Tomari, Gras and Hallett tops at SOSSA
Graham Tomori successfully completed Step 2 Wednesday afternoon at the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association meet at Christie Lake Conservation Area in Dundas.
The Grade 12 student at Eden won the senior boys race to go with the Zone 3/4 title he won last week. Still on his list for 2024 are victories at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championship, the Athletics Ontario championship and nationals for his age category.
Despite his lofty list of ambitions, Tomori is making sure he doesn’t get too far ahead of himself.
“I try to stay pretty mindful of where I am in the process. I think I am very fit right now but I know there are other guys who are just as fit and maybe even fitter. Nationally, there are guys running really quick times and there’s a lot competition,” he said. “I try to do my best every race and I was not totally happy with how the race went today but it’s hard not to be happy with it in terms of the time I ran and the place I came.”
Important in the process is remaining humble.
“It’s really good to have that killer mindset and go out there and think you can do it, your fit and you are better than the other guys. But at the end of the day, there are other fast guys out there and I don’t think I am super human. In America, I don’t think I would even crack the top 100. It’s not good to be super overconfident and open fast because you think no one can catch you or do other racing tactics that aren’t smart at the end of the day. I try to stay mindful of who I am.”
He does like where he’s at heading into OFSAA.
“I think you can always be a faster runner and better and I don’t think I am at the peak of where I could be. There’s a lot more that I could be doing but as of right now I have been hitting the goals I set for myself. I will put my head down this next week, keep working and be ready for OFSAA.”
Wednesday’s race was anything but a walk in the park for Tomori.
“I opened with a 2:51 (first kilometre) which I am happy with but one of the Ks really hurt me,” the 16-year-old said. “The first three Ks felt very good and it felt very controlled and smooth. That fourth K in the forest was like up, down, up, down, big up and none of the downhills were smooth and slow. All of them were super steep so that fourth K really sucked, It was one of the harder ones I had to race and then the last two K felt good again.”
Tomori won Zone 3/4, SOSSA and placed fifth at OFSAA last year. In Grade 10, he won SOSSA and earned a silver medal at OFSAA. Racing an age level up in Grade 9, was second at SOSSA.
Sir Winston Churchill won the senior boys team title and E.L. Crossley was second. Both advanced to OFSAA.
Winning the men’s para event was William Hussein-Costa of A.N. Myer.
Niagara senior teams advancing to OFSAA: 1. Sir Winston Churchill (3. Simon Dobrovolski; 10. Samuel Dellalian; 13. Jackson Mead; 14. Julian Cirasuolo; 17. Damien Bertrand); 2. E.L. Crossley (6. Jackson Sider; 8. Logan MacRae; 20. Griffin Eller; 27. Adam Freure; 35. Jack Ryan).
Niagara senior runners qualifying for OFSAA as individuals (top five not on teams): 1. Tomori, Eden (18:48.8); 2. Oliver Crowe, Governor Simcoe; 4. Jackson McIntosh, West Niagara.
JUNIOR BOYS
Denis Morris’ Jose Gras credited sibling rivalry for pushing him to his SOSSA junior boys individual title Wednesday in Dundas.
“It feels really good. My sister (Candelaria) won it last year and I came fourth. I feel that is what ticked me off a bit to push myself even more this year. I’m finally happy to get that SOSSA title.”
Gras came second to teammate TJ Woods at the Niagara Catholic championships last week.
“It was a tough race and I wasn’t mentally prepared but I still found that it was a good race to try and push myself even more to come out here and do what my coaches tell me to do.”
Gras has also beaten Woods at two invitational meets this fall and it is a huge confidence boost to go toe-to-toe with the reigning OFSAA silver medalist.
“Going to the same school and being friends definitely pushes each of us to race to the best of our abilities. He is always a good competitor to have. It’s good to go back and forth and see what each of us can do.”
Gras is a different runner in 2024.
“I want to thank my coaches. They have pushed me so much mentally and physically and I have a really good group of guys who I enjoy training with. I feel that is what has taken me to the next level. After the indoor season in 2024, I was not that happy with myself,” he said. “I was upset that I wasn’t getting where I wanted to be and I feel that is when the click finally happened. I needed to work harder if I wanted to be up there and it is finally starting to pay off.
He went to OFSAA last year and placed 33rd.
“It has been a good learning curve and I have been able to do better workouts and get better races and results. I am excited to see how the rest of the season goes.”
His expectations at OFSAA are to place in the top five or 10.
“This is my first year actually putting in the work.”
Niagara junior teams advancing to OFSAA: 2. Sir Winston Churchill (6. Lucas Sacco; 8. Christin Sloetjes; 9. Keegan Clark; 16. Jack Miller; 27. Aidan Nickolson).
Niagara junior runners qualifying for OFSAA as individuals (top five not on teams): 1. Gras (16:54.8); 3. TJ Woods, Denis Morris; 4. Rocco Shuker, West Niagara; 5. Evan Blake, Saint Paul; 10. Owen Corman, Denis Morris.
NOVICE BOYS
Sir Winston Churchill’s Deagan Hallett cruised to a 16.5-second victory Wednesday in the SOSSA novice boys race.
“It felt good. It was a good start and a fun race. I just feel that when OFSAA comes, hopefully it will be a little closer so I can push and go faster,” the 14-year-old St. Catharines resident. “My coach was telling me about one guy and I did think it was going to be a little closer but I had a feeling I was going to pull away and get the victory.”
Hallett was mostly racing against himself Wednesday.
“Even though I am by myself, I try and tell myself that I have to go. I’ve got to keep pushing because I don’t like to give up on myself. I don’t want to slow down. I need to keep going.”
His goal for OFSAA is lofty. He is aiming to finish in the top three.
“I know some of the guys, I know that I have been working really hard towards this and I think that I can do it,” the Thorold Elite Track Club member said.
Niagara novice teams advancing to OFSAA: 2. Saint Paul (11. Oscar Serravalle; 15. Finley Thornton; 22. Oskar Hamilton; 25. Ethan Cayouette; 40. Mueez Haider).
Niagara novice runners qualifying for OFSAA as individuals (top five not on teams): 1. Hallett; 3. Levi Sampaio, Notre Dame; 6. Sam Garbes, West Niagara; 7. Cole Lindley, West Niagara.
