Yes, there are issues facing the local track and field scene this spring, but on Saturday, the weather wasn't one of them. A glorious day welcomed nearly 200 athletes to the 2015 Laurentian University Black Flies Track & Field Meet.
With the current Rainbow Board strike, a number of public high school students from Lo-Ellen, Lockerby, Lasalle and other schools were still able to participate in the meet either as members of the Track North Athletic Club or simply as "unattached" competitors.
Case in point, Reinhardt Grobler, the defending city champion in both the 110m and 400m hurdles, completing his final year at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School.
Born in South Africa and having moved to the Sudbury area a couple of years ago, Grobler first competed for the Knights as a member of the cross-country team, but eased over to the hurdles on the urging of track and field head coach Colin Ward.
"I think he saw that I had more speed than long-distance endurance, and I was quite tall, which is an advantage in doing the hurdles," said Grobler, not long after taking the 110m event in a time of 16.03 seconds.
His competitive calendar — and that of other students now impacted or who could be impacted by labour action by Ontario's teachers — is very much up in the air, however. The teachers strike could mean there will no Sudbury District Secondary School Athletic Association (SDSSA or city championships) or Northern Ontario Secondary School Athletics (NOSSA) championships this season.
"If cities doesn't happen, we'll keep training for provincials, and probably go and join some club meets and training hard," Grobler said. "You've been preparing for all of these events, and now there's something like this in the way. It's a bummer."
To some extent, 14-year-old Christina Robert is oblivious to the plight of her high-school counterparts. She is, after all, only in Grade 8 at St Benedict Catholic School. She captured first place in the midget girls 100m dash, clocking in at 13.02 seconds, a hair quicker than the SDSSAA-winning midget time posted one year ago by Allison Byrnes of Marymount.
Sidelined earlier this spring with a hamstring pull, Robert returned to training only a couple of weeks ago, so she was quite pleased with her performance on Saturday.
"I was hoping I would beat my PB (13.11)," Christina said. "I don't have any pain in my leg, so I feel like I am back into it."
Robert would go on to sweep the 200m dash as well, posting a time of 27.95 seconds, again somewhat faster than the first-place finisher in midget girls last May.
Following is a breakdown of local athletes who picked up first place in their events:
Midget Girls
80m hurdles: Becca Hopkins (unattached) - 15.09
100m dash: Christina Robert (Track North) - 13.02
200m dash: Christina Robert (TRack North) - 27.95
Triple Jump: Harmony Martel (unattached) - 9.37m
High Jump: Harmony Martel (unattached) - 1.44m
Junior Girls
80m hurdles: Kalea Loewen (Track North) - 14.14
100m dash: Allison Byrnes (Marymount) - 13.48
200m dash: Christina Isaia (Marymount) - 32.37
400m: Brianne Bélanger (Sacré Coeur) - 1:11.93
800m: Allison Caswell (Track North) - 2:30.78
1500m: Allison Caswell (Track North) - 5:26.29
Long Jump: Allison Byrnes (Marymount) - 4.90m
Triple Jump: Allison Byrnes (Marymount) - 9.75m
High Jump: Kayla Samarian (Marymount) - 1.38m
Senior Girls
100m hurdles: Michelle Corallo (unattached) - 16.59
100m dash: Danielle Roy (Track North) - 12.73
200m dash: Natasha Mayer (Track North) - 27.22
400m: Natasha Mayer (Track North) - 1:02.46
1500m steeplechase: Sarah MacLean (Track North) - 5:53.93
Midget Boys
100m hurdles: Kelly Thompson (Track North) - 19.07
Triple Jump: Curtis Bertrand (St Benedict) - 10.37m
Junior Boys
100m dash: Mukenge Muray (unattached) - 12.11
200m dash: Mukenge Muray (unattached) - 25.45
100m hurdles: Mukenge Muray (unattached) - 16.42
Senior Boys
100m dash: Skyler Savage-Perreault (Track North) - 11.41
110m hurdles: Reinhardt Grobler (Track North) - 16.03
400m: Reinhardt Grobler (Track North) - 53.97
800m: Brendan Costello (Track North) - 2:02.37
1500m: Brendan Costello (Track North) - 4:31.10
2000m steeplechase: Liam Passi (Track North) - 6:28.93
