Hard act to follow

Callan Saldutto will be hard-pressed to replicate his results from last year’s Ontario Federation of Secondary Schools Associations track and field championships.

The Grade 11 student at Notre Dame won silver in discus and bronze in javelin and shot put in the junior boys division after winning OFSAA gold in the midget boys discus when he was in Grade 9.

“This year is going to be tough because I am in Grade 11 so I am hoping for at least one medal, but I would be fine if I didn’t medal,” he said Wednesday at the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association championships at the Niagara Olympic Club. “If I don’t medal, I am hoping I will place near the top.”

The Niagara Olympic Club member has already had some success competing against older competitors. At last summer’s Royal Canadian Legion Youth Track and Field Championships in Brandon, Man., Saldutto won bronze in the men’s under-18 discus, placed fifth in the shot put and 10th in the javelin.

He feels he has been struggling a bit with discus while making solid improvement in javelin.

“Shot put isn’t my favourite event so I don’t put as much practice into it, but I have improved in it too.”

He is training six days a week — three days of throwing and three days of weight lifting — and has found a new home at the Niagara Olympic Club. He previously trained at the Brantford Track and Field Club.

“We decided it was best for me to leave and come back to Niagara,” he said. “It has been working out pretty well and it’s definitely nice not having to drive an hour and 15 minutes to Brantford.”

Niagara Olympic Club throwing coach Randy McDougall is glad to have Saldutto back in Niagara.

“It is awesome for us because he is such a great kid and a hard worker,” he said. “He never shies away from drills and does whatever you ask because he constantly wants to improve.

“It shows not only in track but in his school grades. The kid has a 98 per cent average.”

Saldutto is motivated to train hard by his desire to obtain a scholarship at a good university in the States.

“I want to get a good education so I can get a good job,” he said.

He has had plenty of emails from a lot of different schools and is planning to visit Yale in June.

“My decision will be based on a mixture of education and sports,” he said. “It has to have a decent throwing program and good academics.”

McDougall knows Saldutto will have plenty of options.

“He can pick where he wants to go because he is so coachable and so hard-working.”

He sees lots of potential in Saldutto, both in the future and during this high school season.

“It depends on how healthy he is going into OFSAA,” McDougall said. “On the day, he might even surprise himself because he has that much potential and he hasn’t fully realized it yet.

“He is improving at every meet and if he peaks at OFSAA, he has a shot to the podium.”

McDougall feels Saldutto is a medal contender in both javelin and discus.