Andrews ready for the world(s)

Star shot-putter Kaitlyn Andrews of Georgetown has earned a trip to the World Junior Track & Field Championships early next month in China, although she joined the ranks of the last-minute club to get there. Andrews, who turned 18 yesterday (Tuesday), was expected to win her second consecutive national shot put title easily-- which she did-- with a toss nearly two metres farther than the runner-up. But the challenge at Sherbrooke, Que. for the recent Acton High School grad didn't come from another competitor; Andrews had to beat the international standard of 14.40 metres in order to qualify for the worlds, to be held Aug. 15-20 in Beijing. Her personal best in the shot put is 14.59 metres, set back in April at the Penn Relays, but Andrews had just a June 1-July 23 window set by Athletics Canada in which to meet the qualifying standard in official competition. She hadn't been able to surpass the standard heading into the nationals and her chances didn't look good after three fouls and successful throws of 13.65m and 13.85m. But Andrews came through with a toss measuring 14.44m on her final attempt to qualify and will leave Aug. 8 with 29 other Canadians to attend the world championships. "My goal is to achieve a new personal best, and to attempt to make the top 12 (at the worlds)," she said. "Competition at the world level is so high and the top competitors are so good that I have to be realistic in viewing my chances. I'm going to Beijing to gain experience and to compete against the best junior athletes in the world." Andrews will get little time to recover from her overseas jaunt as she begins classes at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas in late August.

Acton's Kaitlyn Andrews (centre) receives her gold medal for winning the girls' shot put at the Canadian Track & Field Championships in Sherbrooke, Que. Joining the two-time national junior champ on the podium are silver medalist Dominique Thibault of the Ottawa Lions and third-place finisher Julie Labonte of Quebec.