U18 women run a heat in the 100m hurdles at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
The 2024 Summer Olympics was proof positive of the Nationals’ fundamental role in the rise of elite Canadian sports men and women—28 Legion Nationals alumni wore Canadian red and white in Paris, including bronze-medalist pole vaulter Alysha Newman of London, Ont., and golden hammer throwers Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers, both B.C. natives.
And judging by three balmy August days of competition at the 2024 Legion Nationals in Calgary, the future looks bright.
Kiana Charest of Ontario was awarded the Leroy Washburn Award as the top Legion athlete at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary after sweeping the 800m, 1200m and 2000m races.[Stephen J. Thorne]
Ontario’s Kiana Charest earned the Leroy Washburn Award as top female Legion athlete after an equally dominating performance on the track, where she won the U18 women’s 800, 1200 and 2000m races.
Mackenzie Hurtubise of B.C.-Yukon took her second straight U18 women’s pole vault title, notching a meet record 3.93m with relative ease.
Alexia Jones and Anieu Chan celebrate Ontario’s gold medal in the U16 girls’ 1600m medley at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
About 72 certified officials watched over events, while over 200 volunteers made for a smooth, virtually flawless event. Wounded Afghanistan veteran and para-athlete Mike Trauner served a second straight year inspiring participants as special ambassador.
Each year, the Nationals marks an event or period in Canadian military history. This year’s games recognized Canada’s 12+ years in Afghanistan.
Competitors clear the water hazard in the U18 men’s 2000m steeplechase at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary.[Stephen J. Thorne]
While hockey and soccer attract the big sponsors, youth athletics take a back seat. Certified by Athletics Canada as the national youth championships in 2010, the Legion Nationals are the RCL’s single biggest investment and the country’s only national U18 and U16 athletics competition.
Paige Zinger of Alberta-NWT won the women’s high jump with a national age group record 1.71m en route to a second-place 4772 points in the U18 women’s heptathalon at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Gabriel Genest of Club d’athlétisme Corsaire-Chaparral in Sainte-Thérèse, Que., won the U18 men’s pole vault, clearing 4.30 metres at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Adrianna Buitelaar of B.C.-Yukon brings it home after making a late move from back in the pack to take the U18 women’s 3000m in 9:43.34 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Sawyer LeBlanc of Newfoundland and Labrador brings it home to win the U18 men’s 3000 metres in 8:40.56 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. He also won the 1500. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Lilly Stroda of B.C.-Yukon amassed 5076 points to win the U18 women’s heptathalon at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary with victories in the 100m hurdles, shot put, 200m and javelin. [Stephen J. Thorne]
A track official checks his notes between races at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Anchor Adele Kushner of Ontario’s Thorold Elite TFC takes the baton from teammate Koko Dennis during the U16 girls’ 1600m medley at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Mackenzie Hurtubise of B.C.-Yukon takes her second straight U18 women’s pole vault title, notching a meet record 3.93m at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
More than 200 volunteers worked the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Jorai Oppong-Nketiah of Ottawa Lions TFC takes the U18 women’s 200 metres in 23.90 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Alexie Beaupre of Manitoba-NWO (7:03.61) and Emma Morrow of Brockville, Ont., Legion Track Club (7:15.33) finished 1-2 in the U18 women’s 2000m steeplechase at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Liam Palmer of Manitoba-NWT opened a gap on the field early and took the U18 men’s 2000m steeplechase in 6:02.66 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Quebec anchor Nathan Malenfant seals the U18 men’s 4x100m silver after taking the pass from teammate Mickael Allaire at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Soren Tico Philipp of Calgary TFC took the shot put, the 110m hurdles and the javelin as he racked up 6502 points to win the U18 men’s decathalon at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary.[Stephen J. Thorne]
Payton Heer of Kamloops TFC won the U18 women’s high jump at 1.64m during the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Quinn Coughlin of Ottawa LIons TFC takes the U18 women’s 400m hurdles in 1:01.34 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Mickael Allaire of Quebec won the U18 men’s 400m in 47.90s at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary.[Stephen J. Thorne]
Ayla Laing of Thorold, Ont. Elite TFC recorded a 17:15.34 to win the U18 women’s race walk at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Finishers in the U18 men’s 3000m recover in the finishing area at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Ella Steele-Douglas of Border City Athletics Club in Windsor, Ont., won the U18 women’s long jump with 5.78m effort at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Prelims in the U18 women’s 100m at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Liam West of Ontario placed second in the U18 men’s pole vault. Clearing 4.20 metres at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Dakari Milks of Border City Athletics Club in Windsor, Ont., takes the U18 men’s 200m in 21.33 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Mikayla Grant of Eclipse Track and Field Running Club in Oshawa, Ont., took gold in the U18 women’s javelin with a 45.74m throw at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Competitors navigate the water jump in the U18 women’s steeplechase at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Olivia Downey of Ontario (4:55.13), Jasmine Lazzari of Alberta-NWT (5:00.18) and Lienke Raath of Kamloops, B.C., TFC (5:11.77) finished 1-2-3 in the U16 girls’ steeplechase at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Action in the U18 women’s 400m finals at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Jurnee Scott of The Speed Academy Track Club in Pickering, Ont., finished third in the U18 women’s 100m hurdles at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Gavyn Small of Ontario won the U18 men’s 100m in 10.57s at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Kaileah Ulmer-Lutudromu of Level 10 Lightning High Performance Track Club in Regina competes in the U18 women’s high jump at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary.[Stephen J. Thorne]
Anchor Farsan Abdi of Alberta-NWT takes the pass from teammate Adam Nyarko in the U18 men’s 4x100m relay at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. Alberta/NWT finished fourth. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Juliette Boucher-Herbas of Quebec took the U16 girls’ 1500m race walk in 8:14.78 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Noah Hill and TJ Woods of Ontario finished 1-2 in the U16 boys’ 1200m, while B.C.-Yukon’s Finn Adamson took third at the Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Heats are underway in the U18 men’s 110m hurdles on Day 1 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Madison Gravelle of Ontario finished eighth in the U18 women’s 400m hurdles at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Heats are underway in the U18 men’s 110m hurdles on Day 1 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Ali Badr of Quebec won the long jump with a 6.42m leap en route to a fourth-place finish in a tightly contested U18 men’s decathlon at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Kayla Divine Kadji Majo of Quebec and Maeva Scipio of Ontario’s Thorold Elite TFC comfort each other after spills in the U16 girls’ 80m hurdles at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Rook Enchook of Ontario won the U16 boys’ 300m at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Rayane Link of Brockville, Ont. Legion TFC is all about track. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Nathalie Toledo of University of Calgary Athletics Club, Lilianna Aiello of Manitoba-NWO and Adrianna Lovshin of Toronto Olympic Club run the U18 women’s 3000m at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary.[Stephen J. Thorne]
Madison Eaton of Thorold, Ont. Elite TFC clears the water hurdle in the U18 women’s 2000m steeplechase at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. She finished 10th. [Stephen J. Thorne]
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