Countdown continues toward OFSAA Track and Field

As the countdown to OFSAA Track and Field continues, local athletes are gearing up to return to the provincial competition.

Zvia Mazal, a Grade 10 athlete at l’École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier, is looking to improve on her last year’s performance. Mazal is the reigning triple jump champion at the city and regional levels. She is currently training with the school team and Track North in hopes of retaining her titles in triple jump and improving her placement at OFSAA. Zvia also competes in the 200-m and the 400-m races, where she is looking to qualify for OFSAA in those events as well.

In 2010, Connor Boyce made his OFSAA Track and Field debut competing in the boys 2,000-m steeplechase. After a successful fall cross-country running season, in which he won the SDSSAA senior boys championship for the first time and advanced to OFSAA, Boyce is hoping to once again compete at OFSSA Track and Field in steeple chase. Last year’s SDSSAA steeplechase champion said he is hopeful that having “home track” advantage will help him against the province's best in the grueling event that involves clearing the three foot steeples 23 times, five of which are over a water hazard.

Kathleen Wismer is a Grade 12 Lockerby Composite School athlete who is no stranger to OFSAA competition. She made her debut as a Grade 10 cross-country runner and has attended every year since — her best result being a 35th place out of 237 runners. With Wismer's cross-country experience, it is no wonder that the distance events during track season are her events of choice, a press release stated. More specifically, she trains for the crowd favourite, steeplechase. Last year Wismer placed eighth in the OFSAA girls 1,500-m steeplechase final.

An athlete to keep an eye on during this year’s track and field season is Brandon Shirk of Lasalle Secondary School, the press release stated. Although exceptional in many sports, Shirk has made a name for himself as one of Sudbury’s best sprinters. During the 2010 season, while only in Grade 11, he won all three of his sprint events at the SDSSAA meet, while competing against second and third-year senior athletes. For this accomplishment, he was awarded the senior boys aggregate award.

Shirk followed with the senior boys aggregate award at NOSSA, winning the 400-m and placing second in the 200-m and 400-m. He has qualified for OFSAA every year since Grade 9, but perhaps his greatest accomplishment to date, was his top eight finish at the senior level, against the province’s top sprinters.

With the city, NOSSA and OFSAA championships all being held at Laurentian University this year, these four athletes might have the home field advantage necessary to improve on their last year’s performance. These local athletes and many more will compete against the best in the province from June 2 to 3 at the Laurentian University Community Track.