Scarlett shines at indoor nationals

Nixson Scarlett highlighted a strong performance by Thorold Elite Track Club athletes at the Athletics Canada Indoor National Track and Field Championships held last weekend at the Toronto Track and Field Centre.

The 14-year-old E.L. Crossley student, who recently won a a gold medal in the 60-metre hurdles and a bronze medal in the 60-meter dash at the Athletics Ontario Under-16 Provincial Championships, returned from nationals with a gold medal in the U16 boys 60-metre hurdles and a silver medal in the 60-metre dash. In both events, he set new personal bests and broke both championship records.

“Nixson is an athlete that all of us as coaches are in awe of,” Thorold Elite head coach Steven Fife said.

Fife scouted Scarlett last spring.

“As someone with a background in martial arts, he brings a level of discipline and poise that is unmatched and the growth we have seen from him over the last nine months is tremendous. He didn’t win the DSBN (District School Board of Niagara) meet when we first met him but I guarantee he would crush every single kid today that he raced against back then. That is really what we look for, which is not the athlete that is already winning races but the athlete who is the diamond in the rough who we can develop into the athlete who is winning races.”

Other local athletes mining gold at indoor nationals were: Thorold Elite’s Amairah Gayle in the U18 girls high jump; Thorold Elite’s Adele Kushner in the U16 Girls 1200 metres; Thorold Elite’s Mico Penich in the U18 boys triple jump; and, Athletics Niagara’s Josee Regala in the U18 girls pentathlon.

Winning silver medals were: Thorold Elite’s Colby Craig the U16 boys 800 metres; Thorold Elite’s Jordan Gillen in the U16 boys shot put; Thorold Elite’s Kushner in the U16 girls 800 metres; Thorold Elite’s Sophia Tzvetkov in the U16 girls pentathlon; and, Thorold Elite’s TJ Woods in the U18 Boys 800 metres.

Also winning bronze medals were: Thorold Elite’s Gayle in the U18 girls long jump; Thorold Elite’s Kushner in the U16 Girls 2,000 metres; Thorold Elite’s Levi Sampaio in the U16 Boys 2,000 metres; and, Thorold Elite’s Maeva Scipio in the U18 girls 60-metre hurdles.

“Now it is time to let these athletes have some well-deserved recovery and start looking towards all of the opportunities that await in the spring and summer seasons,” Fife said.