McKnight
Midget gold medals
lead Beaver Nation
Dorchester captures both men and women's 1A team titles at TVRA track and field
PCI junior men win overall division leading men's team to second in AA
Friday May 17, 2018
By Rob J. Ross
LONDON, ON - They may come from one of the smaller schools in terms of student population, but the Lord Dorchester Beavers continue to have big results in track and field.
Led by double gold medalists, Owen Pink and Nolan Smith, this year Beaver Nation produced 20 top six results, at the two day Thames Valley Regional Athletics (TVRA) track and field championships, concluding today, at TD Stadium.
The Beavers have 23 athletes in individual events, plus four relay teams, heading to the Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association (WOSSAA) meet, back here at TD Stadium, May 23/24.
The top 10 in each event at TVRA advance to WOSSAA.
Dorchester took home both the men's and women's 1A team titles. The midget men placed second behind London CCH overall.
The Parkside Stampeders' men were second for AA schools, while the juniors captured the overall division title.
PCI throwers qualify with PB's
Thanks to coaches James Tennant and Jen Ashby, Dorchester has developed a solid reputation throughout TVRA and WOSSAA, even the province. Last year, five athletes represented the Beavers at OFSAA.
"Jen and I really try and get the kids out for X-C and track. We both feel fitness should be part of a person's life and think kids should challenge themselves," Tennant said. "So over time we have gotten some results and built a reputation that track and X-C at LDSS is worth trying. Since we have built this tradition and the successful kids do well by training, new kids just see what older kids do and the motivated ones copy it."
The coaches hope their enthusiasm and dedication spreads to the athletes as they progress through their high school years.
"Hopefully the ones who do it, get into it, have fun and get better with our coaching. Then come out the next year to continue their fun and improvement," adds Tennant. "Jen and I are both proud of the kids who do it through high school and even more proud of the ones who graduate and compete in college or university and come back and visit at practice or meets."
Gradates such as Maddie Wilson-Walker, Brooke Hoxar, Megan and Kate Beaudry, Patrick Dean, Dana Earhart, Megan Dunn, Greg Wieczorek, continued their track and field careers post LDSS.
WOSSAA qualifiers: CENTRAL ELGIN , EAST ELGIN , PARKSIDE , ST. JOE'S , WEST ELGIN and GLENCOE .
Dorchester WOSSAA qualifiers:
Nolan Smith, first, midget men's long jump (5.68m), first, triple jump (11.82m), seventh, 200m (25.38 sec.); Owen Pink, first, midget men's 1500m (4:30.72), first, 3000m (10:01.03); Connor Erb, second, midget men's 3000m (10:07.99), third, 1500m (4:37.57); Emma McKnight, second, senior women's 100m (13.07 sec.), fifth, 200m (26.99 sec.); Ben Langstaff, second, midget men's long jump (5.63m), fifth, triple jump (10.72m); Leaha Johnston, fourth, midget women's shot put (9.24m), fifth, javelin (24.72m); Aidan Currah, third, midget men's pole vault (2.45m); Dilpreet Sandhu, third, midget men's 800m (2:17.16); Alyssa Ebert, fourth, 300m hurdles (54.6 sec.), ninth, junior women's 400m (1:07.55); Abby Downing, third, midget women's pole vault (2.20m) 10th, 300m hurdles (58.44 sec.); Jaime Worsfold, fourth, midget women's long jump (4.69m), sixth, midget women's 200m (28.59 sec); Sarah Smith, fifth, midget women's 400m (1:04.00), fifth, 800m (2:36.17); Emma Lavoie, fifth, junior women's pole vault (2.05m); Aidan Rand, fifth, senior men's pole vault (2.75m); Ashley Macmillan, fifth, midget women's pole vault (1.90m); Emily Patterson, seventh, junior women's 300m hurdles (56.66 sec.); Colson Erb, sixth, senior men's 800m (2:00.4). eighth, 1500 (4:11.6); Thomas Hertner, eighth, senior men's shot put (11.82m), eighth, discus (33.24m); Megan Brownrigg, eighth, junior women's 100m (14.26 sec.), ninth, 80m hurdles (15.34 sec.); Karle Nancekivell, eighth, senior women's pole vault (2.20m); Bethany Hiemstra, ninth, senior women's 400m (1:07.24), 10th, 800 (2:41.75); Serena Beaudry, 10th, midget women's discus (18.88m); Eric Pettipiece, 10th, junior men's high jump (1.50m); Midget men's 4x1 relay team (Smith, Sandhu, Langstaff, Aidan Good), fifth (49.98 sec.); Midget women's 4x1 relay team (Worsfold, Olivia Simonis, Michaela Farrugia, Sarah Smith), sixth (55.16 sec.); Senior men's 4x1 relay team (Sean Reed, Brodie Lahosky, Jacob Brownrigg, Shane Taylor), eighth (47.95 sec.); Senior women's 4x1 relay team (McKnight, Brownrigg, Ebert, Patterson), ninth (54.04 sec.); Open women's 4x4relay team (Hiemstra, Nancekivell, Sarah Smith, Jessica Chanyi), 10th (4:41.8)
PARKSIDE
Powered by their junior men taking their division title, the Parkside Stampeders men placed second overall for AA schools, behind London Aquinas, qualifying 15 athletes and two relay teams for WOSSAA.
Sparenberg
The Stampeders were led by triple gold medalist Michael Roth, winner of the junior men's 200 and 400 metres and 300-metre hurdles and the throwers who produced five gold medals.
WOSSAA qualifiers:
Roth, first, junior men's 200m (22.74 sec.), first, 400m (51.84 sec.), first, 300m hurdles (41.14 sec.); AJ Stanat, first, midget men's shot put (13.48m), first, discus (44.33m); Jack Carlson, first, midget men's 200m (23.81 sec.), second, 400m (54.76 sec.), fifth, 100 (12.58 sec); Anij Sparenberg, first, discus (33.20m), third, junior women's shot put (10.80m), fifth, javelin (27.21m); Jared Parkin, first, junior men's shot put (13.94m), third, discus (46.66m); Zachary Copeland, first, junior men's discus (48.17m), fourth, javelin (43.45m); Brody Fodor, third, junior men's shot put (12.45m); Kenzie Smyth, fourth, junior women's 80m hurdles (13.57 sec.), fifth, high jump (1.40m); Samantha Brown, sixth, junior women's 400m (1:07.08), 10th, 200m (29.00 sec.); Cassidy Kent, seventh, 200m (27.22 sec), ninth, senior women's 100m (13.16 sec.); Zoe Tremblay, seventh, senior women's long jump (4.63m); Joseph Gillespie, seventh, senior men's discus (34.03m); Madeleine Krahn, eighth, 1500m (5:46.69), ninth, junior women's 800m (2:44.32); Jackson Molyneux, eighth, junior men's high jump (1.55m); Kendra Como, 10th, midget women's 400m (1:07.24); Junior men's 4x1 relay team (Roth, Carlson, Copeland, Kyle Fraser), second (45.92 sec.); open men's 4x400-metre relay team (Roth, Carlson, Neil Bennett, Braiden Ferguson), third.
CENTRAL ELGIN
Led by a trio who each placed top five in three events, the Central Elgin Titans will have nine athletes and one relay team, at WOSSAA.
Both Hannah Onyema and Tayah De Sousa placed top five in each of their events, helping the Titans' midget women's team placed second, behind London Bessette.
Bell
Onyema won midget women's shot put (10.93m), early on day one, before taking gold in discus, (27.18m) and placing third, in javelin (27.37m).
"My (shot put) throws went pretty good. I was hoping for 11, but I got close. They felt good," said Omyema. "It was bit hard getting my elbow around and chin up, but that's about it."
De Sousa finished first in the midget women's 80m hurdles (12.89), second, in long jump (5.00m) and fifth, in the 100 metres (13.58 sec.)
Tanner Smyth finished fourth, in the senior men's 110-metre hurdles (14.76 sec.) and fifth, in both the 400 metre hurdles (58.59 sec.) and high jump (1.78m).
Also qualifying for WOSSAA:
Hayden Bell, second, senior men's high jump (1.90m), third, pole vault (3.35m); Sydney Gee, fourth, midget women's javelin (25.43m); Seth Kuiper, fifth, senior men's shot put (12.58m), fifth, discus (34.95m); Danika Pearce, sixth, junior women's triple jump (8.95m); Michael Onyema, seventh, junior men's shot put (12.18m); Allison Vandyk, ninth, senior women's shot put (8.22m), 10th, discus (26.33m); Midget women's 4x1, ninth (57.08).
EAST ELGIN
Hallee Knelsen led the East Elgin Eagles, who have 12 athletes and a relay team heading to WOSSAA, winning the midget women's 800 and 1500 metre races and finishing fifth in the 3000 metres.
"It was really good for me. They weren't my best times. I had to take two weeks off because I strained my growth plate. I wasn't expecting to go that fast," said Knelsen, who raced at OFSAA cross country last November. "My coaches have been working on running smart, because I was going out too fast sometimes. (For the 800 and 1500), I stayed behind the front runners and took them at the end."
The 3000 may have been too much for Knelsen, who due to her injury had limited training heading into TVRA. She was competing for the lead until mid race, slipping to fifth. Entering last lap, Knelsen made a valiant effort challenging three runners ahead of her. London Central's Jalen Marcil broke away from everyone for the win.
Abell
"My body wasn't use to it. I haven't run three races in 24 hours before," said Knelsen. "I think it was a lot on my body and my ankle started acting up. It's really sore. I wasn't feeling the greatest so I was just going out to qualify."
WOSSAA qualifiers:
Knelsen, first, 800m (2:24.23); first, 1500m (5:05.52), fifth, 3000m (11:44.01); Nathaniel Abell, first, open men's steeplechase (6:16.92), fourth, 3000m (9:32.09); Gwen Martens, second, junior women's 100 (13.53 sec.), seventh, 200m (29.46); Amy Ropchan, fourth, senior women's 3000m (11:57.59), sixth, 800m (2:33.05), sixth, 1500 (5:25.81); Adam Dekraker, fourth, junior men's long jump (5.98m), seventh, triple jump (11.05m); Hannah Wiebe, fourth, senior women's shot put (9.28m), ninth, discus (26.56m); Evan Degeer, sixth, senior men's high jump (1.70m), sixth, long jump (5.88m); Danny Wiebe, sixth, junior men's high jump (1.60m); Nicklaus Cowx, sixth, midget men's 100n hurdles (20.79 sec.); Caitlyn Evely, seventh, senior women's 100m hurdles (17.88 sec.), eighth, 400m hurdles (1:14.19); Kolbie Wall, eighth, midget men's 1500 (4:56.18), ninth, 3000m (11:35.43); Kayla Froese, 10th, senior women's 400m hurdles (1:17.76); Junior women's 4x1 relay team, fifth (55.55 sec.).
ST. JOE'S
Aitken-Guignard
Senior hurdler Liam Clark heads a team of nine athletes from St. Joseph's high school to WOSSAA.
WOSSAA qualifiers:
Clark, second, senior men's 400-metre hurdles (55.91 sec.), third, in the 110-metre hurdles (14.63 sec.); Jordan Palmer, third, senior men's 400 (51.73 sec.), seventh, 800m (2:02.73); Savana Cronk, fourth, senior women's high jump (1.45m); Nathan Mezenberg, fifth, junior men's triple jump (11.11m); Arielle Aitken Guignard, sixth, midget women's 1500m (5:37.43); seventh, 3000m (12:35.24); Luke Djankovic, sixth, senior men's high jump (1.70m), 10th, triple jump (10.55m); Kyleigh Stubbs, seventh, senior women's 1500m (5:38.38); Jack Stubbs, eighth, midget men's 400 (58.15); Carter Walt, ninth, midget men's shot put (9.97m), ninth, discus (20.66m).
WEST ELGIN
Drew McIntyre, fifth, midget men's high jump (1.60m); Lydia Jocius, eighth, junior women's 300-metre hurdles (57.4 sec.).
GLENCOE
William Bryant, second, junior men's high jump (1.69m); Megan Hathaway, third, junior women's long jump (4.64m); Braxton Haggith, fifth, midget men's javelin (34.88m), 10th, shot put (9.96m); Sam Sharpe, fifth, junior men's long jump (5.81m), seventh, high jump (1.55m)
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2017 OFSAA West regional championships day one
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