On Saturday, January 25, the Mississauga Olympians hosted track teams from all over Ontario for the second annual Patricia Warwick Track and Field Meet. The meet was held at the 200m indoor track at the Toronto Track and Field Centre. Four Georgian Bay Coyotes runners were among the 935 athletes in attendance. They got some great racing experience at this event and enjoyed the freedom of running without being weighed down by snow.
The first event of the day for the Coyotes was the 1500m race, and they had two girls, Madelyn Moores and Iris Herman, in the first heat of the Atom girls race. This was Iris’s first time racing indoors and her first 1500m race. She did very well and will continue to improve as she learns her pacing. Madelyn Moores set goals to crush her personal best time, and she did just that. She knocked ten seconds off her previous best and had lots to smile about.
Next up was Coyotes’ senior girl, McKenna Marshall, running the 1500m. Officials organized the seniors into three heats and McKenna found herself in the second fastest heat, which gave her some good runners to chase. She slowed a bit in the middle of her race, but picked it up nicely at the end, taking third place in her heat and 13th overall.
Nathan Leary was the last Coyotes’ competitor in the 1500m event, and he was one of 20 Senior boys to race. He was determined to achieve a big personal best, and he tested his limits as he pushed the pace and led the pack for a portion of the race. He crossed the line taking 5th in his heat and 13th overall and, most importantly, he shaved 20 seconds off his previous best time.
After a lengthy wait, the Coyote runners warmed up to race the 800m. Madelyn Moores and Iris Herman were two of thirty racers in the Atom girls category, and they found themselves in the first of three heats. Iris worked hard and kept a steady pace for her four laps, though she showed some fatigue from her 1500m race earlier in the day. Madelyn listened intently for lap splits as she completed her race, eager to lower her personal best once again. She was successful in knocking off six seconds from her 800m time.
McKenna Marshall was in the second of three heats of senior girls, racing against a field of 28 athletes. She had a clean start to her 800m race and settled in behind a York Region runner. She got lulled into running a bit slower than her capabilities for the middle two laps and then poured on the speed for her final lap. She had a beautiful pass to finish her race, claiming 7th in her heat.
The final event of the day for the Coyotes was the 800m senior boys race. Nathan Leary admitted he felt tired from his efforts in the morning but went out ready to do his best. He started out strong, though was behind many of his competitors. He held his pace, making some nice passes to claw his way forward, and finished 5th in his heat and again 13th overall. His efforts showed in his time as he again lowered his personal best by a full six seconds.
Racing on an indoor banked track against competitors from all over Ontario is a bit unnerving to kids from our community, and the young Coyotes athletes had great success, taking home five new personal best times and some excellent racing experience.
To find out more about the team, check out their website at: www.georgianbaycoyotes.com
