Athletes enjoy Games experience

   Francis winning girls' pentathlon leads local contingent in Athletics

Saturday August 3, 2018

LONDON, ON. -  The Ontario Summer Games is giving a unique experience for several local track and field athletes.

From the opening ceremonies of the four day event on August 2, to athletes being housed on campus, at Western University, the Games are creating new memories for those athletes, competing in Athletics, at TD Stadium.

"It's amazing. It has been so much fun," said Allie Humphries, of Thorndale, who is competing in under 14 girls" long jump, 80-metre hurdles and 200-metre hurdles.  "You get to do so much and you get the experience of staying in the residence and meeting people from all over Ontario. It's pretty cool."

Kyra Vellinga, who trains with St. Thomas Legion Club, won't soon forget entering a packed house at TD Stadium.

"It's very hyped up," said Vellinga, competing in the U16 girls" 200 metre dash, 200-metre hurdles and 300-metre dash.  "It was a very exciting opening ceremonies, with all the different sports coming in and all the stands were full. It's a very cool experience and a lot of fun too."

For Athletics, athletes have been divided in to two teams, East and West. Athletes earn points for their team, based on their results. There are no individual medals, just gold and silver at the completion of the two day meet.

Lily Francis was a dominant force in the girls' pentathlon.

Francis won four of the five disciplines, to handily win the event, amassing 2,563 points, a new personal best. Francis finished first in the 80-metre hurdles, high jump, long jump and the 800 metre run and placed third in shot put. Her points total is a new record for the St. Thomas Legion club.

"It shows my hard work has paid off and I'm happy that I got to experience this,"" said the 15-year old, who set a personal best distance of eight metres, in shot put and finished with a time of 12.90 in the hurdles.

This was the fourth pentathlon for Francis , who will compete in her fifth multi event, at the Legion National Youth championships, August 10-12, in Brandon, Manitoba.

 Tayah DeSousa won the under-16 girls 80-metre hurdles, in 12.17 seconds, another club record for St. Thomas Legion.

"It's a big PB by a lot. It felt good during it. There were a few things that can be cleaned up but can't have a perfect race," said De Sousa, who also anchored the U16 girls" 4x100-metre relay team to third place. "Being part of the relay was good. My hand-off wasn't too good because I messed it up. I had the wrong hand back but I caught it so we were ok."

A.J. Stanat won the U16 boys' discus, with a best toss of 42.58 metres, adding to his collection of gold medals in the discipline, won at the OFSAA and Athletics Ontario provincial meets.

Hallee Knelsen finished second, in the U16 girls' 1200 metre run, with a PB time of 3:42.37.

Vellinga was fourth, in the U16 girls' 300 metre dash, crossing the finish line in 42.03 seconds.

"It's a PB and new club record, so I'm very happy. It was a very smooth 300. I ran the right kind of race," said Vellinga.

Dylen Belanger was third in the U16 boys' 100-metre hurdles (14.78 sec.).

Belanger, Francis, DeSousa, Stanat and Knelsen, all train with St. Thomas Legion.

Humphries, who trains with London Legion, placed third, in the U14 girls' 80-metre hurdles final (13.51 sec.).

"I think I did pretty good," said Humphries, a Grade eight student at West Nissouri school, in Thorndale. "I got a personal best, but I think if I got a faster start I could have got my time lower."

Hannah McIntyre, from Dorchester, won the U14 girls' 1200 metre run, in 3:55.41.

Madison Wilson-Walker, of Avon, won the ambulatory 100 metre dash, in a personal season's best time of 14.5 seconds.