Friday, May 19, 2017

By Rob J. Ross

LONDON, Ont. - An incredible personal best effort made Hayden Bell a champion.

On a windy day one of the meet, Bell managed a personal best height of 1.92 metres to win senior men's high jump, at the WOSSAA track and field championships, at TD Stadium.

Adding to the achievement for the Grade 11 student at Central Elgin Collegiate, was that Bell had the 110-metre hurdles final during the high jump competition.

It was a rough start at the high jump pit, as Bell missed his attempt at 1.70 metres, before leaving for the hurdles final.

Re-focusing, Bell placed fifth in the hurdles (15.48 seconds), qualifying for the OFSAA West regional meet, May 26/27, at TD Stadium.  Then it was back to high jump, where the bar had risen to 1.83 metres.

"I ran the hurdles final, jogged back to high jump and missed at 1.83," Bell said. "I thought I was done. I felt that was it. One eighty (1.80 metres) was my PB, so having to clear my PB to move on, there was a lot of pressure."

However, Bell cleared the bar at 1.83 metres on his next attempt for a new PB and then only required first attempts as the bar rose to 1.92 metres. At 1.95 metres, Bell, Daniel O'Brien, of London Beal and Calum Doherty, of London Lucas, all bowed out of the competition.

On the tie-breaker of fewer missed attempts at previous heights, Bell took first place.

"I was really excited because that was a 12 centimetre PB for me and going from 1.83 to 1.92 was a big accomplishment for me," Bell said. "I like to keep jumping in the 1.90s and hopefully go to OFSAA. I think it'll take over 1.90 to get to OFSAA."

In his third event, Bell placed ninth in senior men's long jump.

Bell was the Titans' lone champion, but Seth Kuiper knocked on the door twice.

Kuiper placed second in both junior men's shot put (13.87 metres) and discus (42.43m).

"It feels great. I went to regionals last year for shot and discus so I'm happy to make it again," Kuiper said. "There are a few things I need to work on. I need to up the pace, but I need to add a few more technique pieces before I up the pace."

Staying relaxed has been the key for Kuiper, who has a goal at regionals just to beat his personal best distances.

"You want to beat yourself (PBs) because the only way you can beat anyone else is to beat your own records."

Fellow Titans joining Bell and Kuiper at OFSAA West: Michael Onyema, sixth, midget men's shot put (11.49m);  Tanner Smyth, fifth, senior 400-m hurdles (59.4 sec.); Hunter Smith, sixth, senior women's shot put (9.28m), sixth, discus (30.23m); Allie Van Dyk, sixth, junior women's discus.

Other Titan results from WOSSAA: Smyth, seventh, senior 110-m hurdles; Van Dyk, sixth, junior women's discus, eighth, shot put; Liam Eason, 10th, senior men's long jump (5.80m); Quin Bundschuh, 11th, junior men's 200m; Ilir Demi, 10th, junior men's long jump; Jade Dibowski, 11th, junior women's shot put; Jake Gillis, 13th, senior men's 100m.

 

© 2017 Hometownplay.ca