Lockyer and Jeffery crowned senior zone champions
Owen Lockyer races to a first-place finish Thursday in the senior boys division at the Zone 3 and 4 cross country meet at Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls.
Eden’s Owen Lockyer made an excellent debut as a senior runner Thursday at the Zone 3 and 4 cross country meet at Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls.
The Grade 11 student was the overall winner in the senior boys division to help his team win the Zone 4 title.
“I wasn’t sure what the (Sir Winston Churchill) Bulldogs were going to do because they are obviously the juggernaut of the south,” he said. “They are absolutely insane and I didn’t know if they were going to take the race out or do a pack run like they do sometimes.”
When none of the Churchill runners started out fast in the first few 100 metres, Lockyer decided he was going to lead the race and see who could catch him.
“After three K (kilometres), I started to press and really break away from everyone else.”
Last year during the cross country season, Lockyer was recovering from a broken foot and didn’t go into the season with high expectations.
“I didn’t even wear spikes at zone because my legs couldn’t handle it,” he said.
He still made it to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations meet and placed 31st in the junior boys division.
He isn’t making any predictions for this season.
“It’s definitely tough being a first-year senior and I am honestly not even sure,” he said. “I really want this to be a breakthrough year for me throughout the Grade 11 season so that by the end of the year I can be a top name in this province and go on to post-secondary at a good school.”
He has been putting in the effort to achieve that breakthrough.
‘I have been working harder than I ever have and putting in more miles that I ever have,” he said.
He also been paying increased attention to the mental side of the sport.
“After watching Eliud Kipchoge break two hours for the marathon and seeing all the documentaries about it, I am learning how important the mental aspect is.”
JEFFREY TRENDING UPWARDS
Things are starting to go in the right direction for Tessa Jeffery.
The latest step for the Grade 11 student at E.L. Crossley came Thursday when she placed first in the senior girls division at the Zone 3 and 4 cross country meet at Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls.
“My progress was really slow at the start and I felt discouraged just because I came off of track season doing well and going right into cross country season, I had no stamina and I was trying to build it up,” the 16-year-old said. “This race showed I can do it and run a good time and I feel prepared for SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association) next week.”
The Athletics Niagara member admits to being hard on herself.
“My coaches weren’t disappointed in me and it was more me because I knew I could do better than what I did,” she said. “My times in practice weren’t great and I knew I could do better so I needed to push myself a bit.”
She did just that Thursday winning my a wide margin.
“Today was the first day that I felt prepared because of the training for cross country,” she said. “I am hoping to keep the momentum going for SOSSA next week.”
Momentum is extremely important for Jeffery.
“I am trying to be more positive and, for me, momentum is a huge thing. I need to think I can do anything and nothing can bring me down.”
Last year, she won the SOSSA junior girls title and placed sixth at the OFSAA.
“I want to get in the top 10 at OFSAA,” she said. “That is my goal right now and I will see how I progress through the season.
The ultimate goal for Jeffery is to earn a running scholarship.
“I am not sure what school yet but whatever comes.”
KLEINSMITH TOPS JUNIOR BOYS DIVISION
Adam Kleinsmith’s hard work paid off Thursday at the Zone 3 and 4 cross country meet at Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls.
After placing eighth overall at the Zone 3/4 meet and fourth in Zone 3 in the midget boys division last year, the Grade 10 student at E.L. Crossley was the overall junior boys winner on a cold and blustery day.
“I have been training harder and I have been doing a lot more training,” the 15-year-old said.
The Thorold Elite Track Club member was motivated to train harder by the experience he gets out of racing.
“It’s just that feeling when you cross that finish line,” he said. “It just feels so great and after the race, seeing everyone come through and I’m thinking that I just finished that race, pushed it and gave it all I had.”
Early on, he knew his increased training would pay off.
“About two or three weeks after I started training, I knew I was going to do well.”
He loves everything about the sport.
“It’s the wind blowing through my hair and it’s a lot of fun.”
So far this season, Kleinsmith placed second at the Bulldog Invitational and eighth at the Waterloo Invitational.
He is hoping to do a lot better than there fifth-place showing he had at SOSSA in 2018.
“I want to go to OFSAA, run as best I can and top 50 would be good for me,” he said.
Following are top five individual and top three teams result (where applicable) from the NCAA meet:
ZONE 4
Novice girls: 1. Kate Ybema, Heritage Christian (18.1); 2. Lexi Clark, Grimsby; 3. Angelina Cirasuolo, Laura Secord; 4. Emily Bigger, Beamsville; 5. Eden VanHooydank, Heritage Christian.
Novice boys: 1. Nate Rose, Churchill (15:25); Marco Difelice, Churchill; 3. Matt Taubebeck, Churchill; 4. Chad Thorpe, Eden; 5. Sonny Leblanc, Laura Secord.
Midget boys team: 1. Sir Winston Churchill (Rose, Difelice, Taubebeck and Waker Role); 2. Eden (Thorpe, Seth Wienert, Rhys Wienert and Graham Midgley).
Junior girls: 1. Haley Morey, Eden (20:42.1); 2. Payton Tonnos, Eden; 3. Lauren VanHuizen, Smithville Christian; 4. Gabrielle Johnson, Eden; 5. Sarah Summers, Churchill.
Junior girls team: 1. Eden (Morey, Tonnos, Johnson and Pauline Rotz); 2. Sir Winston Churchill (Summers, Emily Reimer, Eva Speck and Dana Ali).
Junior boys: 1. Owen Munnings, Smithville Christian (18:01); 2. Lachlan Nelson, Churchill; 3. Nate Smyth, Churchill; 4. Miles Walker, Churchill; 5. Janal Williams, Churchill.
Junior boys teams: 1. Churchill (Nelson, Smyth, Walker and Williams); 2. Smithville Christian (Munnings, Seth De Haan, Ben Knelson and Jacob Vandermeulen).
Senior girls: 1. Lauren Brooks, Churchill (23:48); 2. Amy Baggs, Eden; 3. Shayla Kuzyk, Churchill; 4. Isabella Goveia, Churchill; 5. Aria Heil, Grimsby.
Senior girls teams: 1. Sir Winston Chuchill (Brooks, Kuzyk, Goveia and Bianca Salierno); 2. Eden (Baggs, Demi Maroudas, Ally Moran and Sydney Baranoski); 3. Smithville Christian (Monica DeBoer, Makayla Vanderwier, Alexandra DeBoer and Janelle Buist).
Senior boys: 1. Owen Lockyer, Eden (20:14); 2. Carter McMaster, Eden; 3 Eric Campbell, Churchill; 4. Sacha Schimmelpenninck, Churchill; 5. Josh Bezanson, Churchill.
Senior boys teams: 1. Eden (Lockyer, McMaster, Evan Stewart and Trent Thorpe); 2. Churchill (Campbell, Schimmelpenninck, Bezanson and Taylor Mowat); 3. Smithville Christian (Shawn Heerema, Braden DeHaan, Patrick Ghaly and Sam Woodland).
ZONE 3
Novice girls: 1. Jade Boisvert, Stamford (18.4); 2, Kennedy Hall, Crossley; 3. Ariella Donnelly, Centennial; 4. Olivia Riddle, Crossley; 5. Maxine Edwards, Jean Vanier.
Novice girls team: 1. Crossley (Hall, Riddle, Mackenna Secord and Mackenzie Arsenault): 2. Port Colborne (Pamela Lindsay, Emma Laura, Emma Audet and Ashley Ker); 3. McKinnon Park.
Novice boys: 1. Gavin Stone, Centennial (15:39); 2. Vincent Warda. ES Franco-Niagara; 3. Samuel Jeffery, Crossley; 4. Noah LeBrassuer, Myer; 5. Hayden Molnar, Vanier.
Novice boys team: 1. E.L. Crossley (Jeffery, Adam Repar, Jason Sviergula and Aakash Senthil;. 2. A.N. Myer (LeBrassuer, Cooper Hollingsworth, Joshua Zabor and Isaac Soppitt); 3. Cayuga.
Junior girls: 1. Alexandra Nickel, Vanier (20:18.5); 2. Abby Jackson, Westlane; 3, Mia Nanini, Vanier; 4. Gracie Young, Crossley; 5. Cassandra Hills, McKinnon Park.
Junior girls team: 1. E.L. Crossley (Young, Trinity Young, Jenna Mergl and Morgan Macleod).
Junior boys: 1. Adam Kleinsmith, Crossley (17:51); 2. Nathan Freure, Crossley; 3. Aidan Bilon, Westlane; 4. Isaac deWaard, Port Colborne; 5. Mason Teather , Centennial.
Junior boys teams: 1. E.L. Crossley (Kleinsmith, Freure, Sebastien Miceli and Alexander Lafferty).
Senior girls: 1. Tessa Jeffery, Crossley (23:46); 2. Lauren Fennell, Crossley; 3. Kaitlyn Palmateer, Crossley 4. Paris Forlin, Myer; 5. Maria Abril, Vanier.
Senior girls teams: 1 E.L. Crossley (Jeffery, Fennell, Palmateer and Sydney Doussept); 2. McKinnon Park.
Senior boys: 1. Adam Woehl, GFESS (21:39); 2. Drew Colangelo, Crossley; 3. Noah Warkentin, GFESS; 4. Patrick Fidler, Crossley; 5. Oliver Young, Crossley.
Senior boys teams: 1. E.L. Crossley (Colangelo, Fidler, Young and Emile Zanuttini); 2. Robert Land Academy; 3. Cayuga.
Para girls: 1. Cassie Kemp, St. Catharines Collegiate (14.4); 2. Shannon Swinson, Beamsville; 3. Deanna Donnelly, Port Colborne.
Para boys: 1. Kobe Selman, St. Catharines Collegiate; 2. Joseph Nokeo, Eden; 3. Braydon Turner, Thorold; 4. Julio Rolon, St. Catharines Collegiate.
In addition to primary high school sponsors. Cracker Jacks, Johnny Rocco’s and Mick and Angelo’s, BPSN’s coverage of the fall cross country season is made possible with the support of the Niagara Olympic Club (https://nocrunners.com).
