CREMONA – Cremona School Grade 10 student Jonah Olfert Wiens made the most of his recent appearance at the Alberta School Athletics Association (ACAA) provincial track and field championships in Edmonton – winning the triple jump event and setting a new provincial record in the process.
Wiens, 16, who lives southwest of Cremona at Camp Valaqua, set the record with a 13.53 metre jump. He also won gold in long jump.
In an Albertan interview, Wiens explained that his big wins came following a lot of hard training and research.
“I’ve watched a lot of my favourite jumpers on YouTube and Instagram and got tips online and tried to work on my form,” he said.
In triple jump, the competitor runs down a track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit, with the total length travelled during the hop, bound and jump being measured.
Asked if he was surprised to win gold in both events, he said, “For long jump I definitely was. I was an underdog coming in; I was seeded, like, fourth, so I wasn’t expecting too much.
“But for triple jump, I knew I had it in me and I knew I could jump far and I knew I could get there.”
It was Wiens’ first-ever time competing at the provincial championships.
Wiens is 6’2” tall and weighs about 165 pounds.
Cremona School gym coach Tyson Youngs has been very helpful with training and development, he said.
Wiens has been competing in track and field since Grade 8. He also plays basketball and volleyball and competes in cross country.
On academic side, Wiens is a perennial honour roll student and plans to attend post-secondary school.
Wiens’ brother Ben and his twin brother Sam are also active in athletics.
