St. Thomas brings home eight medals

   Siblings AJ and Lexi Stanat lead St. Thomas Legion with five medals, while the U16

   girls' 4x1 relay team places second at the AO U18/16/14 track and field championships

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

By Rob J. Ross 

ST. THOMAS -  Arthur Stanat is a provincial champion, for a second time this year.

Stanat, competing for St. Thomas Legion club, not only won gold in under-16 boys' discus, with a best throw of 46.38 metres, but the 14-year old left with a medal of each colour, taking silver in the hammer throw and bronze in shot put, at Athletics Ontario's Under-18, U16, U14 track and field championships, July 21/22, at University of Windsor stadium.

"I went into the competition thinking that I could do reasonably well. I thought I would hit 50 (metres), but that didn't happen. I came out with a gold medal so I can't complain about that," said Stanat. "It was good considering the conditions. It was rainy, the discus was a bit slippery and the circle was a bit slippery as well."

Stanat threw the hammer 43.52 metres and his best in shot put measured 14.07 metres.

"I thought I did well in each event. I was happy with hammer. The second meet throwing it and I was just happy to get over 40 (metres)."

Stanat's discus and shot put performances had to have a deja vu type of feeling.

At OFSAA, the high school provincial championships last month, Stanat also won midget boys' discus and took bronze in shot put. There is no hammer for high school competitions.

 Arthur is not the only star thrower in his family, with parents Alex and Dianna.

His sister, Lexi, won silver, in both the under-14 girls' discus and javelin, at her first meet and competing against girls a year older.  She also finished seventh in shot put (6.99m).

Lexi set a new Athletics Ontario provincial record, for U13 girls, in discus, with her 28.71 metre throw, shattering the former best distance by over four meters.

"I was really excited and nervous to be going to my first meet and competing against girls a year older. I thought I did really well, coming home with two silvers," said Lexi, a Grade seven student at Mitchell Hepburn elementary school. "I was really surprised that I did get second. The girls were good at throwing and they have a lot more experience."

Having an older brother compete in the disciplines did influence her.

"I was really interested in it from the start and seeing him practice I was thinking maybe that could be me," said Lexi. "He has told me to work my hardest in everything. I really look up to him. I want to do as well as him one day. He should be very proud of himself, especially going to OFSAA and getting gold in discus and doing it again this weekend (at AO). Maybe one day that may be me."

Big brother is proud of his sister.

"It was exciting to see her at her first meet. She has picked up the discus and has been throwing it quite well for her age."

St. Thomas Legion brought home eight medals in total, part of their 18 top 10 performances.

The U16 girls' 4x100-metre relay team of Tayah DeSousa, Lily Francis, Kyra Vellinga and Katherine Heard, placed second, finishing in 50.96 seconds. Athletiques International club finished second in the race, but was disqualified, bumping St. Thomas into the silver medal position.

"I'm really proud of my teammates. We got a personal best and a new club record," said Vellinga, who ran the final leg of the race. "I was really high on adrenaline, so I was like, I have to do this for the team. I think you run your best when you're with relays, because there's a lot more pressure and you want to do your best for the team."

DeSousa ran the opening leg.

"I felt my start was really good. Katherine and I had a really good hand-off, so that was really comforting," said DeSousa. "As soon as I handed it off I ran to the finish line. Kyra almost caught the girl in first."

For the first time in club history, St. Thomas had two relay teams in the final.

The quartet of Olivia Krahn, Earen Klassen, Kendall Nash and Camryn Roth, was seventh, moving the baton around the 400 metre oval in 53.67 seconds.

Boost Athletic Club, from the Mississauga-Brampton area, won the relay in 49.7 7 seconds.

Hallee Knelsen finished with a bronze medal, in the U16 girls' 800 metre race (2:16.95) and just missed a second medal, placing fourth in the U16 girls' 1200 metre race (3:44.9).

"It went well. It was provincials, but it wasn't as intense as OFSAA. It's harder to run the same times when there isn't as much intensity but I still think I did really well," said Knelsen, who won a bronze in the 800 at OFSAA. "I was not even a second off of my PB."

Vellinga also won a bronze medal, in the U16 girls' 200-metre hurdles (29.74 sec,), finished eighth, in the 300 metre sprint (42.68 sec.) and 13th, in the 200-metre dash (27.10 sec.).

DeSousa was fourth in the U16 80-metre hurdles (12.38 sec.), fifth, in the 200-metre hurdles (30.72 sec.) and sixth, in long jump (4.85 metres).

Francis leaped to sixth place, in U16 girls' high jump (1.45m) and was 16th, in long jump (4.44m).

Jared Parkin was seventh in U18 boys' discus (39.76m) and eighth in shot put (14.13m). Parkin fouled out in the hammer throw.

Other St. Thomas Legion results: Joshua McCandless, 15th, U16 boys’ long jump, 29th, 300 metres; Camryn Roth, 18th, U16 girls' 300-metres; Michael Roth, 23rd, in the U18 boys' 200 metres; Earen Klassen, 26th, U16 300 metres, 42nd, 200 metres; Kendall Nash, 51st, U16 girls' 200 metres.

 McIntyre wins U14 800 with London Legion

Hannah McIntyre, of Dorchester, who trains with London Legion, won the U14 girls' 800 metres (2:20.1) and placed second, in both the U14 1200 metres (3:47.49) and 2000 metres (6:49.84), behind Rianna Smok, of Toronto, in both races.

Jadyn Luna, from Thorndale, also with London Legion, finished eighth, in the U16 200-metre hurdles (31.71 sec.), 14th, in long jump (4.56m) and 29th, in the 200 metre sprint (28.15 sec.).