Local Athletes bring home four gold medals
Okkerse, Sauer, on the running track, Lai in golf, were champions, at the Ontario Summer Games
KITCHENER, Ont. - The Okkerse home will certainly need an expansion.
Nash, the second of three sons to Mary-Lynn and Jay Okkerse of St. Thomas, keeps adding to his growing collection of gold medals, by winning the U16 boys 1200 and 2000 metres races, at the Ontario Summer Games, July 31- August 1, at Resurrection Catholic school.
A week earlier, Okkerse won both races at Athletics Ontario U16 championships in St. Catharines.
Xavier Sauer from St. Thomas, captured the gold medal in the U16 boys 200 metre dash (22.83 sec.) and took silver in the 100m (11.28 sec.)
Okkerse and Sauer were also with the Team Bluewater 1600m medley boys relay race that placed fourth.
Next for Okkerse are Legion Nationals, in Regina.
Makayla Varallo of Thorndale, won silver in the U16 girls 1200m (3:47.48) and fourth in the 1500m steeplechase, lowering her PB time to 5:17.71.
Varallo has had busy schedule, including setting PBs in the 1200m (3:43) and 2000m (6:39) at Legion provincials.
Alayna Sloetjes of Strathroy, but trains with St. Thomas Legion club, finished seventh in both the U16 girls 80m hurdles (13.15 sec.) and 200m hurdles (31.76 sec.).
The Ontario Summer Games occur every other year featuring approximately 22 sports over three to four days for athletes ages 12 to 18. London hosted the 2024 Games.
Cycling
Ben Buczkowski, of Talbotville, with Attack Cycling, had four racess in the Waterloo area.
Buczkowski, a Grade 11 student at Central Elgin, placed 10th in the circuit race, 11th in both the hill climb and time trial and 12th in the road race.
"I feel like I performed really well this weekend," said Buckowski. "I worked to get the team a podium and successfully got my teammate second in the road race after I did a lead out. I went hard on the front so he didn't have to and sacrificed my own results, so he could get a higher placing."
Ethan Lambourn gained a silver medal, thanks to Ben's sacrifice.
"I felt like I performed greatly overall, helping out my teammates wherever I could," Buczkowski said. "Cycling is very much a team sport and not just how you do individualy."
Golf
Andrea Lai had a dominate 12 stroke win in girls golf, with rounds of 72 and 68 (-4, 140), at Doon Valley golf course in Kitchener.
Round three on Sunday, for both the girls and boys were cancelled due to weather.
"Definitely been a pretty good couple weeks," said Lai, who won the Ontario Junior Women's Amatuer just three days earlier.
Melissa Gillies of St. Thomas, placed 24th, with rounds of 91 and 89.
Andrew Sudicky from Dutton finished fourth on the boys side with rounds of 70 (-2) and 73 (+1).
"I wish I got the chance to play my final round," Sudicky wrote on his Instagram. "Even still, it was a solid tournament and I'm glad I got the chance to play."
Hockey
Addison Lehouillier from Belmont, on Team Gabel (orange), finished seventh (2-3), winning their women's hockey consolation game.
"It was a great experience with a lot of fun," said Lehouillier, who had two goals and two assists in five games.