On Sunday, July 19, eleven Georgian Bay Coyotes travelled to Brampton’s Terry Fox Stadium to compete in this year’s Minor Track Association Outdoor Track and Field Provincial Championships.
The event was originally scheduled to take place over two days, but organizers had to scramble to put together a condensed schedule when air quality concerns and tornado warnings were issued for Saturday, July 18. As a result, the event began at 8:30 a.m. and concluded after 5:00 p.m. in order to accommodate as many events as possible.
The Coyotes had four racers take part in the 1500m race early in the day. Atom boy Oliver Fisher came away with a new personal best as he raced the distance for just the second time. Iris Herman put on a clinic as she raced in the fast heat of the Atom girls division. She started near the back of the pack and patiently inched her way forward, holding steady splits. On the last lap, she was in touch with the top five girls and kicked hard, running her final lap a full ten seconds faster than her previous laps. Her last 100m left her in an all-out sprint against a well-known rival, Etobicoke’s Charlie Sherwin. Iris managed to overtake Charlie, claiming the bronze medal while crushing her previous best time by seven seconds.
The 400m races were up next, with five racers from the club competing in the event. Mite girl Claire Fisher added to her racing experience as she competed for only the second time. Ella Cleland, a first-year Tyke, tore up the track, sprinting her way to a second-place finish while earning a three-second personal best. Atom girl Eve Tudor toed the line with no official seed time and clocked a result that placed her in the top half of the thirty competitors—an impressive feat. Caleb Cleland raced well in the Atom boys 400m, running just shy of his personal best and placing sixth overall. Ian Matthews was the final Coyote to race the 400m, taking part in the Senior division. He got off to a bit of a stutter-step start, but once he settled in, he really took off, dashing around the track in 1:03.41 to shave a full second off his previous best time.
After the lunch break, the Coyotes resumed their efforts on the track with the 800m races. Atom girls Iris Herman and Eve Tudor both found themselves a little worn down by the morning’s efforts. They ran well but missed their best times. Avery McPhatter took command of her Senior girls heat, starting with a burst of speed before settling into a strong pace for her two-lap race. She finished fourth in her heat and claimed a well-earned four-second personal best. Ian Matthews enjoyed making new friends with his competitors while waiting for his chance to toe the line. He raced well and demonstrated true sportsmanship, congratulating his opponents wholeheartedly at the end.
The 3000m was next for the distance runners. The Atom and Senior categories were combined for the event in the interest of saving time, and Madelyn Moores was among the seven girls on the track. She had previously raced the distance indoors a year ago, and coaches anticipated that she would better her time by over a minute and a half. This young lady went out there on a mission, knocking out seven and a half laps in just under twelve minutes—a very speedy run for a first-year Senior. She took an incredible two minutes and eighteen seconds off her personal best and won the gold medal in her division.
Casey Mothersell and Oliver Fisher, both Atom boys, were joined by Senior boy James Yaromich in the boys 3000m. All three raced the distance for the first time and did phenomenally well. Oliver started a bit fast, eased up in the middle, and then had the crowd in awe as he put on a brilliant sprint to the finish. He placed fourth in the Atom division. Casey and James stayed close together for the first four laps before Casey’s boundless energy saw him turn up the speed over the final 800m. He crossed the line first in the Atom boys division, posting a time of 11:01.79. James was not far behind, finishing fifth in the Senior boys division.
To end the day, Mite girl Claire Fisher sprinted one-half lap of the track in the 200m. She ran well and was happy to head for a cool treat to cap off a very long but rewarding day of racing.
Many of the Coyotes are now beginning their break between seasons. However, a few of the older racers will be taking part in the Athletics Ontario Provincial Championships next weekend and the Ontario Summer Games at the end of July.
To find out more about the team, please visit www.georgianbaycoyotes.com.
