St. Joseph's Joey Hardy (712) survives the water hazard during the open men's 2000-metre steeplechase, at the WOSSAA track and field championships, at TD Stadium. (photo / Rob J. Ross)
Friday, May 19, 2017
By Rob J. Ross
LONDON, Ont. - Cole Barnes is back.
Following a year away from the track due to a groin injury, the St. Joseph's sprinter is returning to the form that made him a double bronze medalist at OFSAA in 2015.
Barnes won the senior men's 200 metres, a day after finishing second in the 100 metre sprint, at the Western Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association (WOSSAA) track and field championships, at TD Stadium, May 18/19.
In the 200, Barnes was in the driver's seat by the 150-metre mark, crossing the finish line in 22.50 seconds, three-tenths of a second ahead of London Central's Liam Mather.
"My hamstring was feeling tight and sore. I originally wanted to go in and just make sure I qualified," said Barnes. "In the blocks, I felt ok, so I pushed. At the straight away, it started hurting, but I had the lead and didn't really want to give up on it."
Barnes did enough in the 100-metre race (11.66 seconds) to finish runner-up to London Bruyere's Adrian Livingston (11.59 sec).
"I don't think it was my greatest race," said Barnes. "My start was ok, but I felt didn't have a great finish."
At the Thames Valley Region Athletics (TVRA) championships, May 11/12, Barnes also won the 200 metre and placed second in the 100.
Two years ago, Barnes lowered the WOSSAA junior men's 100 metre record, to 10.89 seconds.
That was the same year he won OFSAA bronze in both the 100 (11.12 seconds) and 200 (22.4 sec.). In 2013, Barnes placed eighth in the OFSAA midget men's 100-metre final.
"My season goal is make the finals in both the 100 and 200. If I run well, hopefully I can compete for a medal," Barnes said. "I don't know what's coming at OFSAA regionals, but I'm excited to see what happens. I'm hoping that I can go out and run well and hopefully qualify for OFSAA."
Barnes leads a St. Joseph's group of seven athletes including the men's 4x400-metre relay team, that has top six results to qualify for the OFSAA West regional meet, May 26/27, at TD Stadium.
A move from soccer to track and field is paying off for Joey Hardy, who finished fourth in the open men's two kilometre steeplechase.
St. Joseph's Kyleigh Stubbs in the senior women's 1500 metre race, during the WOSSAA track and field championships. (photo / Rob J. Ross)
"I'm hoping to run at university (attending Laurier for business), so I wanted to get at least one season in, get some experience," explained Hardy of his move. "(Steeplechase) went well. It's more of a race I look at that doesn't require a lot of speed. It's somewhat similar to cross-country."
Hardy was a member of the St. Joseph's senior men's cross country team that placed 10th at OFSAA in November. In his third event at WOSSAA, Hardy just missed qualifying in the senior men's 3000 metres, finishing seventh.
He did help his 4x400 relay mates of Jordan Palmer, Kyle Luyt and Andrew Russchen, placed fifth.
Luyt also qualified fourth, in the senior men's 1500 metres (4:25.09), while Palmer was sixth, in the senior men's 800 metres (2:03.82).
Savannah Cronk tied her personal best placing fourth in senior women's high jump, clearing 1.50 metres.
The first year senior is looking to improve on her seventh place showing at regionals last year at the junior level.
Kyleigh Stubbs finished sixth in the senior women's 1500 metres (5:18.98).
Other St. Joe's results: Luyt, eighth, senior men's 800m; Stubbs, eighth, senior women's 800m; Ryan Hamilton, ninth, junior men's high jump; Nathan Mezenberg, ninth, midget men's long jump; Sarah Pepper, 10th, senior women's shot put, 10th, javelin; Palmer, 10th, senior men's 400m; Grace Gillet, ninth, junior women's 3000; Alyce McLean, 11th, junior, or women's 300m hurdles; Aaron Brouwer, 15th, junior men's 3000.
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