Teal sets personal best
Carter Teal is off to a fast start to the track and field season.
The 17-year-old, Grade 11 student at E.L. Crossley set a personal best in the 100-metre race Tuesday at the Niagara Regional High School Athletic Association Zone 3 track and field meet at the Niagara Olympic Club.
Teal crossed the finish line in a time of 11.18 seconds, topping his previous personal best of 11.30 seconds.
“I definitely didn’t (think I would PB),” he said. “I was chilly at the beginning and then I started to feel better as I got to the start of the line. I felt like I could excel in that race. My start was alright and I was able to finish it off.”
Teal, who is also plays basketball and volleyball for Crossley, is hoping to use Tuesday’s effort to springboard him to his ultimate goal.
“As the weeks go on, I’m trying to get under 11 (seconds).”
Teal is also participating in the 200 this year and has added the 400 in place of the long jump.
“I dropped the long jump for this year because I felt I could excel in the 400 a lot more,” Teal said. “I felt I still could do the long jump but just the way I was running, if I worked on my conditioning, I’ll be able to do the 400 a lot better.”
Teal is getting used to training for the 400, which he says is quite a bit different from training for the sprints.
“The training for it is a lot harder,” he said. “The training for the 100 and 200 is all sprinting. In the 400, sometimes it’s sprinting, but not always. You really have to train and condition yourself. It’s not about pushing yourself all the way. You have to go 75 per cent for the first 300 and then push at the end.”
Teal has set his sights on top-three finishes in both the 100 and 200 at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships this year.
He has some unfinished business after faulting in the 200 at OFSAA last season.
“I stepped on the line. I won the race as well and was going to be second or third in the final.
“It hurts because you think of all the hard work you put in throughout the season and it comes to that.”
Teal’s attitude is impressive to Crossley track coach Justin Lew.
“He’s always positive,” Lew said. “He kept on with a positive attitude even after something like the happened. That usually gets a lot of people down but he persevered and used that as motivation for this season.”
Teal also recently joined Thorold Elite Track Club.
“(It helps) a lot. Pure talent can only take you so far and then training kicks in.”
The top five individuals and top five relay teams advance to the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (SOSSA) meet Wednesday, May 22 and Thursday, May 23 at the Niagara Olympic Club.
In addition to primary high school sponsors. Johnny Rocco’s and Mick and Angelo’s, BPSN’s coverage of the track and field season is made possible with the support of the Niagara Olympic Club (https://nocrunners.com)
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