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LDSS track and field

  Ashby's arm no longer dead weight

 

    Beavers qualify 22 athletes for WOSSAA, three who win gold

 

  • Brownrigg hurdles
  • Megan Dunn long jump
  • Quance pole vault
  • Bisschopo javelin
  • Tennant coaching Brownrigg
  • senior women's 4x1 McKnight Beaudry

By Rob J. Ross

Friday, May 12, 2017

LONDON, Ont. - Sarah Ashby is no longer carrying dead weight.

In this case, it has nothing to do with relationships or something emotionally. Ashby is learning more of the technical side of shot put and the Lord Dorchester secondary school athlete benefited at the Thames Valley Region Athletics (TVRA) track and field championships, at TD Waterhouse.

Ashby won junior women's shot put, placed second in discus and seventh in javelin, advancing in all three events to the WOSSAA meet, back here on May 18/19.

A personal best distance of 11.26 metres, the only competitor in the field to throw over 11, gave Ashby the shot put title.

"I started using my leg more and finally figured out my left arms works and it's not just dead weight," said Ashby, with a laugh. "In shot it's not just your one arm. Your left arm, when you pull it around it gives you that extra little oomph."

Reaching the 11 metre mark has been a goal of Ashby's and her first throw of the event was 11.05 metres.

"First throw I got an 11. That's what I've been working towards over the past two years. So that felt really good," Ashby said. "I threw two more that weren't as good and I got upset, but I got another 11 (the 11.26) on my fifth throw."

Adding to her day was finally beating Megan McCurdy of London St. Thomas Aquinas. She placed second with a best throw of 10.98 metres.

"I want to keep being consistent with the 11's," added Ashby.

In discus, a best effort of 28.11 metres placed Ashby behind Strathroy's Joceline Warren's 30.95 metre winning throw.

"I haven't broken my PB from last year, which is 29 (metres), but I really want the 30," said Ashby. "I have to work on my pull (technique during the spin)."

Ashby threw 27.64 metres in javelin.

Emma McKnight and Megan Dunn also won events, among 22 LDSS athletes qualifying for WOSSAA.

McKnight was the fastest in the junior women's 100 metre dash and second best in the 200 metres. McKnight also placed sixth in long jump.

"It felt good," said McKnight. "I've been practising my form and my form was pretty good (in the race). I've been getting better at keeping my arms low."

McKnight is coming off her first season playing junior hockey with the London Devilettes, who no doubt noticed her speed.

 "It was a development year. It's a big step from bantam AA to junior but I felt I fit into the team well."

Dunn broke a 24-year old Tri-County record held by Denise Fillion, from Tillsonburg  Annandale, in the senior women's 100-metre hurdles.

The Lord Dorchester athlete lowered the record time from 14.8 seconds to 14.26.

Dunn also placed third in the 400 metres (1:00.19 sec.) and fifth in long jump (5.13m).

Victoria Quance is aiming at a return to OFSAA, but knows she has work to do.

Quance tied for third spot in junior women's pole vault, clearing 2.40 metres. The co-winners made 2.80 metres.

"This is the third meet in a row I've jumped two 40-ish. I PB'd (2.45 metres) at the first meet of the season but I haven't PBd again," Quance said. "I'm hoping to put everything together at the same time. I'm doing half of it on one jump and the other half on another jump, but not at the same time.

"Coach (Paul White) says I need to get my hips above my shoulders so I can be upside down and get up higher. I can do it in practice when we have a bungee up."

At OFSAA 2016, Quance placed 12th.

"I probably need to jump another 40 centimetres, if I want a chance of making it there. I need to make a big jump. A lot of girls have improved," Quance said. "That's my goal. I made it last year, so I feel it would be a let down if I don't make it again."

Fellow Beaver Nation members qualifying for WOSSAA:

Midget women: Megan Brownrigg, fourth, 100m, 10th, 300m hurdles; Emma Lavoie, seventh, pole vault; 4x100m relay team; Emily Patterson, 8th 300m hurdles; Midget men: Michael McKnight, ninth, long jump; Eric Pettipiece, 10th, 300m hurdles.

Junior women: Katie McDonald, 2nd, triple jump, fifth, 80-m hurdles, eighth, long jump; Kristen Bisschop, seventh, discus; Sierra Scott, 9th, 800m, 10th, 400m; Junior men: Aidan Rand, fifth, pole vault; Sean Reed, 10th, 400m; Colson Erb, 4th, 800m; seventh, 1500m; Quinn Wenger, eighth, discus; Carter Schiffer, 10th, shot put.

Senior women: Megan Beaudry, second, 400m; seventh, 100m, 7th, 200m; Katie Beaudry, second, high jump, 7th, 300m hurdles; Karle Nancekivell, eighth, pole vault; 4x100-metre relay team (Dunn, Beaudry, Beaudry, McKnight), second; Bethany Hiemstra, 9th, 800m, 4x4, 6th; Senior men: Zachary Earhart, fourth, 400m, 7th, 800m; 4x4 relay team, sixth.

Mary Tennant, daughter of LDSS coach James Tennant, placed second in both the midget women's 400 and 800 metre races, running for London CCH.