Jadyn Luna U20 heptathlon champ 

   

 Thorndale native sets career best in points winning Athletics Ontario title  

 Evan Stevens takes U18 men's bronze in first decathlon

 

 June 26, 2023

 

 

  

 

By Rob J. Ross 

TORONTO, Ont. - Jadyn Luna had a weekend to remember.

The Thorndale native is the 2023 Athletics Ontario U20 women's heptathlon champion, compiling a personal best (PB) overall total of 4,240 points from the seven events, at the Combined Events championships Sunday at the Toronto track and field center.

Luna set new best marks in the 100-meter hurdles (15.82 seconds), high jump (1.31 meters), long jump (5.07m) and the 800-meter run (2:31.44).

"I'm very pleased with my results. I got a total of four PBs and the other events were very close to PBs. I broke my hep score PB by over 300 points. All in all a great meet," Luna said. "This hep was my best multi competition because I got four PBs and didn't have a bad event. It puts me in a good position going into Nationals in July."

That would be the 2023 Canadian U20 track and field championships, July 27-30, in Langley, B.C.

Luna was riding momentum coming into the combined events competition, after winning a silver medal in shot put at OFSAA track and field June 9 in Ottawa and having a pair PB performances at OFSAA regionals.

"I felt good even before hurdles after coming out of high school season with a huge hurdle (15.16 sec.) and shot put (11.72m) PB, so I had high hopes," Luna said. "Even though my high jump still needs work, I have been improving in practice so I was looking forward to actually competing. The double win on day one definitely put me in the right mindset for day two."

On day one of the heptathlon, Luna won shot put (11.18m) and the 200-meter sprint (26.17 sec.) and finished third in hurdles, putting the graduating Medway high school student in gold medal position. Her lowest result was high jump, placing seventh.

Following a pair of second place results in both long jump and javelin, Luna had a grip on gold as the 800 meter run started.

"Knowing where I was in the standings, I felt comfortable going into the 800 knowing that as long as I ran around what I normally run, I would still get gold," said Luna. "My coach also had a pretty ambitious goal for me to run, so I just focused on getting as close to that as possible, only ended being one second off."

Kaelie Sanogo from Laval, Quebec, placed first in the U20 standings with 4375 points, winning all events, except shot put and the 200m, but being an out of province athlete, her results don't count for the awards.

In January, Luna won the U20 women's pentathlon at the Ontario Indoor Combined events championships.

 

  

Stevens third U18 decathlon

Evan Stevens had an impressive two days in his multi events debut.

Stevens won the bronze medal in the U18 men's decathlon, at his first ever multi events contest, amassing 4,506 points from the 10 events.

The 15-year old from Thorndale won javelin (49.30m) and placed second in high jump (1.54m), in a division featuring athletes turning 16 and 17 years old in 2023.

"Feels great. I didn't know what I would be like going into it. Learned a lot and I know I can do better," Stevens said. "I've been doing it for so little time, there is a lot I can improve on. I'm happy with the bronze for my first time."

His first decathlon did leave Stevens needing a likely ice bath following the competition, feeling the rigors of a lot of throwing, jumping and running over two days.

"My health was awful all weekend. I hyper-extended my knee in the 100. Taped it, but the pain was awful all day one. Hip flexor pulled for day two and shin splints were awful," said Stevens, adding jokingly. "Who knew the decathlon was so painful?!"

Earlier this month, the Grade 10 student at Dorchester Secondary school won OFSAA junior men's gold in javelin with a PB of 5461 meters. Stevens also qualified in pole vault, but dropped the event to focus on javelin, scheduled at the same time.

It was Stevens' first time competing in high jump, discus and the 1500.

"Since you are doing so many events, it's unrealistic that every event will go well. It's difficult when an event you usually are so much better at ends so poorly, like me in pole vault," Stevens said. "But you don't have enough energy to do amazing in every event. I was surprised at how hard it is on your body. I didn't realize how sore it really makes you."

Emma Westbrook, of St. Thomas, placed fourth, in the U18 women's heptathlon, with 3,262 points. Westbrook won shot put (9.37m) and javelin (28.17m).
 

Mike Roth of St. Thomas Legion in the Elite Men's 400 meter dash at the Johnny Loaring Classic track and field meet at the University of Windsor June 24 in Windsor. (photo / Mundo Sports Images)

  

Roth silver and bronze at Elite meet

Michael Roth keeps adding to his collection of medals.

The St. Thomas sprinter with the St Thomas Legion Club won silver in the Elite men's 400 meter dash and bronze, in the 200-meter dash, at the Johnny Loaring Classic track and field meet at the University of Windsor June 24 in Windsor.

Only Olympic champion Bryce Deadman beat Roth in the 400, winning in 44.75 seconds, to Roth's 45.67 seconds, just off his personal best time.

Roth set a PB in the 200 finishing third in 20.85 seconds.

Deadman won gold with the American men's 4x400-meter relay team, and bronze in the mixed 4x4, at the Tokyo Games.

Roth the Canadian U23 men's record holder in the 400 meters, won both the 200 and 400 at the Canada Summer Games last summer.

Hallee Knelsen, of Malahide, with St. Thomas Legion, was 10th, in the Elite women's 1500-meter run (4:34.94).

Brianna Rand of Dorchester, won the open women's 100-meter hurdles, in 15.81 seconds.

Dylen Belanger of St. Thomas, won the U20 men's 110-meter hurdles (15.12 sec.).

Merrick Rollins, of St. Thomas, took silver, in the U18 men's discus throw (38.29 meters).

Mason Basson, of Sparta, set a personal best time of one minute and 51.79 seconds (1:51.79), finishing third in the U20 men's 800-meter run.
 

John double gold at Invitational

 Aiyana John won double gold at the NXTCHAMP Invitational meet.

John won both the U16 women's long jump (4.56 meters) and high jump (1.50m), leading a team of eight athletes from St. Thomas Legion Club June 24-25, at the Toronto Track and Field Center. The 14-year old also placed third in the 80-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 13.12 seconds.

Fletcher Taylor placed second in the U16 men's high jump (1.55m) and third in long jump (5.16m).

Fowler Little finished second in the U18 men's 1500 meter run (4:33.50), followed by teammates Connor Crosby in third place (4:34.16) and Lucas Skirtschak (4:48.94), seventh.

Skirtschak also was seventh in the U18 men's two kilometer steeplechase (7:48.27).

David Anderson placed fourth in U18 men's shot put and fifth in discus (34.63m), while Jayden Sargeant was fifth in shot put (10.46m) and sixth in discus (28.29m).

Alexis Gray placed sixth in the U18 women's 400-meter dash (1:04.71).

Andrew Urquhart of Thorndale, with London-Western club, took silver in U16 men's javelin (42.80m).

Ryan Johnson of Thorndale, finished fourth in the U18 men's 3000 meter run (9:51.55).