Coles win provincial X-C team gold

   Brothers Tristen and Aiden help London-Western Club win the U18 boys'

   team title at Athletics Ontario cross-country championships

  November 14, 2021

By Rob J. Ross 

KINGSTON, Ont. - Aiden and Tristan Coles are provincial champions.

The St. Thomas twin brothers helped London-Western Club win the boys' U18 team title at the Athletics Ontario cross country championships, Sunday, at Fort Henry National Historic Site.

"It feels amazing to win the team title," said Aiden, who finished fifth in the six kilometre race, followed by Tristan Coles in ninth place.

The top four runners on each team, count towards team points. Clubmate Heath McAllister won the silver medal finishing in 19 minutes 3.5 seconds (19:03.5), while his brother,  Ian, was 13th. Vincent Moore, also from St. Thomas, was 47th.

"I'm not overly happy about my run but I'm definitely taking away the positives," said Aiden, who was running second over the first half of the race. "I was running really well until that final lap where I had a terrible cramp but pushed through. I was very disappointed with my performance but having this team around me make all the difference."

The Coles add their AO gold to an OFSAA cross country gold, the brothers won with the St. Joseph's Rams junior boys' team in 2019.

"Both the OFSAA gold and the U18 provincial win are very special to me and have their own great qualities," Tristan said. "The biggest difference is that I've been training with these (L-W) people day in, day out and I've been able to see the progression in everyone every week."

The Rams never had the opportunity to go for the senior OFSAA title. The pandemic cancelled OFSAA in 2020 and Thames Valley Athletics pulled out of OFSAA events this autumn.

"It felt great to be apart of the team," Tristan Coles said. "We've been putting in an insane amount of work since summer to get ready for these big meets and we can't wait to show what we can do at Nationals."

The Coles brothers' next meet is Athletics Canada's Canadian cross country championships, in Ottawa, November 27.

"Fifth place is alright but I'm definitely shooting for a top three at Nationals," Aiden said. "I know I'm in very good shape but that (AO) race was not a great show."

Adds Tristan, "If everyone runs to their potential, we will be able to pull off another win."
 

Five runners for Dorchester PVC

Kirk Hallman, of the Dorchester Pole Vault club, finished 15th, in the U14 boys' race.

Sam Willsie led Dorchester in the U16 boys' race, finishing 42nd, followed by Grant Hallman, 55th and Ryan Johnson, 56th.

Hannah McIntyre, of Dorchester, was 54th, in the U18 girls' race.

"They race well," Dorchester coach James Tennant said. "I was very pleased with their effort."

Andrew Monteith, a student at Parkside Collegiate, running with London Legion club at this meet, placed 40th in the U16 boys' race.