The Minor Track Association of Ontario hosted their Outdoor Provincial track meet at Bill Crothers Secondary School in Unionville on July 20 and 21, and twelve Georgian Bay Coyotes were among those competing with athletes from all over the province.
This secondary school was built on what once was an 18-hole golf course and it boasts a rubberized eight-lane track, jump pits, space for field events, a turf football field, a turf soccer field and two other smaller-sized soccer fields. It was an amazing venue for the athletes.
On Saturday, July 20, athletes took part in the 1200m, 1500m, and 400m races. Many of the athletes were feeling fatigue from the extreme temperatures and were not pleased with the times on the clock.
In the 1200m Tyke girls’ race, Iris Herman and Madeline Armstrong had good performances, placing eighth and tenth respectively. Tyke boy Caleb Cleland ran the 1200m at a fast pace, keeping his sights on the lead and finishing just one second behind the first-place runner, taking the silver medal.
Atom girl Madelyn Moores showed her love of distance races as she smiled throughout her 1500m race and shaved two seconds off her previous personal best.
In the 400m races, Tyke girl Mila Stepanovic, a newcomer to the Coyote club, ran with determination and pushed hard to cross in ninth place overall.
On Sunday, July 21, many of the Coyotes were looking to improve on their races from Saturday. The cloudy weather and light breeze made the day feel less oppressively hot than the previous day and the kids were all in good spirits and ready to race the 800m.
Eleanor Cleland got the Coyotes off to a great start as she took off hard and maintained even splits throughout her race, knocking over twenty seconds off her personal best time and taking sixth place in the Mite girls category.
Tyke girls Iris Herman and Madeline Armstrong pushed each other along in their race and both finished well, with Madeline knocking seven seconds off her time.
Tyke Boys Caleb Cleland and Easton Parrish both had their work cut out for them as they toed the line against some very fast competitors, all of whom finished the 800m in three minutes and under. Caleb was very determined to push himself in this race, and he did not disappoint. He worked his way up the pack quickly and settled into second position. He and Edward Scratch from Toronto West took a considerable lead on the rest of the runners. With one hundred and fifty meters to go, Caleb gracefully passed Edward on the curve and sprinted for the finish, holding on to his lead and winning the gold medal.
Avery McPhatter looked confident as she budgeted her energy carefully throughout her two laps and finished with a nice sprint in the Atom girls category.
The senior boys had a dramatic start as the first heat, which included Coyote Nathan Leary, took off hard, jostling a Newmarket runner and sending him down hard. The race was halted, and the Newmarket boy was taken to the first aid tent with a dislocated finger. Races proceeded with the other heats before circling back to the first heat. On their second attempt, racers got off cleanly. Nathan resolved to put forth his best effort into his two laps and he raced well, knocking four seconds off his previous best.
To finish the day, Eleanor Cleland raced the 200m Mite girls race. She conquered her nerves and put all her energy into sprinting to the finish, winning her heat and taking fourth place overall.
The weekend was filled with learning opportunities, celebrations, and even some disappointments, and athletes were keen to reflect on the season and their accomplishments along the way. The club is now on a two-week break and they look forward to starting their favourite season, cross-country season, soon.
For more information about the team, check out their website at: www.georgianbaycoyotes.com
