Track North Athletic Club's Ross Proudfoot, 18 (Lively, ON) broke the
longstanding Canadian Junior Record for 2,000 metres at the Speed River
Inferno Track Meet this past weekend in Guelph, ON.
Competing in a field that included 2008 Olympian, Taylor Milne and 2009
World Championship competitor Reid Coolsaet, Proudfoot ran to a finishing
time of 5 minutes, 16.06 seconds. This bettered the previous national
junior record of 5:19.9 set by Rob Lonergan in the 1970's. Milne won the
race in a time of 5 minutes, 1.57 seconds, breaking the national senior
record in the process. Coolsaet finished second in 5:15.39, with Proudfoot
claiming the bronze.
The 2000m race is rarely contested in North America but the organizers of
the Inferno meet put the event on the schedule in hopes of attracting a
quality field of Canadian and American middle distance runners to chase down
their national records.
"Reid and I worked well together to keep our splits even over the first four
laps and then we both had something left in the tank on that last lap to
push hard for home. I'm incredibly happy to have broken such a longstanding
record" commented Proudfoot following the race.
"Ross has had an amazing week" commented Proudfoot's Track North coach,
Darren Jermyn. "In a span of seven days, he's set new personal bests in the
1500m and 800m and claimed a national junior record. Not a bad way to kick
off the season!"
Emma Tallman, 20 (Mindemoya, ON) won a silver medal in the Women's 800m
event setting a new personal best time of 2 minutes, 12.83 seconds.
Other Track North Results from the Speed River Inferno include:
Joe Burke - Men's 800m - 14th - 1:59.78
Eric Leishman - Men's 1500m - 18th - 4:14.94
Meet Results, Race Video and Post Race Interview:
http://www.runnerspace.com/401series
