On Saturday, March 15, five young Georgian Bay Coyote runners made the trip to the Toronto Track and Field Centre to participate in the MTA United Tamil Sport Club Winter Classic. This meet was the last of the prep meets for the indoor season and was a great chance for these athletes to gain some racing experience and put their training to the test before the Provincial races in April.
In the morning, three of the Coyote girls, Madelyn Moores, Iris Herman, and Avery McPhatter, participated in the Atom 1500m race. All three girls were in the same heat as their personal best times are quite close together. Madelyn took off hard in her first lap and settled in near the front of the pack. Avery and Iris took a more relaxed pace for the first lap and settled in well. After two laps of the 7.5 lap race, Avery began to struggle with a cramp and fell off her desired pace. She showed determination and finished strong but was disappointed with her time. Iris had some difficulty finding her pace and said that her spikes were hurting her feet throughout. She also was a bit off her personal best but had a very strong sprint to the finish. Madelyn was able to maintain her strong pace throughout her race and she raced hard at the end, taking first place in the heat. She was pleased to knock four seconds off her personal best time.
After the lunch break, the team warmed up for the 800m race. Coyotes’ Mite girl Ella Cleland was feeling a bit apprehensive about racing. She has pulled out of races previously due to the pre-race jitters. Today however was a proud moment for coaches and parents. She faced her fears, toed the line and took off hard. She worked hard to keep the lead racer in her sights over the course of the four laps. By the end, Ella’s pace slowed a little, but she crossed with a smile and earned herself a second-place medal for her efforts.
The Coyotes’ three Atom girls were next to race the 800m. Avery and Iris went in determined to improve over their morning performances. They did just that. Avery held a steady and strong pace, while Iris matched her previous personal best. Madelyn was eager to achieve another personal best, and she crushed her previous time by 9 seconds and managed to break the three-minute barrier while also winning the heat.
To end the day, Atom boy Caleb Cleland raced the 800m. Caleb is and has been a very competitive young racer, though a winter full of sickness left him feeling less certain about his chances of success. Caleb did well to pace himself realistically against a Toronto West racer who took off like a shot and managed to maintain his blistering pace. Caleb slowed a bit over the course of the four laps, but he finished strong, staying in the mix of racers and taking fifth overall.
The day was a positive learning experience for racers and was good preparation for the upcoming Provincial races. They can now be more precise with their peaking training over the next few weeks.
For more information about the team, check out their website at: www.georgianbaycoyotes.com.
