Staff
The 2019 Ontario Minor Track and Field Indoor Track and Field Championships were hosted at York University’s 200m indoor track facility on Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24.
With over 800 race entries, there were kids all over the field competing in sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws and distance events. The Georgian Bay Coyotes came ready to race with 17 of their top Grade 8-and-Under members competing in the distance events. They all ran with confidence and courage as they took on the best of what Ontario had to offer.
Saturday began with the Tyke [9-10yo] Girls 1200m and the Coyotes let everyone know they were there to race. Freja Kulakowsky [9yo] of the Blue Mountains took gold in a sprint to the finish with four other girls right on her tail. Freja also shattered the old record of 4:38.38 by over 13 seconds. Teammate Sydney Snelling [9yo] of South Penninsula Shores also broke the old record.
Emmett Leary [10yo] of Meaford grabbed a bronze in the Tyke Boys 1200m, just being edged out for silver by 0.71 seconds. Ella Kulakowsky [8yo] of the Blue Mountains and Nathan Leary [8yo] of Meaford each earned a bronze medal in their respective Mite 400m event. Numerous personal best times were also posted. Huge personal best performances were posted by Marshall Grady [10 seconds in his Mite Boys 400m], Payton Weppler [17 seconds in her Senior Girls 1500m] and Devlin Gills [8 seconds in his Senior Boys 1500m].
On Sunday the Coyotes came out flying with everyone competing in the 800m distance. The first 9 members racing all posted personal best times and more personal best’s followed. Nathan Leary [8yo] of Meaford and Marshall Grady [8yo] of Desboro took gold and silver respectively in the Mite Boys, with each running huge personal best times. This was Nathan’s 2nd medal of the weekend. Freja Kulakowsky won her 2nd medal as well – bronze in the Tyke Girls event – with a 4 second PB, with 6 girls all sprinting to the finish fighting for that bronze medal. Other large PB jumps came from the Tyke Girls 800m race. Sydney Snelling [10 seconds], Rimyelle Grady [5 seconds], Taryn Weppler [8 seconds] and Estelle MacInness-Wiley [6 seconds]. Olivia Latham dropped her 800m Atom Girls time by 6 seconds.
Overall the Coyotes returned home with one provincial record, seven medals [2 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze], 12 top-5 placings, as well as 23 personal best performances out of 33 race opportunities.
“It was a fantastic ending to a very challenging winter of training. ALL our Coyotes should be extremely proud of themselves as they gave 110% each and every race,” offered team coach Kevin Hooper.
Coyotes team members are now on a well deserved two week break before resuming training for the Spring/Summer season. Our first Spring workout is Saturday, April 6th. For more information about the team, check out their website at www.georgianbaycoyotes.com.
