To borrow from a track and field analogy that is completely a propos, the bar only gets raised higher.
Following the historic 13-medal performance of SDSSAA athletes at the 2025 OFSAA track and field championships, there was no avoiding the fact that expectations had increased notably from the traditional Sudbury harvest of perhaps two or three podium placements at the event as the delegation travelled to St Catharines last week.
To be sure, the likes of Levi Blouin, Anderson Parent, Sophia Carlson, Annabelle Richardson and many others did not disappoint, with several locals producing personal best efforts that were rewarded, if not with some hardware then most certainly with the knowledge that the northern crew can compete with the very best in Ontario.
Yet beyond those who we were watching closely as competition began last Thursday came the inevitable surprises, the SDSSAA outliers who suddenly surge well beyond their lead-in efforts to provincials to producing at truly magical performance on game day.
Bishop Alexander Carter junior Bently Szwed did not attend OFSAA a year ago. In fact, he did not even tryout for the school track team. A basketball first talent blessed with a more than decent God-given vertical leaping ability, Szwed attended the most recent city meet with all of a single formal track practice under his belt.
With a jump of 1.76 metres, the young man who turned 16 last week emerged as a SDSSAA gold medal winner – all the while picking up technical refinements very much on the fly.
“At cities, when I first competed, I had a weird run-up approach – but when I jumped over the bar, based on videos I had seen on-line, it looked like I was doing the same thing,” said Szwed, one of only two athletes from his school to attend OFSAA track.
“NOSSA came and I did a different approach and jumped higher (1.81m) and when I went to OFSAA, I did a completely different approach, almost like a “J”, and jumped even higher.”
His best effort of 1.88 metres earned Szwed a silver medal at OFSAA, more likely than not the first in school history at this all-Ontario meet. With no formal track coach at his side, the seemingly easy go lucky track neophyte picked up tricks of the trade wherever he could.
“I was waiting for the high-jump to start at OFSAA and there was a guy who was putting down electrical tape to mark his start,” offered the grade 10 teen who suggested he is likely to now compete at the Legion District meet this weekend in Sudbury. “He just went straight at it so I figured I would try that.”
“The bar was set at 1.80m in warm-up and I cleared it pretty easily so I figured I would stick with it.”
Standing in stark contrast to Bently Szwed was fellow junior Annabelle Richardson of Lo-Ellen. A triple-medal winner in grade nine and defending 100m champion in her age bracket, the diminutive well-spoken sprinter was fully immersed in the ups and downs that come with carrying in a resume such as hers.
“There was more pressure that I put on myself going into OFSAA because I won last year,” said Richardson, who handled it all extremely well in the end, earning gold (200m – 24.67) and silver (100m – 12.24) in her second crack at the second largest track and field meet in North America.
“I had high hopes to win again this year.”
Where many a Sudbury athlete has enjoyed success in the novice (formerly midget) category, a good number have also found out that maintaining that status against opponents who benefit from better training facilities, better training climate, better training partners is never easy.
While Richardson expected some of that, she did in fact encounter a similar but different curveball thrown her way. “The competition was a lot different this year,” she said, alluding to the fact that none of the remaining seven athletes in the 2026 100m junior girls final were at her side in the novice 100m final a year ago.
“There were new runners that I had not race against before that popped up. That was kind of interesting to see.”
Thankfully, her pre-event confidence received a welcomed boost one week before heading off to the Niagara Region and a beautiful new track. “I wasn’t running that well but at NOSSA, I pulled through with two really big PBs,” said Richardson. “I knew then I could do this.”
And for as much as her gold medal race differed in distance from her 2025 first place finish, Richardson had clearly identified the make or break element of her 200m dash. “Running the corner well,” she said. “I am never really worried too much about my start, but I have to focus on running relaxed around the corner.”
“It’s important that I lean into the curve, staying as close as I can to the inside line and making sure I am focused on my arms and breathing. Taking it home is easy after running a smooth corner.”
Joining in the multi-medal brigade were Anderson Parent of Lo-Ellen (SB – discus – silver – 55.75m; shot put – bronze – 17.13m) and Sophia Carlson of Marymount (ambulatory – double gold – 100m dash – 15.64; 800m – 2:55.55)
Other medal winners who were definitely considered in the running pre-event were Levi Blouin (LEP - JB – 100m hurdles – bronze – 13.91), Ay’Den Nixon (SCC – NG – bronze – 12.86) and the Lo-Ellen Park junior girls 4 X 100m relay team (silver – 48.92).
Falling into the pleasant surprise grouping alongside Bently Szwed was Ecole Sacré Coeur grade nine thrower Solène Delparte who heaved the shot put almost 1.60 metres further than she did in her first place effort at SDSSAA, earning bronze at OFSSA with a toss of 11.37 metres.
