Successful season for Hallee Knelsen

   The St. Thomas Legion Club runner set PBs in the 800 and 1500 metre runs

   and won double gold twice including at the AO U20 championships

  September 22, 2021

By Rob J. Ross 

ST. THOMAS - Hallee Knelsen had a successful 2021 during a shortened outdoor track season setting personal best times in her two marquee events.

The Malahaide resident and St. Thomas Legion track and field club member, set PB times in both the 800-metre (two minutes, 7.44-seconds (2:07.44) and 1500-metre (4:28.8) runs.

"This year I got to run with older girls and that's why my times are the best," said Knelsen, part of Athletics Ontario's (AO) 2020-21 Team Ontario and high performance program. "Those were really fun meets."

At the AO U20 championships, held in Toronto mid July, Knelsen won both the 800 and 1500-metre races.

One week later, at the AO Open meet, Knelsen won the bronze medal in the 1500 and broke the 2:08 barrier in the 800 with her PB time, placing fifth in the race.

Knelsen took gold in both her races at the Nxtchamp Invitational, setting her PB in the 1500, winning by five seconds and taking the 800 by just over three seconds.

In early June, Knelsen had lowered her 1500 PB to 4:31.37, placing third in an open women's race at the Johnny Loaring Classic in Windsor. A week earlier at a high performance meet in Ottawa, Knelsen dropped her 800 time under 2:09, with a PB of 2:08.10.

The one goal this year Knelsen missed was qualifying for the 2021 world junior championships, in Kenya.

"Obviously I was really disappointed when I didn't meet the standard. I was sad after my last chance and I didn't hit it," Knelsen said. "But I still had a really successful season. It was hard to see that at first. I had to put it into perspective and see there was a lot of success too."

In her final attempt at the standard at the U20 meet, Knelsen did win 800 gold and by over two seconds.

"I didn't have a bad race. I just didn't have what was needed for that standard."

Five times this summer, Knelsen ran the 800 metres under 2:10, but couldn't eclipse the required standard of 2:07.20.

However the 18-year old is eligible for the 2022 world junior meet next year in Columbia.

Over the past three years, Knelsen has a collection of over 15 medals from National and provincial indoor and outdoor meets.

The achievement is even more remarkable considering the covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Legion nationals in 2020 and 2021, the AO outdoor championships in 2020 and the AO indoor championships in February of this year.

In June, Knelsen graduated from East Elgin secondary school in Aylmer, as an Ontario scholar and the school's valedictorian.

Her most memorable moments as an Eagle are her two OFSAA medals, silver in the junior women's 800-metres in 2019 and bronze in the midget 800-metre race in 2018. Knelsen also finished seventh at OFSAA in the 1500 metres as a midget competitor.

"OFSAA track. I got a lot of recognition for that at my school," Knelsen said. "They were really supportive of me."

Now a first year student at Western University, studying Health Sciences, Knelsen will be part of the Mustangs' cross country and track teams.

"I haven't set any thing super specific (goal) as I don't know what it's going to be like adjusting to university," Knelsen said. "In track, I want to make it to Nationals and place well there."

The AO high performance program helps athletes by providing resources in training, testing, education, physiotherapy and funding. In return, athletes wear Team Ontario gear at meets. The program has a goal of placing more Ontario athletes on Olympic and world championship teams.