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18 -The Canadien Champon, Frldav. Aucust 1il 200 vLoca1 teen athiete sets the bar *high By STEVE LOBLANO The Champion A lisha Lasswell is aiways aiming À% high - and bas a constant £ Lremninder to prove it. Drapped acrosa hier Kilbride bedroomn walls is red tape, which now measures exactly 1.82 metres off the floor. That'a what the 18-year-old higb jumper will have to clear in order to qualify for the world junior track and field champioinabips - sbould a meet be held next year. Until then, she'l look to taise the bar at this week- end'a senior nationala in Victoria, B.C. Tbe Lester B. Pearson Secondary School student - wbo' Il likely be the youngest competitor out Weat - gained entry to the Canadian Championahipa witb a 1 .73m qualifying effort three weeks ago at a dual meet in Montreal. Tbere sbe establisbed personal recorda during back- to-back jumps - tbe first and leaser of whicb, oddly enough, came as more of a surprise to tbe budding atar. Stunned by effort 1I was shocked to jump 1.70," said Lasswell, whoae . 73m performance gave bier fourtb place at the International Junior Match Meet July 18. Two days earlier within ber own national junior loop, she took the bronze medal with a leap of 1 .65m. "But for some reason it wasn't as much of a surprise to bit 1.73. I juat felt I badl il inside me. "There was a really big crowd in Montreal and it was juat great to have ail those spectators cheering me on." 'Me ilbride higb jumper, ranked eighth nationally at the senior level, can expect another swell of fans and much atiffer competition this weekend in Victoria. In fact, that tbought bas been la little bit intimidating over the past several days. Admitted Lasswell, "I'm actually kind of scared. Tbere'll be women there jumping 1.80 to 1.90 and bere l'Il be trying for 1.75. 'They're way older and better (than me). But that's alright, being in that group will probably make me jump bigher." The rural athlete bas been doing exactly tbroughout ber teens - but says she really began thriving two yeara ago under the tutelage of York University's Gary Lubin. The Lightning Track and Field club coach spotted the lanky bigh jumper as a Toronto-area meet and quickly recognized ber potential. Coach's help pays off His guidance over ber career was equally immedi- ste. Noticinig she waa witbout proper footwear, Lubin brougbt out a pair of high jumping sboea for bier to wear - and Lasswell went on to win the meet. The past couple of years bave offered more of the samne, with the local competitor continually beneflting from the seasoned instructor's advice. "Ail the fundamentala of higb jumping I learned from Gary (Lubin)," stressed Lasswell, wbo's follow- ing in the high-jumping footateps of older aister Eileen and bas recently gotten younger brothers Larry and Mattbew into tbe sport. "Befote I was juat trying to get over the bar, but now tbere's actually strategy involved." Since their chance encounter, abe'a increased bier individual bencbmark aeveral times for an overaîl improvement of 23 centimetrea That constant climb bas resulted in atraigbt ailver- medal performances as the high achool provincial championabipa - wbere in 1999 she jumped 1.66m as a junior and eclipsed that by .02 metres in the senior girla division tbis past spring. "Next year it'll be gold," Kilbride's accomplished bigh jumper predicted in equally amuaing and confi- dent fashion. "Tbere'a no way I'm coming in second again." As with most topfligbt teen athletes, abe bas lofty long-terni goals as well - including the ultimate pur- suit, qualifying for tbe 2008 Olympica. "I've been gaining about 10 centimetres eacb year, but the bigber you go the more mentally and physical. ly challenging it gets," explained Laaswell, when asked about the poasibility of competing at tbe 2004 Summer Games. "Moist higb jumpers reach their peak between 26 and 30. "l'Il only be 22 in 2004 and probably won't be quite ready by then." -IBig e vent at Hendervale Hendervale bas already played hoat to the nation's finest show jumpers, and will do likewise in a return engagement on Sunday. That'a when the local equestrian facility, which recently houaed the fourth Olympic selection triais qualifier, holda ita $50,000 World Cup Qualifier - third in the aeries for thoae aiming to go to next spring'a international showcaae in Goteborg, Sweden. While Milton'a Ainaley Vince - wbo currently sits aecond in the point standings - probably won't be attending, tbe competition will include moat of the top ridera in the country. The Auguat 13 World Cup Qualifier is set to start at 2 p.m. and highligbts Hendervale'a week-long Halton Valley Summer Classic, whicb features 125 clasa competi- tiona and more than 600 partici- pants. The nearby facility is open to the public today through Sunday from 10 s.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admiasion for the main event is $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children under 10. Parkcing is free. Eatabliabed in 1996, Hendervale is located just south of downtown Milton at Tremaine and Burnamtborpe roads. Photoa by GRAHAM PAINE Klibrlde's Alîsha Lasswell holds her hlgh Jumping spîkes almoat as hlgh as th. red tape around ber bedroom wall - whlch measures exsctly 1 .82m off the ground. That's the qualifylng standard for the worid junior track and field champlonships, one of her many Iofty goals. reMake a fresh start for the millennium! «.when you leathrough the studi, you can ise.e /loating in the air, F-Pn sitive *WORKSHOPS INI ,hs ofubrn dreamsunralied hopt.sundiscoerae t _ý4impa [Pt oA GRowrH A journey Toward Strength for Women -caryîsirs, Rsalisd issm,î,ei Beyad Ssgarand Spice I - twy .1 àts -man of wfinddàeuIty tndy -ýw --dh-guest? Jain Jane Kelland-Geemain for a six week waelsshop designed especially for women. 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