Sarah Ashby, of Dorchester, delivers in midget women's shot put, at the OFSAA West regional track and field meet, held in Cambridge. (photo / Rob J. Ross)
Saturday, May 28, 2016
By Rob J. Ross
CAMBRIDGE - If this isn't an OFSAA regional first, it is certainly a rare occurrence.
The Lord Dorchester secondary school's women's 4x400-metre relay team, of Megan Dunn, Dana Earhart, Megan and Katie Beaudry, defended their OFSAA west regional title, winning the race for the third consecutive year, at the meet, held at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School.
Dorchester set both a meet and school record time of 3:53.3, following a close race with Windsor Herman. The old meet record of 3:54.13, was set in 2008, by Kitchener Resurrection. The former LDSS record of 3:54.74, was set at OFSAA, two years ago.
Dunn put LDSS in front early, running her opening lap in a blistering 57 seconds.
Herman held slight advantages, moving in to first, during the time of the third and fourth baton exchanges.
LDSS regained the lead both times in almost identical fashion. Megan Beaudry, then Katie on the final lap, made moves with about 100 metres left in their turn with the baton.
"I could tell coming down the stretch Katie would get it," said Earhart, who ran the second leg for LDSS. "The Herman girl didn't have it and Katie looked better."
The quartet of the Beaudry sisters, Earhart and Dunn, also won the race a year ago and in 2014. LDSS could be the first school to three peat. The former record holders, Resurrection, were prevented from three consecutive wins, by London CCH, in 2007 and 2009. Resurrection also featured a pair of sisters on the team.
The relay team heads a group of nine athletes heading to the OFSAA track and field championships, June 2-4, in Windsor.
The top four in each event at the regional meet, advance to the top high school meet in the province.
Earhart will also run in the senior women's 800 and 1500-metre races, after finishing second and fourth, respectively.
"I was nervous before the (800), but once I was in the race I was calm," Earhart said. " The last 100 I could feel a girl behind me and I actually kicked for once."
Dunn and the Beaudrys sisters, joined by Emma McKnight, had their first baton battle with Herman, a day earlier, in the senior 4x100-metre relay.
Dorchester's Christina Hertner, right, talks with Rebecca Chouinard, of St. Thomas St. Joseph's, between throws, during senior women's shot put. (photo / Rob J. Ross)
Herman needed a meet record performance, of 48.35 seconds, to edge Dorchester's 48.87 second showing, at the line.
It is the second consecutive meet, the LDSS ladies have lowered their school record.
WILSON-WALKER WINS PARA 100 AND 400
Team Canada paralympian hopeful Madison Wilson-Walker, set personal best times while annihilating meet records in both the ambulatory 100 and 400 metre races.
"It seems unreal. I didn't think I'll get personal bests and meet records in both," Wilson-Walker said. "I'm finally getting to where I want to be."
McKnight loaded up on blue ribbons, finishing second in both the midget women's 100 and 200 metre sprints.
McKnight's hat trick of blue ribbons
Katie Beaudry placed second in senior high jump, clearing 1.65 metres, behind winner Hannah Kussner, of London Oakridge (1.68m).
Beaudry's friend and long-time rival, Emily Brander horst, from London Christian, was third.
Katie will be a medal contender in high jump at OFSAA and would have been in the senior women's 400-metre hurdles, if not for an unfortunate stumble over the second last hurdle, during her race here.
Leading the race at the time, Beaudry slipped to sixth place. She finished eighth in the 100 metre final.
Megan Beaudry had a busy meet on the track, finishing sixth, in the senior women's 400m, eighth, in the 200m (25.74 sec.) and ninth in the 100m.
Christina Hertner tossed out the third best throw, of 11.61 metres, in senior women's shot put.
"I was really calm. Shot is my home event. I'm happy on how I did today."
Earlier in the day, Hertner placed fifth in discus (35.14m).
Victoria Quance and Hannah Vickers will represent LDSS, in the pole vault pit.
Quance placed third in the midget women's event, while Vickers was fifth. Vickers earns a spot, due to the west region hosting OFSAA. Both cleared 2.40 metres, with tie-breaker placements determined by misses at previous heights.
More regional results:
Sarah Ashby, fifth, midget women's discus, sixth, in shot put; Megan Dunn, eighth, senior women's' javelin; Katie McDonald, 10th, midget women's 80-metre hurdles, 16th, long jump; Zachary Earhart, 12th, senior men's 400 metres; Aidan Rand, 12th, midget men's pole vault; Ryan Esler, 13th, senior men's triple jump; Robert Foster, 13th, junior men's pole vault; Jayden Engberts, 14th, junior men's pole vault; Bethany Hiemstra, 16th, junior women's 800m; the midget women's 4x100 relay team of Quance, Vickers, MacDonald and Mikayla Vanyolai, 11th.
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