Kate’s excellent adventure
Kate Knafelc was one busy teen Thursday.
The Grade 12 student at E.L. Crossley was competing in the open 2,000-metre steeplechase at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ South Region track and field meet at the Niagara Olympic Club at the same time as Crossley’s girls soccer team was playing in the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association championships AA championships in St. Catharines.
The soccer team played Dundas Valley at West Park, which is adjacent to the Niagara Olympic Club, at 9:30 a.m. and beat Dundas Valley 3-2 to advance to the finals at 1:30 p.m. at Pearson Park.
“I wasn’t allowed to play in that (semifinal) game,” the 17-year-old said. “My parents and coaches didn’t want me to get injured for the steeplechase because that is kind of my main event.”
That being said, if the reigning OFSAA steeplechase champion was left to her own devices, she would have made a different decision.
“I would have played,” she said. “I know it was probably the best decision not to but….”
Thankfully, Crossley won and the point was moot.
“I was super happy when I heard that they won and my plan became to run my steeplechase race at 1 p.m. and right away head to Pearson Park for 1:30 p.m.”
After winning the steeplechase event which finished by 1:10 p.m., Knafelc jumped in her father Paul’s car and he drove her to Pearson Park.
“It takes a little time to get there and we actually kind of got lost which didn’t help,” she said, with a laugh.
The Knafelcs arrived 10 minutes into the half and Kate was immediately substituted into the game. She scored the first goal of the game at the beginning of the second half before the St. Francis Phoenix rallied to win the game 2-1 in overtime.
“I wasn’t super happy when I knew that it was going to overtime,” she said. “I was kind of hoping we could finish it off in regulation time, but that’s just how it went.”
The super-fit teen felt fine when the soccer game had ended.
“I wasn’t too bad after the game,” she said. “I came back here (Niagara Olympic Club) to watch my friends compete in pole vault and then I went home and rested of the rest of the night.”
And while Thursday was tiring, Knafelc relished the experience.
“I enjoy both track and soccer and I love helping the team for soccer,” she said. “I love the team aspect of it, I like the competition and I like challenging myself.”
Knafelc has signed a letter of intent to play soccer at the University of Guelph.
She will need an even more incredible juggling act if she wants to represent her high school at OFSAA in track and soccer. The Crossley soccer team heard after Thursday’s game that SOSSA has two spots at OFSAA and it has qualified for the OFSAA championships in Windsor. The only problem is that track and field is scheduled in Guelph for the same time.
“It is going to be tough, but we will see if there is a possibility that I can get to Windsor to play on Saturday if the team makes it that far,” Knafelc said. “I would do that.”
At OFSAA, the steeplechase heats are next Thursday followed by the final Friday afternoon.
Knafelc was back in action Friday at the South Region meet. She placed fourth in the senior girls 800 metres to earn the last qualifying spot for OFSAA and was also scheduled to run for Crossley in the 4X400-metre relay Friday.
In addition to primary high school sponsors. Johnny Rocco’s and Mick and Angelo’s, BPSN’s coverage of the track and field season is made possible with the support of the Niagara Olympic Club (https://nocrunners.com).
