THUNDER BAY – Paced by strong performances by Amy Stieh, Kieran KeagStrong and a record-setting four-by-100 relay team, the Hammarskjold Vikings are NWOSSA track and field champions for a fifth straight year.
Stieh, who plans to attend junior nationals later this summer and has already committed to run for Lakehead in the fall, captured the 200-metre, 400-metre and 800-metre titles, while KeagStrong outpaced the field in both the 1,500-metre race and the gruelling 3,000-metre competition, in which he soared to victory on Wednesday.
The Vikings took the overall title with 869 points, easily out-distancing the runner-up St. Patrick Saints, who collected 539 points. St. Ignatius was third, with 326 points, edging out Fort Frances and Westgate, who rounded out the top five.
In the boys’ category, the Vikings also won for the fifth straight year lapping the field with 537 points, 322 more than the 205 collected by second-place St. Ignatius. St. Patrick took the female title for a second year in a row with 400 points, 68 more than Hammarskjold's 332.
The Fort Frances Muskies took third with 171 points.
“It was a really good meet, I’d say,” said Stieh, who tied St. Patrick’s Jocelyn Ertl for top senior female honours.
“I set a new personal best in the 200, which is awesome. My 400 was pretty good. I’m happy with it. It’s a season best. The 800 was just a fun run and the relay was awesome, it was so much fun to run with the team.
Stieh, who started the four-by-100 relay buried in last place, managed to overcome much of the gap, but had to settle for silver on Wednesday.
She’s got bigger goals in mind.
“I really want to win the 400 at OFSAA. It’ll be a tough race and there are lots of other girls down there that are really fast, but I’m competitive for that title and by running a fast 200-metre race, it sets me up so that I have the speed and I’m able to do it and perform,” Stieh said.
Teammate Tyson Mayer, who anchored the senior-boys’ four-by-100-metre relay team, said it felt great to set a new standard, crossing the finish line in 44.56 seconds.
“We had a really good start with my teammates and I kind of just carried through the lead that we had,” Mayer said.
“We have Niko Dowhos, who I think is top three in Canada for the 60-metre indoor.”
The winning lineup also included Colton Dowhoszya and Devin Giertuga.
“We were really wanting to crush this record, because we knew the people that set it before,” Mayer said.
Winning as a team topped it all, he added.
“We’re all such close friends, it’s just such a big win for us,” Mayer said.
KeagStrong said it was tough running in the wind, but he was able to persevere and take home a pair of gold medals, landing him a berth at provincials.
“It feels really good,” he said.
Overall
- Hammarskjold: 869
- St. Patrick: 539
- St. Ignatius: 326
- Fort Frances: 300
- Westgate: 291
- Dryden: 136
- Superior Collegiate: 117
- Lake Superior: 98
- Chapleau: 77
- La Verendrye: 46
- Manitouwadge: 37
- Michipicoten: 10
- Hornepayne: 5
Female
- St. Patrick: 400
- Hammarskjold: 332
- Fort Frances: 171
- Westgate: 127
- St. Ignatius: 121
- Superior Collegiate: 64
- La Verendrye: 41
- Lake Superior: 40
- Dryden: 33
- Chapleau: 26
- Manitouwadge: 19
- Michipicoten: 10
Male
- Hammarskjold: 537
- St. Ignatius: 205
- Westgate: 164
- St. Patrick: 139
- Fort Frances: 129
- Dryden: 103
- Lake Superior: 58
- Superior Collegiate: 53
- Chapleau: 51
- Manitouwadge: 18
- Hornepayne: 5
- La Verendrye: 5
