Records fall at city track and field - The Sudbury Star - Ontario, CA

By BRUCE HEIDMAN, The Sudbury Star

Posted 11 hours ago

John Kosar had just broken the senior boys pole vault record and was looking to extend it with one more jump.

However, he paused and turned his attention to an announcement being made over the loudspeaker at the Laurentian Community Track. Runners were being called to the blocks for the senior boys 110-metre hurdles final.

Kosar laid down his pole, politely told the pole vault official he'd be right back and jogged over to the starting line.

A couple of minutes later, he blew away the field by a good 20 metres to capture his second gold medal of the day, then headed back to the pole vault. His attempt at 3.75 metres, matching his personal best, came up a hair short. No matter. He had already set the new record at 3.63 metres for his first gold medal of the day.

It was another impressive meet for the 19-year-old Lo- Ellen student at the 71st annual SDSSAA track and field championships.

"I'm a little tired out," Kosar said after his final pole vault. "It's going really good considering I haven't been able to practise much due to an injury for the last week or so. I was just coming here to do my best and it turns out it's working out pretty well."

No kidding.

"It feels great to set the record," Kosar said. "It just took some guts, and I know what I am doing now. It becomes routine, I have been doing it so long. I wasn't expecting to win the hurdles like that, but it worked out."

A perennial medal winner who is known for his cool under pressure, Kosar had a different feeling going into his final city track meet.

"This is the first time I have ever been nervous at city finals," said Kosar,

who will be attending York University next year. "I think it's partly due to my injury and partly due to it being my last one. I am really happy how it has worked out so far."

Kosar has one more high school event left, today's 400- metre hurdles, where he is the defending city champion.

"I'd like to go under a minute," he said, which would all but assure gold. "I think 59.5 is my goal."

Kosar was one of eight athletes to set new records at the opening day of the track meet on We d n e s d a y , while another record was tied.

Rachel Leck was near the stands enjoying her gold medal win in the midget girls 800 metres, unaware she had set a record until told so by a Sudbury Star reporter. The 14-year-old Grade 9 student was thrilled at the news.

"I just tried to run my best," said Leck, who also won midget gold at the city and NOSSA cross-country championships in the fall. "It was a really fun race and it is one of my specialities that I have run since Grade 7.

"I'm really excited," she added. "I am so happy right now. It feels so good. Now my name is going to be in that record book."

Leck is also a favourite for today's midget girls 1,500 metres.

"I have run it before, but I'm not going in overconfident because there are a lot of good runners in Sudbury," said Leck, who is also a top-notch soccer player who competes with and against girls several years older with the Sudbury Canadians U-21 squad.

Lockerby's Philip Miller, 15 and a Grade 9 student, is new to pole vault, but has taken to the sport like a duck to water as he proved by setting a new midget boys record at 2.75 metres.

A longtime gymnast and trampolinist, Miller transfered his ability to perform stunts in the air to the pole vault, and with great success.

"I just started pole vault about a month ago. It took some time to get used to and to learn the technique," he said. "I think a big part of it is because I used to do provincial gymnastics and now I do provincial trampoline. It feels pretty cool.

"A lot of it is about having control in the air and not being scared," he added. "My background helps because you have to have so much control in trampoline, so pole vault feels so cool because you have to know where you are up in the air and not be scared and it just felt really cool."

Miller went to citys with no expectations whatsoever.

"I didn't even expect to come first and I never knew how high I could jump," he said. "Then I get here and my coach told me I am in first and everyone else is out, so he told me to go for 2.75 for the record and I made it over the second try and realized I beat the record.

"I never do much track and don't think of coming here to win anything, so it was great," he added. "I had a big smile and everyone was coming over to shake my hand and I had no idea what it meant until everyone came to congratulate me."

Lasalle's Brandon Shirk, 18 and in Grade 12, tied his own record in the senior boys 200 metres at 22.73 seconds, a record he shares with former Notre Dame standout Eric Roque.

"I was hoping for a record, but no big deal," said Shirk, who is competing in his final city championship. "It felt good though. My corner in the heats was a lot quicker than this one, so I had to make up time in my straight stretch. If I would have tried in my heat I might have been able to do it. I'm not disappointed though. I came here hoping for gold and I got it. Hopefully I can make it two more tomorrow."

Shirk will run the 100 and 400 metres today to go for triple gold, a feat he completed two years ago.

"I haven't done the 100 for a couple of years and I tried the 800 last year but it wasn't my cup of tea," he said. "I don't look forward to running the 400, but I like it. I like the 200 the most, but the 400 is where I do my best.

"I want to try to get three golds again," he added. I did it in Grade 11 and just missed out last year with the 800, so it would be nice to do that and try to get some PBs. I can never really run my greatest times at citys and I would love to get a personal best in the 400 tomorrow."

The multi-sport athlete, who also competes in basketball, football, badminton and cross-c o u nt r y running for the Lancers, took some time to soak up the meet.

"I have taken some time to reflect out and it's a bit hard," he said. "That's why I came back for another year (of high school), because I like the atmosphere and running track and I'll be doing it at university next year, but it's just not the same. I wanted one more crack at it."

Lasalle's Brandon Mask entered the record book once again in the high jump with a leap of 1.95 metres to set a new senior boys mark.

Mask set the junior boys record just last year with a jump of 1.85 metres.

Two runners broke the record in the senior girls 800 metres. Notre Dame's Eve Boissonneault crossed the finish line first in 2:26.40, with Katie Wiwchar of Lo-Ellen on her heels at 2:26.78.

Adria Lumley set a new mark in the senior girls pole vault with a jump of 2.62 metres.

Jennie Poirier-Rochon set a new record after finishing first in the girls 800-metre wheelchair run, while Tanya Quesnel also broke the mark, finishing second.

bruce.heidman@sunmedia.ca On Twitter @bheidmanSS

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