Runner has D1 goals
Nicholas Young doesn’t pull any punches when he talks about last fall’s high school cross country season.
“Last year, I had a pretty poor cross country season and I didn’t qualify for OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) as a Grade 11,” he said. “A couple guys did that I thought I probably should have beat, but I didn’t train as much.
“I was balancing hockey with cross country right up until this year.”
Coming off an eighth-place finish in the junior boys race at OFSAA in 2016, the result didn’t sit well with the Grade 12 student at St. Francis.
“I decided to give up hockey because I had more potential in running,” the 17-year-old said. “I’ve been able to get more mileage in, more training in and that’s why I think I am getting better results.
“In the span of six months, I saw a major difference.”
His most recent verification of that decision came Monday when he placed first in the senior boys race at the Bulldog Invitational in Burgoyne Woods.
Young started thinking running might be his best option when the former AAA hockey player wasn’t selected in the Ontario Hockey League draft.
“I kind of realized that I had to make a decision, especially with my goal of going NCAA Division 1,” he said. “You have to pick and choose and if I wanted to go that route, I really had to focus on it (running).
“The motivator was that there was kind of an end goal and for hockey, the end goal is the OHL draft,” the Niagara Regional Athletics member said. “I won OFSAA in Grade 9 in the 800 and ever since then I knew I had the potential to be a top runner.”
His goal for this fall’s cross country season is to duel it out with training partner Santiago Gaitan-Caballero and see where he ends up.
“It should be me and him competing for one and two at most of these races and I have a goal of coming top 10 or top five at OFSAA,” he said. “That definitely doable with the shape that I am in, but I didn’t make OFSAA last year so I have to get there.”
He is also taking steps towards his long-term goal of being a NCAA Division 1 runner with visits to Northeastern, Michigan State and Loyola Chicago.
“I have had some interest from schools, but no serious offers yet,” he said. “The signing period starts Nov. 15 and come that time, hopefully there will be some offers.”
His ultimate choice will be based as much on academics as athletics.
“My parents have always pushed academics first and I want to get the balance where you are going to a school with a good running program and where they have the academics to back it up.
“You are not just there for four years wasting your life running. You know you are going to get a good education.”
CHASING KATE
A.N. Myer’s Larissa Adamo found herself in an unusual position at the conclusion of the senior girls race Monday at the Bulldog Invitational in Burgoyne Woods.
The 17-year-old ended up winning the race and beating perennial Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association cross country champion Kate Knafelc.
“I usually come second most years in zone because Kate usually comes first every year,” the Grade 12 student said. “I don’t know what happened and I am not sure how she was feeling today, but this is the first time that I have beaten her.”
The Niagara Regional Athletics member describes her high school cross country career as a weird journey.
“The first year I didn’t make it to OFSAA and then I trained really hard in the summer and in my Grade 10 year, I made it to OFSAA and placed 59th.
“The next year in Grade 11, I really pushed myself and I made it again.”
But she struggled on a hilly course in Petawawa.
“I didn’t do as well as I wanted to,” she said. “I came 72nd and that was the best I could have done.”
Adamo feels she is improving every year as a runner.
“It really just training differently and it doesn’t mean going further and further,” she said. “Joining a club has helped me to progress and get better and my coach at Myer (Patty Rodgers) is phenomenal.
“She helps me in my tempo and on the hills and she is so supportive. I text her in the summer and I ask her what I should be doing.”
Her goal for the fall of 2018 is to place in the top 50 in the senior girls division at OFSAA.
“I’ve been close but not there, so that is my goal.”
She plans to continue running when her high school career is over.
“I love distance running and I want to continue running in university,” Adamo said. “And I want to run a marathon. I have done a half but never a full one.”
Bulldog Invitational
Mick and Angelo’s/Johnny Rocco’s Runners of the Meet: St. Francis’ Nicholas Young and A.N. Myer’s Larissa Adamo, winners of the senior boys and senior girls races.
Senior girls individual: 1. Larissa Adamo, A.N. Myer; 2, Kate Knafelc, E.L. Crossley; 3. Kaitlyn Palmateer, E.L. Crossley; 4. Allyson Sober, Dundas Valley; 5. Kristen DeBoer, Guido de Bres.
Senior girls team: 1. Guido de Bres; 2. Smithville Christian; 3. Dundas Valley.
Senior boys individual: 1. Nicholas Young, St. Francis; 2. Derian Free, E.L. Crossley; 3. Taylor Mowat, Churchill; 4. Finn Mills, Ancaster; 5. Carter McMaster, Eden.
Senior boys team: 1. Sir Winston Churchill; 2. Eden; 3. E.L. Crossley.
Junior girls individual: 1. Tessa Jeffery, E.L. Crossley; 2. Crystal Coyne, E.L. Crossley; 3. Shayla Kuzik, Churchill; 4. Lauren Brooks, Churchill; 5. Kalyna Kitt, Ridley College.
Junior girls team: 1. E.L. Crossley; 2. St. Thomas Aquinas; 3. Dundas Valley.
Junior boys individual: 1. Eric Campbell, Churchill; 2. Colton Sawatzky, E.L. Crossley; 3. Tyler Woodland, Smithville Christian; 4. Riley Coles, Churchill; 5. David Rule, Westmount.
Junior boys team: 1. E.L. Crossley; 2. Guido de Bres; 3. Governor Simcoe.
Midget girls individual: 1. Lauren Fennell, E.L. Crossley; 2. Abby Jackson, Westlane; 3. Payton Tonnos, Eden; 4. Hayley Morely, Eden; 5. Quincy Rotsaert-Smith, Dundas Valley.
Midget girls team: 1. Sir Winston Churchill; 2. Eden; 3. Dundas Valley.
Midget boys individual: 1. Maddox Harrison, Simcoe; 2. Jake Vermeeren, St. Ignatious of Loyola; 3. Aidan Reynolds, Denis Morris; 4. Owen Munnings, Smithville Christian; 5. Dylan Ferri, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Midget boys team: 1. Sir Winston Churchill; 2. Denis Morris; 3. St. Thomas Aquinas.
In addition to primary high school sports sponsors Mick and Angelo’s (https://www.mickandangelos.com) and Johnny Rocco’s (http://www.johnnyroccos.com), BPSN’s coverage of the fall high school cross country season is made possible with the support of the Niagara Olympic Club (https://nocrunners.com).
