There will be at whole lot of purple and black (or purple and white) at the 2024 OFSAA Track & Field Championships in London later this week.
With a NOSSA performance that was as good, as an overall team, as any that tenured Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School track and field coach Colin Ward could recall, a cavalcade of Knights will highlight the SDSSAA entries who will take part in the three-day event being hosted at the Western Alumni Stadium.
More than doubling, with ease, the next nearest NOSSA opponent, the LEP brigade would send coach Colin Ward scurrying to the statistical archives to determine just how close their overall team aggregate score of 731.50 might come to setting an all-time standard for the south-end powerhouse (St Joseph Scollard Hall Bears were second at 322.50).
With individual aggregate champions Jacob Paille (JB), Janssen Fransen (NB), Megan Pineau (NG) and new record holders Melina Doiron (JG – 100m dash – 12.82), Corey Lacroix (SB - 400m hurdles – 56.35) plus a pair of boys’ relay teams (NB – 4 X 100m – 46.91; Open Boys – 4 X 400m – 3:29.99) leading the way, the Sudbury track powerhouse is sure to make some noise at the all-Ontario showdown.
NOSSA senior girls’ 400m hurdles champion and a mainstay with the Lo-Ellen relay teams over the years, soon-to-be graduate Finlay Cuza has less than a month of secondary schooling remaining before she embarks on the next phase, her academic and athletic pursuits taking her to the University of Ottawa and the Gee Gees' nordic ski team for 2024-2025.
“It feels a little bit different just knowing that it’s going to be my last OFSAA,” admitted the 17 year-old multi-sport talent. “I’m hoping to have a really good performance but also have a lot of fun with all of my friends.”
Cuza is far more the norm than the exception when it comes to the general athletic background of the teenagers who are such a big part of the Knights’ track and field success, explaining the transition that is so often witnessed in these young men and women.
“I feel track and field for me, as well as other people, was initially kind of an extra sport, something to do near the end of the (school) year,” said Cuza. “I do think a lot of us felt that way in grades nine and ten.”
“But everyone continued to train for track as an off-season sport and for a few people, it ended up being their main sport, a sport where they ended up doing really well, a sport that brings everyone together.”
In a sport where all but the relay races are contested individually, the theme of the team is central to the Lo-Ellen T & F experience. “Most of us aren’t necessarily friends outside of track – there are a few exceptions,” said Cuza. “But the second we set foot on the track or we’re at a meet, everyone is cheering for everyone. Everyone just comes together. It’s a really nice environment.”
Multi-event local champions at the senior level included Lakehead University nordic ski commit Lauren Pineau (1500m, 3000m & steeplechase – Lockerby), basketball standout Brooke Gibeault (100m hurdles & shot put – Lo-Ellen) and the afore-mentioned Corey Lacroix (short and long hurdles – Lo-Ellen).
SDSSAA event winners at NOSSA included:
Senior Girls Division100m dash - Maija Potvin (LEP) - 13.17
200m dash - Alissa Diavolitsis (LCS) - 26.78
400m - Jillian Landry (BAC) - 1:00.79
800m - Lucia Salmaso (MMT) - 2:26.98
1500m - Lauren Pineau (LCS) - 5:05.71
3000m - Lauren Pineau (LCS) - 11:27.27
2000m steeplechase - Lauren Pineau (LCS) - 7:31.42
100m hurdles - Brooke Gibeault (LEP) - 16.79
400m hurdles - Finlay Cuza (LEP) - 1:10.73
Long Jump - Maeva Sullivan (LCS) - 5.18m
Shot Put - Brooke Gibeault (LEP) - 10.00m
4 X 100m relay - Lo-Ellen Park - 51.75
4 X 400m relay - Lockerby Composite - 4:13.19
Senior Boys Division
400m - Christian Hodgins (LAS) - 51.06
800m - Nolan Kuhlberg (LEP) - 1:57.61
2000 steeplechase - Sam Rice (LEP) - 6:23.89
110m hurdles - Corey Lacroix (LEP) - 15.75
400m hurdles - Corey Lacroix (LEP) - 56.35*
High Jump - Riley Graffi (LEP) - 1.83m
Pole Vault - Joe Farrell (LCS) - 2.50m
4 X 100m relay - Lo-Ellen Park - 44.59
4 X 400m relay - Lo-Ellen Park - 3:29.99*
Junior Girls Division
100m dash - Melina Doiron (LEP) - 12.82*
200m - Melina Doiron (LEP) - 25.15
1500m - Lily Bignucolo (LEP) - 5:15.66
3000m - Lily Bignucolo (LEP) - 11:36.19
High Jump - Sara Guignard (LEP) - 1.43m
Shot Put - Ava Leveillee (LEP) - 10.47m
Javelin - Myra Balfe (BAC) - 27.71m
4 X 100m relay - Lo-Ellen Park - 52.43
Junior Boys Division
100m dash - Owen Blay (CFD) - 11.72
200m dash - Darren Joiner (LEP) - 23.16
400m - Jacob Paille (LEP) - 51.81
800m - Lukas Morin (CND) - 2:12.10
1500m - Lukas Morin (CND) - 4:35.11
300m hurdles - Jacob Paille (LEP) - 41.35
Pole Vault - Ethan Hodder (LCS) - 2.20m
Discus - Anderson Parent (LEP) - 41.23m
Javelin - Brody Mabbott (SCC) - 49.26m
4 X 100m - St Charles College - 46.90
Novice Girls Division
100m dash - Joely Angus (SCC) - 13.34
200m dash - Mina McCoshen (MMT) - 27.05
400m - Joely Angus (SCC) - 1:02.04
1500m - Megan Pineau (LEP) - 5:20.13
3000m - Megan Pineau (LEP) - 11:35.09
80m hurdles - Ariana Tonkovic (ESMC) - 14.00
300m hurdles - Nadia MacDonald (LEP) - 49.31m
High Jump - Chloé Carrier (HOR) - 1.50m
Long Jump - Nadia MacDonald - 4.92m
4 X 100m relay - Marymount Academy - 55.06
Novice Boys Division
200m dash - Janssen Fransen (LEP) - 24.27
400m - Ty Dubreuil (LEP) - 53.59
800m - Narayan Shukla (LEP) - 2:10.22
300m hurdles - Carson Jewitt (LEP) - 44.28
High Jump - Noah Skrobot (LEP) - 1.73m
Long Jump - Janssen Fransen (LEP) - 5.86m
Triple Jump - Francis Mallory (LEP) - 12.20
Shot Put - Dominic Weisner (ESMC) - 12.13m
4 X 100m relay - Lo-Ellen Park - 46.91*
* indicates new NOSSA record
