Eleven athletes
heading to OFSAA
Urquhart, Willliamson, in two events, lead way to provincial track and field
with Atkinson, Arnold, Kana, going as regional champions
June 1, 2025
By Rob J. Ross
LONDON, Ont. - Eleven athletes will be representing Elgin County and Dorchester schools at OFSAA track and field.
Athletes and relay teams placing top four at the West Regional meet, May 29-30 at Western University, qualify for OFSAA, June 5-7, at York University in Toronto.
Three athletes will be in two events, Dorchester Beavers Andrew Urquhart (senior boys shot put and discus) and Will Downing (junior boys 100 and 300 metre hurdles), along with Parkside Stampeders Amy Williamson (novice girls long and triple jumps).
East Elgin Eagles Taylor Kana in senior girls javelin, Parkside Stampeders Mehkai Arnold in novice boys discus and St. Joseph's Rams Ethan Atkinson in junior boys pole vault, go as West Region champions.
Eagles Louisa Begemann in novice girls discus, Beavers Kirk Hallman in the senior boys 1500 metres, Rams Libby McCurdy in senior girls pole vault, Beavers Aisha Medina in junior girls pole vault and Brendan McCausland in junior boys pole vault, complete the local contingent.
Kana captured a west regional crown for a third consecutive year with a season's best throw of 43.47 metres, to advance to her fourth OFSAA.
"Super excited. I've had that bar set high past four years and I really want to get a gold or silver, especially gold, because I've been chasing it," Kana said. "I'm hoping my back holds out. It felt a little bit better today."
If her back allows, Kana wants to eclipse her personal best (PB) distance of 46.12 metres at her final high school meet.
"I know it's my last OFSAA, so I know I have to give everything I have. I'm super excited to see what I can do but nervous," Kana said. "(Back) felt good, but I know I have lots more in the tank, so hopefully I can show that next week. It'll be my last time throwing, so I just have to leave everything on the track."
Kana has two bronze medals and a fourth place from her three OFSAAs.
Urquhart almost missed making the final round in discus, but turned it around to placed third (46.95m), following a fourth in shot put (15.03m).
A 39.95 metre throw just got the first year senior to the final, where on his fourth attempt Urquhart put up his best distance, also a new school record.
His 46.95 takes down a record that stood for 45 years, 43.32m by Mark Vandenbosh.
Earlier this season with a heave of 15.76m, Urquhart broke Mike Dye's school
shot put record of 14.96m that held up since 1977.
Williamson was only one of two novice girls to leap pass the five metre mark in
long jump, landing a 5.02 metre effort in to the sand. Michelle Dicelle of
Windsor Assumption won with a jump of 5.04 metres.
The Parkide Stampeder set a PB in triple jump, with a distance of 10.26 metres.
In her third event occurring at the same time as long jump, Williamson made the novice girls 100-metre final, finishing seventh (13.22 sec).
"I'm excited to go to Toronto and hopefully make another PB there," Williamson said. "At the start I was a bit tired from the 100 and I had a 4.80m jump. My worse jump was 4.5 and that pushed me to get more and some girls had really good jumps. I pushed myself so I could place (top four)."
This is the Parkside's freshman's second trip to a provincial meet.
In February, with the St. Thomas Legion Club, Williamson competed in long jump,
triple jump and the 60-metre dash, at Athletics Ontario U16 indoor
championships.
Downing returns to OFSAA in both of his events, setting PBs and lowering already
owned school records in both the 100 hurdles (14.26 sec.) and 300 hurdles (41.82
sec.)
Downing earlier eclipse the school record in the 100 hurdles that stood before even his parents were born, Mike Mustos' 14.9 seconds in 1974.
The 300 hurdles was much fresher, set just two years ago by Devan Lucas (43.34 sec.).
Coming in to the 100 final, Downing only had the sixth fastest time from the heats and ran in lane eight.
"After the (heats) I was a little on edge. I was definitely nervous. I had a little bit of a slow start but I got out," Downing said. "Lane eight is kind of rough, but I pulled it out. I was thinking straight down, narrowed my vision."
Waken Rainville won the 100 hurdles in 14.13 seconds.
Downing will continue working on improving his form in a bid to medal in Toronto.
"I'm improving more and more throughout the season and that's a good thing. I still feel I have way more room to improve," said Downing. "A lot of help from coach Harry Stantsos. My trail leg. I had it out, so I'm getting better at tucking it under me. I changed my block starts and that's helped out a lot. Those are two big things for sure."
A year ago at OFSAA as a novice, Downing placed fifth in both events.
Prior to competition, Mehkai Arnold heard about who could throw far, before
going into the circle and putting up the biggest distance of the competition, a
PB of 46.35 meters.
"People were trying to warn me about some of my opponents, telling me. 'watch out, this guy said he can throw 51.' I just didn't let that bother me and stayed focused on what I needed to do," Arnold said. "During the warm-ups, I threw the discus around 35 on a light throw, just something calm to get into the groove. Then I did a full throw and watched it fly past 40 which definitely helped with the nerves."
Arnold had five throws over 42 metres, with one foul and won gold by two and half metres.
"I can't wait for OFSAA," said Arnold, adding with a laugh. "Just not the fact that my event is super early in the morning."
Arnold will be up at sunrise for novice boys discus, the first event on day three, scheduled for 8:45 a.m. Saturday.
Aisha Medina may have not feeling her best in the days leading up to the meet, but sickness didn't prevent her from setting a school record of 2.85 metres in junior girls pole vault.
"I had low energy, but I pushed through and gave it the rest of my energy," Medina said. "I let myself breath and then jumped. I felt good. I felt very motivated to be one of the girls to advance for our school."
As Medina cleared the bar, breaking Victoria Quance's height of 2.75m set in 2017, a huge smile overtook her face. Medina raced over to hug coach Paul White,
"To break that record is super incredible and now hopefully at OFSAA I'll make it even higher," said Medina.
Louisa Begemann felt it was a rough day for her with nerves, but finished in the top eight in each of her three events, qualifying for OFSAA in novice girls discus.
A throw of 27.47 metres placed Begemann fourth.
"She puts high expectations on herself. She works hard and is dedicated," coach Kyle Rolph said. "She's got more in her. We want the big throws next week. The goal is just to move on."
Begemann placed sixth in shot put with a PB of 10.35m and eighth in javelin (26.58m).
"She loves to throw. First thing she asked when she got here, is can she take a discus and go throw somewhere," added Rolph. "We're going to see some really good things next week."
That could be said for a number of athletes not only for Elgin County and
Dorchester but the WOSSAA region.
Atkinson won junior boys pole vault leaping 3.75 metres, below his PB of 4.20.
Hallman finished second in the senior boys 1500 metres (3:59.39).
McCurdy took silver in senior women's pole vault (3.40m).
McCausland was fourth in junior boys high jump (1.80m). to him for this one (win) for sure," Downing said.
St. Thomas Legion track and field club coach Harry Stantsos saw his athlete, Breanna Sloetjes, with Strathroy District, qualify for OFSAA, placing third in senior girls high jump (1.60m). Breanna's younger brother, Joel, placed fourth in novice boys high jump (1.65m).
Local results
DORCHESTER BEAVERS
Senior men: Andrew Urquhart, 3rd, discus (46.95m), 4th, shot put (15.03m); Kirk Hallman, 2nd, 1500m (3:59.39), 6th, 3000m (8:59.44); Ryan Johnson, 9th, 3000m (9:10.92); Evan Stevens, 10th, javelin (47.54m); Luke Bradish, 8th, high jump (1.75m); Devan Lucas, 14th , 110m hurdles (16.91 sec.)
Junior men: Will Downing, 2nd, 100m hurdles (14.26 sec. PB school record), 4th, 300m hurdles (41.82 sec. PB school record); Aiden Hartman, 8th, long jump (6.21m), 9th, triple jump (12.17m)
Junior women: Aisha Medina, 2nd, pole vault (2.85m PB - school record); Clara Steller, 15th, javelin (23.23m)
Novice men: Curtis Willick, 11th, 1500m (4:30.27), 7th, 800m (2:12.12)
Novice women: Ava Ridley, 6th, pole vault (2.40m)
Open men: Ryan Johnson, 6th, 2000m steeplechase (6:33.64)
EAST ELGIN
Senior women: Taylor Kana, 1st, javelin (43.47m); Darah Farrow, 8th, javelin (35.71m)
Junior men: Benji Gould, 3rd, 800m (2:09.59), 3rd, 3000m (9:47.78), 13th, 1500m (4:24.34)
Novice women: Louisa Begemann, 4th, discus (27.47m), 6th, shot put (10.35m PB), 8th, javelin (26.58m); Bridget Woolley, 12th, high jump (1.30m); Allison Sleegers, 14th, 800m (2:39.99)
Novice men: Hudson Dyck, 13th, 800m (2:18.08.91)
PARKSIDE
Junior men: Brendan McCausland, 4th, high jump (1.80m); Riisyn Al Faiadhi, 11th, 200m (24.14 sec.), 12th, 400 (54.37 sec.)
Novice men: Mehkai Arnold, 1st, discus (46.35m PB), 5th, javelin (37.26m), 7th, shot put (12.01m PB); Jack Rice, 11th, 3000m (10:31.27); Jack Moore, 13th, 400m (57.23 sec); Charlie Halpenny, 16th, 100m hurdles (18.27 sec.); 4x1 relay, DNS
Novice women: Amy Williamson, 2nd, long jump (5.02m), 4th, triple jump (10.26m - PB), 7th, 100m (13.22 sec.); 4x1 relay team of Hannah Kish, Amy Williamson, Cadence Baitz, Cadence Quin, 11th (53.64 sec.)
ST. JOE'S
Senior men: Shawn Okorhi, 8th, high jump (1.75m); Fowler Little, 14th, 800m (2:03.36)
Senior women: Libby McCurdy, 2nd, pole vault (3.24m); Flourish Nmor, 5th, 800m (2:17.09), 12th, 400m (1:00.86)
Junior men: Ethan Atkinson, 1st, pole vault (3.75m); Max Gasper, 8th, javelin (43.05m); Demarco Maitland, 12th, 100m hurdles (15.75 sec.)
Novice women: Jane Hewitt, 5th, long jump (4.85m)
Open men: Fowler Little, 12th, 2000m steeplechase (6:47.90)
WEST ELGIN
Novice men: Reece Burke, 9th, 300m hurdles (45.52 sec. PB )
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