Kemp and Churchill novice boys golden at OFSAA

Collegiate’s Cassie Kemp raced to a gold medal in the para girls division at the OFSAA cross country championships in Sudbury.

Sir Winston Churchill’s novice boys won a team gold medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations cross country meet in Sudbury last weekend.

Led by a bronze-medal performance by Nate Rose, who finished the four-kilometre course in a time of 14:24.57, the Bulldogs ended up at the top of the podium. Other members of the team were Marco Difelice (16th), Mat Taubeneck (56th), Rollo Walker (105th) and Maxwell Redding (222nd).

St. Catharines Collegiate’s Cassie Kemp was golden in the para girls division. Kemp bettered her silver medal of a year ago by winning gold in a time of 16:40.39 for the three-kilometre course. Beamsville’s Shannon Swinson won bronze in a time of 18:51.02 and Port Colborne’s Deanna Donnelly was sixth.

St. Catharines Collegiate’s Kobe Selman won a bronze medal in the para boys division in a time of 13:55.89 for the three-kilometre course. Also in the same division, St. Catharines Collegiate’s Julio Rolon was 11th, Eden’s Joseph Nokeo was 20th and Thorold’s Braydon Turner was 26th.

Sir Winston Churchill’s senior boys squad raced to a bronze-medal finish led by 15th-place finisher Eric Campbell. Other members of the Bulldogs team were Sacha Schimmelpenninck (32nd), Taylor Mowat (99th) and Riley Coles (114th).

Other Niagara runners competing in the senior boys division were Greater Fort Erie’s Adam Woehl (33rd), Eden’s Owen Lockyer (38th), Eden’s Carter McMaster (50th), Eden’s Evan Stewart (121st), Eden’s Hunter Willis (192nd) and Eden’s Trent Thorpe (198th). Eden placed ninth in the team event.

Churchill’s Lauren Brooks placed 32nd in the senior girls division to help her team to a fourth-place finish. Other members of the team were Shayla Kuzyk (48th), Bianca Salierno (78th) and Isabella Goveia (100th).

Also from Niagara competing in the senior girls division were Notre Dame’s Alissa Mete (34th), Crossley’s Tessa Jeffery (41st), Crossley’s Lauren Fennell (99th), Ridley College’s Kennedy Stock (171st), Crossley’s Lauren Knafelc (177th), Crossley’s Sydney Doussept (199th) and Churchill’s Clare Atreo (224th).

Jean Vanier’s Alexandra Nickel placed 26th in the junior girls division to record the best finish by a Niagara runners. Other Niagara runners in the field were Eden’s Haley Morey (33rd), Westlane’s Abby Jackson (43rd), Eden’s Payton Tonnos (57th), Jean Vanier’s Mia Nanini (74th), Eden’s Gabrielle Johnson (91st), Ridley College’s Chloe Winterbottom (187th) and Eden’s Pauline Rotz (209th). Eden was sixth in the team event.

Blessed Trinity’s Evan Beach was the top Niagara in the junior boys division, placing 26th. Also in the field were E.L. Crossley’s Adam Kleinsmith (28th), Churchill’s Nelson Lachlan (45th), Churchill’s Miles Walker (61st), St. Francis’ Mason Petrucci (65th), Smithville Christian’s Owen Munnings (84th), Churchill’s Nate Smyth (96th), Blessed Trinity’s Reese Arnold (106th), Churchill’s Jeff Dommasch (159th), Churchill’s Janal Williams (189th), Blessed Trinity’s James Lawson (207th), Blessed Trinity’s Matthew D’Onofrio (207th) and Blessed Trinity’s Emanuel Villacorta (257th). Sir Winston Churchill placed sixth in the team event.

Heritage Christian’s Kate Ybema was the top local runner in the novice girls division, finishing 36th on the four-kilometre course in a time of 17:15.85. Other locals in the field were Blessed Trinity’s Laura Pogoda (136th), E.L. Crossley’s Kennedy Hall (144th) and Stamford’s Jade Boisvert (170th).

Other that Churchill athletes, the only other local runner in the novice boys division was Centennial’s Gavin Stone (57th).