The steps to the podium of the OFSAA track & field championships are certainly not getting any easier to climb for the SDSSAA delegation.

And while Lo-Ellen Park sprinter Melina Doiron might be a tad disappointed that she did not run her best time in Ottawa, perhaps there is some consolation in knowing that in finishing seventh in the novice girls 100m dash final (12.92 – she qualified in 12.66), she would be surpassed by only one other local athlete at the provincial meet last weekend.

Lasalle Lancers’ graduating senior Riley Cornthwaite continues to distinguish himself amongst his intellectually impaired competitors, earning a sixth place ribbon in the 800m final (2:42.47) as well as placing 10th in the 100m dash (14.00).

Meanwhile, having broken both the 100m NOSSA record (12.57) and the 200m as well (26.13), one could see where Doiron, one of several local young up and coming athletes working closely with Robert Esmie and the Air Blastoff crew might feel that she left something on the table as she clocked a time of 26.31 in the 200m on Saturday, falling short of making it to the final (12th place).

Still, many are the Sudbury reps who have struggled in meeting their PB standards at OFSAA, especially when participating for the very first time. All of which makes some of the next wave of breakthroughs all the more impressive.

Capturing gold at the city meet with a toss of 11.96m and following that up with another first place finish at NOSSA (11.79), novice boys shot putter Evan Maksymchuk (Lively Hawks) could feel his confidence growing with each and every throw at OFSAA.

Mentored this spring by track/football coach Dan Yoisten, the high-school freshman sailed the sphere 12.04 metres, then 12.31 and finally 12.50 in working his way up to 10th place in the province.

After playing second fiddle to Milena Kulik of Lo-Ellen at both SDSSAA/NOSSA meets, Bishop Carter multi-sport star Jillian Landry took full advantage of the push at OFSAA to drop her time even lower, her 10th place finish in the 200m dash the best of the local contingent.

Times of 26.89 (SDSSAA) and 27.21 (NOSSA) would give way to a clocking of 26.33 seconds at OFSAA, leaving the young woman who focuses a great deal of her athletic training on her hockey career with the Sudbury U18 “AA” Lady Wolves just 8/100th a second shy of earning a berth in the final.

Another multi-faceted athlete cracked the top ten at OFSAA as Lo-Ellen grade nine track and basketball star Sarah Guignard followed up a decent showing in the 80m hurdles (13.65 seconds – 16th) with her best in competition leap of the year in the novice girls high jump.

Guignard cleared the bar at 1.45 metres to slide into tenth place in Ontario, bettering her golden performances at both cities (1.40m) and NOSSA (1.36m).

No stranger to the challenges of OFSAA competition, Lo-Ellen Park senior Kaeden Ward qualified for the 2000m steeplechase seeded 11th with a time of 6:20.20, moving up one placement to tenth, in the final at 6:21.14.

Finally, Darren Joiner (NB – 200m dash – 23.58 seconds) and Ava Leveille (NG - shot put - 9.41m), both of Lo-Ellen, came ever so close to making their way into the top ten, finishing 11th and 12th respectively.

Following is a complete breakdown of all of the SDSSAA athletes who competed at OFSAA 2023 (* to the best of my abilities to pull the results off, event by event, via the OFSAA website - apologies to anyone who was missed):

6th – Riley Cornthwaite (LAS) – 800m – 6th – 2:44.19 (qualified); 2:42.47 (6th)
7th – Melina Doiron (LOE) – 100m – 12.92 in final; heat time - 12.66 (qualified 6th)
10th – Riley Cornthwaite (LAS) – 100m – intellectually impaired – 14.00
10th – Evan Maksymchuk (LIV) – NB – shot put – 12.50m (12.04/12.31)
10th – Sarah Guignard (LOE) – NG – high jump – 1.45m
10th – Jillian Landry (BAC) – JG – 200m – 26.33
10th - Kaeden Ward (LOE) – OB - 2000m steeplechase – final – 6:21.14; heats - 6:20.20 – 11th
11th – Darren Joiner (LOE) – NB – 200m – 23.58
12th – Melina Doiron (LOE) – NG – 200m – 26.31
12th – Ava Leveille (LOE) – NG – shot put – 9.41m
13th – Lucia Salmaso (MMT) – 400m – JG – 1:00.30
13th – Ryder Coe (LCS) – NB – pole vault – 2.35m
13th – Brayden Bertrand – JB – javelin – 42.15m
13th – Ashley Ruddick (CFD) – SG – javelin – 29.39m
13th – Lo-Ellen Park Knights – NG – 4 X 100m relay – 52.69
13th – Lo-Ellen Park Knights – JG – 4 X 100m relay – 53.03
15th – Sam Rice (LOE) – 2000m steeplechase (6:27.67)
15th – Adam Urso (SCC) – 400m – JB – 52.39
16th – Jacob Barney (LOE) – SB – 400m hurdles – 1:00.81
17th – Amanda Syncox (LOE) – 400m – NG – 1:02.69
17th – Milena Kulik (LOE) – 400m – JG – 1:00.98
17th – Maeva Sullivan (LCS) – SG – high jump – 1.50m
17th – Charlie Dulaney (LOE) – SG – shot put – 9.01m
17th – Kayiesha Thomas (MMT) – JG – shot put – 9.95m
17th – Christian Munch (CND) – SB – 400m hurdles – 1:00.86
17th – Shiloh Sauve (LOE) – JB – 800m – 2:05.18
17th – Owen Blay (CFD) – NB – high jump – 1.60m
17th – Lo-Ellen Park Knights – SB – 4 X 100m relay – 47.49
18th – Ethan Hodder (LCS) – NB – pole vault – 1.90m
18th – Jeremy Thall (LOE) – NB – shot put – 11.11m
18th – Corbin Caron (LCS) – JB – pole vault – 2.40m
18th – Riley Graffi (LOE) – JB – high jump – 1.70m
18th – Gavin Patterson (BAC) – NB – 300m hurdles - 45.57
18th – Liam Lacroix (LOE) – SB – 800m – 2:01.35
18th – Lily Bignucolo (LOE) – NG – 800m – 2:35.71
18th – Milena Kulik (LOE) – 200m – 26.81
18th – Marymount Regals – OG – 4 X 400m relay – 4:19.06
19th – Liam Lacroix (LOE) – 400m – SB – 51.68
19th – Addison Denomme (HOR) – NB – triple jump – 10.76m
19th – Elizabeth Korczak (LOE) – JG – 300m hurdles – 51.81
19th – Jacob Paille (LOE) – NB – 300m hurdles – 45.81
19th –Corey Lacroix (LOE) – JB – 300m hurdles – 43.16
19th – Makenna Mende (LOE) – NG – 800m – 2:36.24
19th – Lo-Ellen Park Knights – OB – 4 X 400m relay – 3:36.90
20th – Dylan Nelson (STB) – 400m – NB – 55.10
20th – Cameron O’Daiskey (BAC) – JG – triple jump – 9.72m
20th – Jack Jones (CFD) – NB – triple jump – 10.74m
20th – Abby Managhan (LCS) – SG – pole vault – 1.70m
20th – Nicholas Bertrand (CND) – JB – 23.91
20th – Sierra Boyuk (BAC) – SG – 27.08
20th – Misaki Diavolitsis (LCS) – NG – triple jump - 9.46m
20th – Jack Jones (CFD) – NB – high jump – 1.50m
20th – Kayiesha Thomas (MMT) – JG – javelin - 25.23m
20th – Sylas Asare-Corbiere (LAS) – SB – triple jump – 12.27m
20th – Lo-Ellen Park Knights – JB – 4 X 100m relay – 47.04
20th – Lo-Ellen Park Knights – SG – 4 X 100m relay – 54.16
21st – Barbara Ceccon (MMT)- 400m – NG – 1:03.71
21st – Alissa Diavolitsis (LCS) – 400m – SG – 1:04.97
21st – Lily Bignucolo (LOE) – 1500m – NG – 5:21.23
21st – Katriina Saari (STB) – NG – javelin – 20.36m
21st – Finlay Cuza (LOE) – SG- 400m hurdles – 1:14.84
21st – Georgia Lepage (STB) – SG – 800m – 2:26.24
21st – Lucia Salmaso (MMT) – JG – 800m – 2:33.25
21st – Lukas Morin (CND) – NB – 800m - 2:13.29
21st – Olivia Lascelle (LOE) – JG – 1.35m
21st – Joe Farrell (LCS) – SB – pole vault – 2.10m
21st – Marymount Regals – NG – 4 X 100m relay – 55.18
21st – Lo-Ellen Park Knights – NB – 4 X 100m relay – 49.18
21st – St Charles Cardinals – JB – 4 X 100m relay – 47.41
21st – Bishop Carter Gators – SG – 4 X 100m relay – 54.57
21st – Lasalle Lancers – SB – 4 X 100m relay – 47.20
21st – Lasalle Lancers – OB – 4 X 400m relay – 3:46.43
22nd – Lukas Morin (CND) – 1500m – NB – 4:39.10
22nd – Will Mackey (LAS) – JB – triple jump – 11.04m
22nd – Brooke Gibeault (LOE) – SG – shot put – 8.64m
22nd – Madison Veevers (MMT) – NG – 300m hurdles – 52.29
22nd – Katie Polischuk (MMT) – JG – 300m hurdles – 53.86
22nd – Adam Urso (STC) – JB – 800m – 2:08.75
22nd – Callum Wiss (LOE) – NB – 800m – 2:16.55
22nd – Jade Paradis (BAC) – NG – 200m – 27.96
22nd – Lockerby Vikings – NG – 4 X 100m relay – 56.44
22nd – Lockerby Vikings – NB – 4 X 100m relay – 50.09
22nd – Bishop Carter Gators – JG – 4 X 100m relay – 54.36
22nd – Bishop Carter Gators – JB – 4 X 100m relay – 48.35
22nd – Lockerby Vikings – SG – 4 X 100m relay – 56.67
23rd – Callum Wiss (LOE) – 1500m – NB – 4:51.09
23rd – Maija Nener (LOE) – 1500m – JG – 5:33.09
23rd – Katelyn De Poli (STB) – 1500m – SG – 5:23.81
23rd – Nolan Kuhlberg (LOE) – 1500m – SB – 4:17.35
23rd – Cameron O’Daiskey (BAC) – JG – shot put – 9.05m
23rd – Amanda Syncox (LOE) – NG – 300m hurdles – 52.38
23rd – Logan Mannela (LAS) – JB – 300m hurdles – 47.12
23rd – Lauren Pineau (LCS) – SG – 800m – 2:29.65
23rd – St Charles Cardinals – NB – 4 X 100m relay – 50.11
24th – Tyla MacLeod (BAC) – 1500m – NG - 5:56.88
24th – Charlotte Grenier (SSS) – 1500m – SG – 5:24.79
24th – Gracie Dale (LOE) – JG – 800m – 2:37.54
24th – Lo-Ellen Park Knights – OG – 4 X 400m relay – 4:29.96