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new faces than old at SDSSAA Track and Field - 2022
Randy
Pascal
2022-05-20
Each and every year, a new wave of local
athletic talent will surface as the Sudbury high-school
folks convene for the SDSSAA Track & Field Championships.
The new faces to watch down the road are always among
the fun storylines to be followed at the two day event.
But when it’s been
three full years since the last such meet was run, there
are easily far more questions than answers going in. The
simple truth is that those athletes who were participating
in their first ever SDSSAA track competition far outnumbered
those who drew upon previous experience to help them along
the way.
In the end, more than fifty
individual athletes would capture gold in one or more
events, not including another solid handful who were members
of a winning relay team or two. And while space and time
restrictions do not allow us to bring you each and every
one of their stories, here is an interesting cross-section
of the Sudbury track and field champions (with all event
winners noted below):
Brady Ducharme – Lockerby:
(Sr Boys - 1st place – long jump & triple jump
– 3rd in 110m hurdles) – preparing to leave
in the fall to Carleton University to study Aerospace
Engineering, Brady Ducharme approaches his athletic excellence
in a wholesome, light-hearted manner, as he looks to the
possibility of continuing to balance sports and studies
within the landscape of the OUA.
“I’m a little
bit coordinated with my body and the triple jump requires
a lot of coordination – but I say with my body because
as soon as you put a ball in my hands, for basketball
and such, I can’t do anything,” Ducharme suggested
with a laugh. “I would like to keep competing –
I quite enjoy doing track and field – but I understand
that engineering is a very busy discipline for university.”
“Ideally, I will make
time for it.”
Lucia Salmaso – Marymount:
(Novice Girls – 1st place – 800m, 1500m, 3000m)
– Salmaso is no stranger to the local running scene,
comfortably covering 5km and 10km runs while most of her
elementary schoolmates considered a 400m race a distance
event. While she completed the novice sweep for the Regals,
the lead-in to the city meet was something less than ideal.
“I got Covid this winter
and had to take two weeks off and then started building
up slowly again,” said the 14 year-old first year
high-school student. “I was doing workouts on the
treadmill, which wasn’t very enjoyable. I don’t
like running inside.”
Still, she was able to pull
away in the end, regardless of the distance, with a little
room to spare. “For the 3km, I wanted to get a good
time, just because I knew that I would probably make it
to OFSAA. For the 800m, I took it a little easier, but
I realized I wasn’t hurting so I pushed a little
more.”
Caden Fabbro – Lo-Ellen
Park: (Sr Boys – 1st place – 110m; 3rd in
100m) – the middle child of the highly athletic
Fabbro clan who have already produced city T & F champs,
with more on the way, Caden has parlayed his elementary
track experience, and some training on the side, to some
very solid showings in the hurdle events that are the
Knights’ domain.
“The past few years,
I’ve done some resistance training – squatting
with a barbell and stuff – which I think has helped
because there’s a lot of stretching before you do
it,” said the 17 year old grade 11 senior. “I
think it helped with my hip mobility and really helps
me get that lead leg up.”
Ironically, Fabbro finished
third in the preliminary 110m hurdles heat, a race that
took place less than a half hour before the finals. Still,
he was able to tidy up his technique a little, a definite
goal as he tries to approach this new endeavour with a
longer term outlook in mind.
“For my second race,
just getting my trail leg high, close to my armpit, was
the biggest thing,” Fabbro explained. “I’m
just trying to get some experience with these hurdles
for the next track season because it’s still my
first time doing them.”
Luca Graffi - Lockerby: (Sr
Boys – 1st place – pole vault; 2nd place –
high jump) – an all-around athlete but with no background
in gymnastics (almost always the starting point for those
who excel quickly in the pole vault), Graffi can relate
to the challenges of trying to master a brand new discipline
– though having retired teacher Paul Brunelle covering
the progression of pole vault development certainly helps
a lot.
“We started just finding
out where our base point was, with hands on the pole,”
said Graffi, who pointed to the high jump as his primary
track and field event prior to entering high-school. “Then
it was three steps; you would run full speed and just
swing through, letting the top hand off just to get the
stepping part.”
“From there, you hold on and just swing –
and once you got the hang of that, you worked on the turn
at the top.” And as for his first meet in an event
that few even dare to try and learn – Graffi as
much as admitted that the pole vault might be his best
pathway to OFSAA – there was still some learning
to be done, to go along with some very positive signs.
“My hand placement
and running, I would really like to improve,” he
said. “I need more speed and to carry the speed
through the vault. My twist was solid today and my takeoffs
were great. I was happy with that.”
Nicholas Bechard –
College Notre-Dame: (Novice Boys – 1st in 100m,
200m and long jump) – one of the true revelations
of the 2022 championships, the grade nine student at CND
enjoyed some elementary success, pre-Covid, but ramped
it way up with his move to the high-school ranks.
“In sixth grade (St
Joseph), I came first in my 50m and it kind of kicked
in that I was good at it – so I just kept going,”
said Bechard. “In elementary school, it was all
for fun, but in high school, they were in it to win it.”
Still, Bechard is a relatively raw, undeveloped talent,
still trying to garner a grasp on some of the key elements
of the sprints. “I haven’t used starting blocks
much,” he said. “I like them, but I’m
not really used to them. Sometimes, I find they slip –
so my starts are probably my weak point.”
Kaeden Ward – Lo-Ellen:
(Sr Boys – 1st place – 1500m, 3000m, 2000m
steeplechase) – while the absence of the city track
and field championships these past two years likely hit
the son of the Knights track program harder than most,
the grade 11 multi-sport athlete is trying to remain philosophical
as he looks to reach OFSAA early next month.
“The goal is just to
try and improve as you go along,” he said. “You
might start off the season a little slow, but you progress
really fast. By the time you get to OFSAA, there is so
much competition, you will probably run a good time if
you have a good race.”
As for his approach on the various events, it tends to
differ somewhat through each of the three races. “The
steeplechase is a fun concept to do,” said Ward.
“It gets pretty tiring, but it’s a fun race
with all of the hurdles and the water jump. The 3000m
feels long, just going around the track seven and a half
times – that can be boring sometimes.”
“The 1500m feels like
a good event. Sometimes, I just think about running a
fast 1200m because the last 300 metres, you can just fight
your way through.”
Only one new record was established,
and that by Riley Cornthwaite of Lasalle, who bested his
own previous PB with a time of 2:49.04 in the 800m dash
– intellectually impaired event.
Senior Girls Division
100m – Sierra Boyuk (BAC) – 13.85
200m – Julia Arnold (LOE) – 29.78
400m – Peyton Brear (LAS) – 1:09.97
800m – Sophia Oommen (LOE) – 2:47.52
1500m – Avery Sutherland (LOE) – 5:37.42
3000m – Avery Sutherland (LOE) – 12:08.95
100m hurdles – Sophie Moore (LOE) – 17.46
400m hurdles – Sierra Boyuk (BAC) – 1:13.98
High Jump – Sydney Coe (LCS) – 1.46m
Long Jump – Charlotte Eberlein (LAS) – 4.83m
Triple Jump – Charlotte Eberlein (LAS) – 9.86m
Pole Vault – Kaija Beljo (LCS) – 2.00m
Shot Put – Abigail Howsare (LCS) – 8.55m
Discus – Katie Pilon (ESMC) – 24.36
Javelin – Ashley Ruddick (CFD) – 27.47m
2000m steeplechase – Sophia Oomen (LOE) –
8:48.59
Senior Boys Division
100m – Josh McKay (LAS) – 11.85
200m – Luca Domagalski (STB) – 24.14
400m – Liam Lacroix (LOE) – 53.36
800m – Liam Lacroix (LOE) – 2:12.86
1500m – Kaeden Ward (LOE) – 4:27.83
3000m - Kaeden Ward (LOE) – 9:36.57
110m hurdles – Caden Fabbro (LOE) – 16.97
300m hurdles – Travis Annett (LCS) – 1:08.72
High Jump – Ryan Rubic (LIV) – 1.83m
Long Jump – Brady Ducharme (LCS) – 5.82m
Triple Jump – Brady Ducharme (LCS) – 13.23m
Pole Vault – Luca Graffi (LCS) – 2.80m
Shot Put – Owen MacDonald (LIV) – 12.59m
Discus – Cameron Shanks (LOE) – 29.30m
Javelin – Ethan Scott (LOE) – 45.48m
2000m steeplechase – Kaeden Ward – 7:00.29
Junior Girls Division
100m – Aimee Remillard (BAC) – 13.56
200m – Claire Schmidt (LOE) – 28.51
400m – Finlay Cuza (LOE) – 1:06.22
800m – Finlay Cuza (LOE) – 2:31.62
1500m – Lauren Pineau (LCS) – 5:24.34
3000m – Georgia Lepage (STB) – 11:53.63
80m hurdles – Aimie Remillard (BAC) – 13.87
300m hurdles – Finlay Cuza (LOE) – 53.25
High Jump – Alissa Diavolitsis (LCS) – 1.37m
Long Jump – Maeva Sullivan (LCS) – 4.87m
Triple Jump – Aimie Remillard (BAC) – 9.94m
Pole Vault – Avani Innis (LCS) – 1.80m
Shot Put – Chloe Rinaldi (HOR) – 10.44m
Discus – Kendra Shanks (LOE) – 20.37m
Javelin – Adasyn Radey (LAS) – 21.85m
Junior Boys Division
100m – Gavan Potvin (BAC) – 12.13
200m – Jacob Barney (LOE) – 25.18
400m – Atom Thususka (LCS) – 58.47
800m – Owen Dobson (LOE) – 2:16.26
1500m – Sam Rice (LOE) – 4:34.57
3000m – Sam Rice (LOE) – 9:43.02
100m hurdles – Caleb Lalonde (CHMP) – 17.63
300m hurdles –Jacob Barney (LOE) – 56.84
High Jump – Adam Scott (LOE) – 1.75m
Long Jump – Zidain Allen (LAS) – 5.81m
Triple Jump – Adam Scott (LOE) – 11.54m
Pole Vault – Corbin Appleby (LCS) – 2.00m
Shot Put – James Scott (STC) – 11.02m
Discus – Okikola Olufowabi (CFD) – 24.13m
Javelin – James Scott (STC) – 35.70m
Novice Girls Division
100m – Milena Kulik (LOE) – 13.46
200m – Milena Kulik (LOE) – 27.40
400m – Gracie Dale (LOE) – 1:08.07
800m – Lucia Salmaso (MMT) – 2:32.27
1500m – Lucia Salmaso (MMT) – 5:28.38
3000m – Lucia Salmaso (MMT) – 12:15.15
80m hurdles – Sidney Skrobit (LOE) – 14.95
300m hurdles – Olivia Ball (LOE) – 56.26
High Jump – Sidney Skrobot (LOE) – 1.45m
Long Jump – Kali Clement (LAS) – 4.12m
Triple Jump – Kali Clement (LAS) – 9.35m
Pole Vault – Evelyn Holloway (LCS) – 1.90m
Shot Put – Kayeisha Thomas (MMT) – 9.82m
Discus – Kayeisha Thomas (MMT) – 20.39m
Javelin – Lindsey Brouillette (LCS) – 20.40m
Novice Boys Division
100m – Nicholas Bechard (CND) – 12.38
200m – Nicholas Bechard (CND) -25.30
400m – Adam Urso (STC) – 59.35
800m – Nicho Labrecque (LOE) – 2:15.92
1500m – Nicho Labrecque (LOE) – 4:38.63
3000m – Nicho Labrecque (LOE) – 10:36.54
100m hurdles – Logan Mannella (LAS) – 16.00
300m hurdles – Corey Lacroix (LOE) – 47.59
High Jump – Riley Graffi (LOE) – 1.60m
Long Jump – Nicholas Bechard (CND) – 5.49m
Triple Jump – Will Mackey (LAS) – 10.81m
Shot Put – Isaac Jeanveau (BAC) – 10.72m
Discus – Camden Kirkey (LOE) – 27.20m
Javelin – Brayden Bertrand (SC) – 34.57m
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