On the weekend of April 11 and 12, seven young Georgian Bay Coyotes joined over 900 athletes to take part in the Minor Track Association’s Provincial Indoor Championships, hosted by the United Tamil Club at York University.
On Saturday, the racers participated in the 1200m and 1500m events. Tyke girl Ella Cleland was first to toe the line. She was seeded third going into the race and was determined to come away without losing any ground in the standings. She posted a fairly fast first lap and then settled into a steady rhythm, keeping within reach of the lead pack. She crossed the finish line confidently, earning a third-place medal and a four-second personal best.
Iris Herman and Eve Tudor were next to line up, racing in the Atom girls’ 1500m. Both girls competed in the first heat, with Iris seeded fourth. Iris dug in and focused well, keeping herself close to the leader. She placed second in her heat and crushed her previous best time by eleven seconds. Eve, who had only raced once previously, showed that she meant business, making some impressive passes and taking an incredible twenty-three seconds off her best time.
Atom boys Caleb Cleland and Casey Mothersell were next to race the 1500m, both competing in the fastest heat. They got off to solid starts, not letting adrenaline and nerves push them too fast through the opening 200m. Casey, seeded fourth overall, was determined to push for a medal. He did just that, holding strong splits and finishing with a nice burst of speed to secure third place while lowering his personal best by another four seconds. Caleb had unfortunately been dealing with motion sickness on the car ride to the track, and while he maintained reasonably solid splits, he wasn’t quite able to race to his full potential.
The final race of the day for the Coyotes was the Senior girls’ 1500m. Avery McPhatter got off to a smart start in the first heat but became boxed in behind several runners for several laps before taking matters into her own hands and bursting past them. She had a fantastic finishing sprint, though she was disappointed to see the six-minute barrier remain just out of reach this time.
Madelyn Moores was in the second heat of Atom girls. She was seeded third in the heat, but her solid pacing and determination showed as she fought hard and crossed the line first, out-sprinting Scarlet Brown from the Oakville Renegades while shaving over six seconds off her previous best time.
Sunday morning started with some passing practise on the indoor track as coaches wanted to see athletes be a bit more confident in their timing of this skill. All of the athletes put this practise to use.
Casey Mothersell ran up an age category in the Senior division so he could compete in the 2000m. He tactically worked his way through the race alongside some of the Senior girls, who were combined in the event, and finished strong. Initially placed fourth, a review revealed that the athlete ahead of him had not completed all ten laps. Casey was officially awarded a second bronze medal for his efforts.
The 800m races began with Eleanor Cleland, who got out with a fast first lap. Determined to stay in the mix with the top three racers, she delivered an outstanding finishing sprint, narrowly missing second place by just half a second. Her third-place medal was well deserved.
Iris Herman and Eve Tudor both competed in the second of three heats of the Atom girls’ 800m. With six athletes entering the race with identical seed times, it proved to be a highly competitive field. Iris started near the back but made several well-timed passes to confidently secure third place in her heat. Eve had a strong start, cutting in decisively from the outside and racing well throughout. She knocked nine seconds off her previous best time.
Caleb Cleland was next to test his training in the 800m. Seeded fifth in the fastest heat of boys, he was encouraged by coaches to go out and stay with the leaders. He had an incredible start, squeezing through a gap no one thought was there. After a very fast opening lap, he battled between third and fourth place. In the end, his final sprint just missed catching Toronto West’s Edward Scratch, who placed third, but Caleb’s efforts took four seconds off his previous personal best.
The final racers of the day were Senior girls Avery McPhatter and Madelyn Moores. Avery went out hard on her first lap, working to stay with the lead group. She slipped slightly off pace mid-race but came back with determination, sprinting to the finish in a thrilling photo finish. She crossed the line with an identical time to her rival from the Flying Angels.
Madelyn ran another excellent 800m race, once again showing her grit and determination. She held her position well within the pack and finished with a strong sprint, improving her personal best by four seconds.
“Coaches and parents are incredibly proud of the efforts of these energetic and dedicated athletes. Sunday concluded with every athlete achieving a personal best, creating a strong sense of accomplishment,” said the team.
The Coyotes will now take a short break before beginning preparation for the outdoor track season.
To learn more about the team, please visit: www.georgianbaycoyotes.com
