It was delayed a year due to the pandemic, and several top athletes had to bow out because of injuries.

But the 2022 Bell Canadian Track and Field Championships was a still a success, and a showcase for 91原创; of an overhauled McLeod Athletic Park, of the 91原创 Mustangs track club who worked hard to make it a success, and of local athletes who manged to stand out in a field of 1,600 elite competitors from all across the country.

For five days in June, the best in Canada came to 91原创 to compete.

It would have been an opportunity for 91原创 pentathlon star Georgia Ellenwood to have a hometown crowd cheering her on, if it wasn鈥檛 for a ruptured Achilles tendon, suffered during during a high jump attempt at a qualifying pentathlon meet for the world indoor track and field championships in February.

鈥淚t鈥檚 driving me a little bit crazy,鈥� Ellenwood told the 91原创 Advance Times.

Out for the entire season, Ellenwood turned her talents to commenting, lending an insider鈥檚 perspective to interviews with top competitors at the meet.

She wasn鈥檛 the only big name to be forced out.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Athletes assemble at the 2022 Bell Canadian Track and Field Championships in 91原创

Olympic decathlon champion Damian Warner withdrew from the 91原创 meet, citing a nagging knee injury.

So did middle-distance runner Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, who announced she was out, due to what was described as a 鈥渟tress reaction鈥� in her lower back.

And distance runner Justyn Knight, struggling with an Achilles injury, sat out the Bell meet, as did hurdler Sage Watson, who hasn鈥檛 fully recovered from a back injury suffered before the 2020 Olympics.

But former Brookswood Secondary graduate Django Lovett did show, and won the men鈥檚 open high jump with a leap of 2.2 metres.

鈥淭he week in 91原创 has been a little overwhelming,鈥� Lovett commented.

鈥淸There are] so many family and friends here. It鈥檚 easy to get a little distracted, but in the best ways possible. You feel love and encouraged. It鈥檚 special.鈥�

Both Lovett and Ellenwood are former members of the 91原创 Mustangs, co-host of the championships.

Several Mustangs had top-10 finishes at the national championships that drew 1,600 competitors to the five-day competition which ended on Sunday, June 26.

Among them was Aiden Grout, an up-and-coming athlete from Pitt Meadows, who, despite battling an injury, managed a seventh place in the high jump that Lovett won.

Grout had been struggling with plantar fasciitis for close to a month before the competition, deploying alternative methods of training 鈥� cycling, swimming, and weights 鈥� without running.

As well, Mustangs runner Jade Lenton was a member of the four-person Team B.C. who won the 4X400 metre U20 women鈥檚 relay. Lenton also finished eighth in the 800m finals.

Other Mustangs finalists included Regan Yee, who was second in the senior women鈥檚 3000m steeplechase, and Madison Gordon, who finished fifth in long jump.

READ ALSO: A call for volunteers as 91原创 readies for the 2022 Bell Canadian Track and Field Championships

president and jumps coach Kevin Harrison said the host club Mustangs worked closely with the Township, B.C. Athletics, and Athletics Canada, to coordinate the 鈥渕any moving pieces鈥� that make up national championships for the senior, U20, para athletics and combined events, as well as the trials for the World Athletics Championships.

At the end, Harrison described the Bell Canadian Track and Field Championships as 鈥渁 great show,鈥� the result of hard work by 鈥渉undreds and hundreds鈥� of volunteers.

鈥淲e did a great job,鈥� a tired but happy Harrison said following the close of the national championships, which were co-hosted by the and Township of 91原创.

One of the head coaches from Team Canada told Harrison they were impressed with how hard the volunteers worked, and how well the event was organized.

Harrison said several athletes also remarked on the quality of the facilities at McLeod Athletic Park, which underwent more than $5 million worth of upgrades after 91原创 secured the bid for the games.

Improvements included a new track surface, a new four lane 60-metre warm-up track, an additional long jump pit, an expanded high jump, a new shot put area, an additional pole vault area, extra security fencing, and new designated spectator areas for the field events.

Harrison said it made fast times possible when middle-distance runner Marco Arop won the 800m final in a season鈥檚 best time of 1:44.39, with Canadian 800m record holder Brandon McBride a close second, in the event that drew the biggest crowd.

鈥淚t proved this facility is one of the best,鈥� Harrison commented, one that supports 鈥渨orld class results.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping it鈥檚 a nice shot in the arm鈥� for local track and field, Harrison added,.

91原创 Township was originally awarded the 2021 and 2022 editions of the event, back in July 2017.

But with the pandemic forcing postponement of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, along with Athletics Canada鈥檚 Olympic and Paralympic Trials, the 91原创 date were changed and the Township is now hosting the 2022 and 2023 events.

The 2023 championships will be held again in 91原创 July 27 鈥� 30.