Staff
The provincial Minor Track and Field Championships were held at the Mohawk Sports Park in Burlington on Saturday, July 28 and Sunday, July 29, with over 900 kids in attendance.
The $1 million newly resurfaced track was a welcome site for the athletes looking for fast performances, and the Georgian Bay Coyotes were on the prowl for some hardware and some personal best performances.
In spite of the optimism, personal best times were hard to come by.
“It is a rare occurrence for the Coyotes to compete at a provincial championship and the majority of the team come out flat,” said team coach Kevin Hooper. “We are known for peak performances at championship events and a steady stream to the podium, but that was not the case this weekend.”
On Saturday, the 21 Coyote runners posted only four personal best times and earned only one medal. After a night of reflection, they came out more positive and aggressive, but still struggled to clock their usual high number of personal best performances and medal count. Sunday brought with it two medals and seven personal best times, with 19 Coyotes competing.
Leading the way for the Coyotes was Grade two student, Freja Kulakowsky of the Blue Mountains. She won gold in the Mite Girls 800m and bronze in her 400m event. Liam Law, a Grade one Meaford student, won the other Coyotes medal – bronze – in the Mite Boys 800m. He also posted two personal best times on the weekend, in his 400m and 800m events. Ethan Mei, a Grade five Meaford student, also posted two personal best times in his Atom Boys 800m and 1500m races.
“The Coyotes are a hungry, determined, motivated, and resilient group. After they have their well-deserved two week break, they will all come back more focused than ever to catch up on lost ground for their fall cross country season,” said Hooper.
For more information about the team, check out their website at www.georgianbaycoyotes.com.
Photo: Freja Kulakowsky led the Coyotes at the MTA Provincial Track and Field Championships with a gold medal in the Mite Girls 800m and a bronze in the 400m
