On Saturday, June 20, 13 athletes from the Georgian Bay Coyotes Track Team travelled to Brampton to compete in the Brampton Racers’ annual meet held at Terry Fox Stadium. This meet was held at the same track where the Provincial Championships will take place in a month’s time, and it provided a great opportunity for our local athletes to train and race at the venue.
Five of the athletes who participated in this track meet were first-time racers, and it was wonderful to see them put their training to the test. They learned more about their strengths and limits while also gaining experience with race tactics.
The day began with the 1200m and 1500m races. Ryker Flemming was first to compete for the team. He had a strong start, getting out hard before settling into a steady pace for his three-lap race. He showed a nice burst of speed over the final 100m to finish fourth overall.
The Atom and Senior girls were next to race. They all looked polished on the track, and while their recent racing schedule left them fatigued and just shy of their personal best times, they performed well, with Madelyn Moores taking second place and Avery McPhatter finishing fourth.
The Atom boys were the final group from our team to run the 1500m. The group included Casey Mothersell, Bennett Hustwitt, and Oliver Fisher. Bennett and Oliver are the younger athletes in the Atom category, and both displayed excellent determination as they fought hard to stay in touch with the very fast pack of racers. Their efforts were rewarded with new personal best times. Casey worked to stay close to the leader from the Burlington Track and Field Club and managed a two-second improvement on his previous best while earning a second-place finish.
Seven Coyotes laced up for the 400m once the 100m preliminary races were complete. Claire Fisher, Ledger Flemming, Ethan Simpson, and Chloe Simpson all had their first experience in track racing and had the team cheering loudly as they made strong passes and fought hard to the finish line. Ledger Flemming was rewarded with a third-place medal for his one-and-a-half-minute lap, while the remaining racers all earned new personal best times.
Atom athlete Caleb Cleland raced the 400m in the slower of two heats and wowed the crowd with a seven-second lead over his competitors. Only one athlete from the faster heat managed to beat his time, and Caleb still came away with a four-second personal best and a second-place medal.
Ian Matthews flew around the track in the Senior boys’ 400m, posting a two-second personal best while placing fifth among a very strong field.
After a short break in the track schedule, eight members of the team warmed up for the 800m race. Ryker Flemming duplicated his great start from the first race of the day and paced himself well to take fifth place in the Tyke boys division.
Eve Tudor raced in the first of two heats in the Atom girls’ 800m, knowing that her seed time was the fastest in the field. She took the lead from the firing of the gun and never looked back. Her strong stride carried her to a six-second victory over the next closest competitor and moved her considerably up the rankings with a four-second personal best.
Caleb Cleland, Casey Mothersell, and Oliver Fisher all toed the line for the Atom boys’ 800m race, which saw Coyote orange dominate the field. All three boys posted personal best times, and Caleb and Casey battled stride for stride as they sprinted to the finish, taking second and third place.
Senior girls Madelyn Moores and Avery McPhatter were next to compete in the 800m. It was an extremely tight race, with the top five competitors finishing within four seconds of one another. Madelyn fought her way to the front and held on for a gold-medal finish.
Ian Matthews did not shy away from the burn of lactic acid as he raced the Senior boys’ 800m. He pushed himself hard and took a whopping 13 seconds off his previous best time while finishing fourth.
The final two races of the day featured young Mite athletes, Claire Fisher and Ledger Flemming, in the 200m. Both gave their best effort and finished strongly.
“Overall, it was an incredibly successful day for the team. There were 14 top-five performances, seven medals, and 19 personal bests. Despite having just 13 athletes, the Coyotes collected enough points to be ranked against the other 44 teams competing at the meet. Amazingly, the team placed seventh overall. Coaches and parents are thrilled with the performances of our young Coyote runners,” said the team.
To learn more about the team, please visit www.georgianbaycoyotes.com.
