.89

Event 5 Men’s 500
Final
Place Name Affiliation Time

1 Normandeau, Thomas VCE 1:06.81
2 Sarai, Sajjan UVIC 1:07.91
3 McLeish, Tion VICS 1:08.21
4 Scherban, Jason UVIC 1:10.42
5 Johnson, David VCE 1:10.69

Event 6 Women’s 1k
Final
Place Name Affiliation Time

1 Dow, Alexa PIHR 2:56.16
2 Owens, Erin UVIC 3:01.70
3 Chan, Delaney UVIC 3:04.00
4 Pittman, Makenna UVIC 3:07.42
5 Ryden, Kallalei UVIC 3:08.72
6 Traub, Anabelle UVIC 3:11.73
7 Vizina, Emma PIHR 3:12.65
8 Scott Bouris, Naeva PIHR 3:18.12
9 Eames, Mady PIHR 3:25.94
— Lee, Kirsten M2M DNF
— Cote, Laurence VCE DNF

Event 7 Men’s 1k (A)
Final
Place Name Affiliation Time

1 Waller, David UVIC 2:30.56
2 Barber, Michael PIHR 2:30.99
3 Thibodeau, Matthew UVIC 2:31.26
4 Kuipers, Anton UVIC 2:35.69
5 Vail, Brandon UVIC 2:37.96
6 Grant, Eli UVIC 2:38.10
7 Holmgren, Aaron PTFC 2:38.86
8 Hopkins, Matt UVIC 2:40.65
9 Putz, Jake NTFC 2:49.25
— Seshadri, Benjamin UVIC DNF

Event 8 Men’s 1k (B)
Final
Place Name Affiliation Time

1 Van Hezewijk, Gabe UVIC 2:40.28
2 Richard, Francois UVIC 2:42.10
3 Goerzen, Chet UVIC 2:44.56
4 Batallas, Miguel PIHR 2:47.28
5 Cameron, Julian PIHR 2:48.03
6 Krusekopf, Nikolas UNBC 2:48.38

3000m men – Millrose Games, NY, NY

PlaceNameCountryResult
1Geordie BeamishNZL7:39.50 NR
2Cooper TeareUSA7:39.61 PB
3Cole HockerUSA7:39.83 PB
4Luis GrijalvaGHA7:41.21 NR
5Conner MantzUSA7:41.43 PB
6Drew HunterUSA7:42.63 PB
7Morgan BeadlescombUSA7:43.22 PB
8Sam ParsonsGER7:44.99 PB
9John GayCAN7:45.34 PB
10Mason FerlicCAN7:47.39 PB
11Wesley KiptooKEN7:55.53
12Charles HicksGBR7:59.02 PB
13James WestGBR7:59.96
 Jeremy HernandezUSADNF