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Hall of fame weekend for Thorold Elite

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It was a weekend worthy of a recent inductee into the City of Thorold’s Runway of Recognition.

Competing at the Athletics Ontario under-14, under-16 and under-18 provincial championship last weekend, the Thorold Elite Track Club had a dominant performance in winning the team titles in all three age categories.

More than 1,200 athletes from across the province competed in the event at London’s TD Stadium at Western University.

“We are extremely grateful to our entire community of athletes, coaches, parents, and other supporters. We dared to dream that we could create something special that is the top youth club in the province and little by little have seen that vision become closer and closer to reality,” coach and club founder Steven Fife said. “Going into this weekend we were very confident in winning the U14 title; the U16 title we thought was possible but would have been a bonus. We did not expect to also come out on top in U18 but our athletes really rose to the occasion and we are very proud of each and every one.

“We don’t know if this has ever been done before for the same club to win all three categories.”

A highlight of the meet was Thorold Elite’s under-14 boys 4×100-metre relay, which set a record time of 50.85 seconds to break the previous mark set in 2011 by the Flying Angels Academy. Members of the team were Neithan Vanegas, Anderson Heidman, Wyatt Larsen and Tyrique Woodside.

The track and field season will wrap up this weekend at the Legion Youth National Track and Field Championships in Sherbrooke, Que., from Aug. 11-13. Thorold Elite will be represented by 27 athletes, including St. Catharines resident and Governor Simcoe runner Ayla Laing, who has been selected for Team Ontario.

Below are Niagara’s individual medalists from the provincial championships:

Gold medals were won by: Sadiekie Hayden, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-16 boys triple jump; Kaleb Kennedy, Thorold Elite Track Club in under-18 boys javelin; Ayla Laing, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-16 girls 1500-metre racewalk; Owen Robins, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-18 boys hammer; Sophia Tzvetkov, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-14 girls 80 metres; Coco Van Nynatten, Thorold Elite Track Club in under-18 girls discus; Tyrique Woodside, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-14 boys long jump; Thorold Elite Track Club’s under-14 Boys 4×100-metre relay team (Neithan Vanegas, Anderson Heidman, Wyatt Larsen and Tyrique Woodside); Thorold Elite Track Club’s under-14 boys 4×800-metre relay (Brock Piekny, Deagen Hallett, Jacob Millen and Justin Marten); and, Thorold Elite Track Club’s under-16 boys sprint medley (Daniel Ogunlaja, Alex Wurgler, Sadiekie Hayden and Andrew Bayne).

Silver medals were garnered by: Kristina Etezadi, Athletics Niagara, in under-18 girls 1500 metres; Adam Freure, Athletics Niagara, in under-16 boys javelin and pole vault; Carson Gauthier, Thorold Elite Track Club in under-18 boys javelin; Deagen Hallett, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-14 boys 2000 metres, 1200 metres and 800 metres; Benjamin Keir, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-14 boys discus; Daniel Ogunlaja, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-16 boys 300 metres; Parker Van Krimpen, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-16 girls high jump; Coco Van Nynatten, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-18 girls javelin; Zander Van Nynatten, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-14 boys shot put; Thorold Elite Track Club’s under-14 girls 4×100-metre relay (Amalynn Berardi, Sophia Tzvetkov, Koko Dennis and Aaliyah Henry); Thorold Elite Track Club’s under-16 girls 4×100-metre relay (Faith Dyck, Maeva Scipio, Tola Adewumi and Layla Hall); Thorold Elite Track Club’s under-16 boys 4×800-metre relay (Chase Owen, Evan Blake, TJ Woods and Andrew Bayne); and, Thorold Elite Track Club’s under-18 boys 4×800-metre relay (Evan Fletcher, Fenway Breckels, Elijah Bayne and Sammy Tonnies).

Earning bronze medals were: Amalynn Berardi, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-14 girls javelin; Fenway Breckels, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-18 boys 2000-metre steeplechase; Braeden Brouwer, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-18 boys 110-metre hurdles; Tommy Dallman, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-18 boys hammer; Sadiekie Hayden, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-16 boys 100 metres; Anderson Heidman, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-14 boys discus; Ayla Laing, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-16 girls 1500-metre steeplechase; Wyatt Larsen, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-14 boys high jump; Sophia Tzvetkov, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-14 girls 150 metres; Coco Van Nynatten, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-18 girls shot put; Ava Young, Thorold Elite Track Club, in under-18 girls javelin; Thorold Elite Track Club’s under-16 girls 4×800-metre relay (Katelyn Perri, Talia Goveia, Ayla Laing and Sophia Perri); and, Thorold Elite Track Club’s under-18 girls sprint medley (Angel Adeboye, Elyse Rutledge, Morgan Shaw and Madison Eaton).

Under-18 athletes Kaleb Kennedy and Carson Gauthier took gold and silver in the boys javelin competition.
Under-18 boys javelin throwers with coach Kelly Saldutto.
Under-14 boy Deagen Hallett (left)  won silver in the 800 metres, 1200 metres and 2000 metres.
Boys 4×800-metre relay teams.
Under-14 B=boys 4×100-metre relay team, consisting of Anderson Heidman, Tyrique Woodside, Wyatt Larsen, and Neithan Vanegas, won gold and set a new provincial record of 50.85 seconds.
Under-14 boys 4×800-metre relay team, consisting of Brock Piekny, Deagen Hallett, Jacob Millen and Justin Martens, won gold.
Under-18 B=boys 4×800-metre relay team, consisting of Evan Fletcher, Fenway Breckels, Elijah Bayne and Sammy Tonnies, won silver.
Under-16 G=girls 4×100-metre relay team, consisting of Faith Dyck, Maeva Scipio, Tola Adewumi and Layla Hall, won silver.
Under-14 athlete Sophia Tzvetkov won gold in the 80 metres.
Under-16 boys sprint medley tea,  consisting of Alex Wurgler, Daniel Ogunlaja, Andrew Bayne and Sadiekie Hayden, won gold.
Under-14 girls 4×100-metre relay team, consisting of Amalynn Berardi, Sophia Tzvetkov, Koko Dennis and Aaliyah Henry, won silver.

Bernie Puchalski, a graduate of Brock University and Niagara College, worked in journalism in Niagara for more than 27 years before taking a voluntary buyout from The Standard at the end of 2016. He started his career as a news reporter for the Niagara Falls Review before switching to sports reporting. He was a sports reporter and sports editor at the Niagara Falls Review before joining the Standard's sports department in 1996. He was named the Standard's sports editor in 2000 and became the regional sports editor, in charge of the Niagara Falls Review, Welland Tribune and Standard, in 2015, a position he held until he left the company. During his time in newspapers, he was a multiple winner and finalist for numerous Ontario and Western Ontario Newspaper Awards for sports reporting, spot news reporting and humour writing. He was a member of the Standard Boys Basketball Tournament committee and co-chair of the Standard Girls Basketball Tournament, helping to raise tens of thousands of dollars for bursaries presented to participants in the tournament. He also served on countless local sports committees both in Niagara Falls and St. Catharines.

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