Much of Camryn Rogers’ summer so far has been living out of a suitcase and the Richmond teen doesn’t mind one bit.
The recently turned 17-year-old was back home from Edmonton long enough to re-pack her bags before heading off to Poland Wednesday to begin preparations for the IAAF World U20 Track and Field Championships. Rogers secured her spot on the Canadian team after a strong showing in the Alberta capital last weekend at the Canadian Track and Field Championships — winning the junior women’s hammer throw and shot put events.
It was two months earlier when the Kajaks member achieved the Junior World standard for the hammer in her own backyard — at the Richard Collier Throws Fest at Minoru Park — with a personal best toss of 59.73 metres.
What makes the accomplishment even more impressive is she will be one of the youngest members of the Canadian and is eligible to compete again at the next Junior Worlds in Finland in 2018.
Her spot on the Canadian team wasn’t made official until the selection committee saw her compete in Edmonton as well.
“It was basically a check-up just to make sure I was capable (of achieving that distance again),” explained Rogers. “It is so exciting and something I have been thinking about since last summer.
“I can’t say enough about my coach (Kajaks head coach Garrett Collier) and the support he has given me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.”
Rogers’ wasn’t in top form for the hammer event at Nationals but still comfortably won gold with a best throw of 56.72 metres. The surprise proved to be her breakthrough in shot put.
With all her focus on making sure she was up to the Canadian team distances in the hammer event, Rogers delivered a personal best in the shot put with a toss of 13.77 — nearly 20 centimetres better than her previous best mark set in Bellingham back in May.
“I had no clue that was coming,” she laughed. “I had been dropping weight in training and really focusing on my speed and technique so it was a big surprise.”
The Grade 12 McMath Secondary student says her goal in Bydgoszcz is to qualify for the hammer throw finals. That will take a top 12 finish in preliminaries to advance and likely breaking the 62 metre barrier which we be a personal best by a significant margin.
Hammer throw qualification is scheduled for July 21. The finals would take place two days later.
“You have to set your goals high,” added Rogers who smashed the provincial high school record in the hammer throw last month by four metres. “I’m hoping that environment and level of competition is going to really push me.”
Her summer competition schedule will conclude at next month’s Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Set There/Blainville, Quebec. The 17 and under meet will see Rogers actually competing in her own age group and likely dominate.
