The following are Red Hawks track briefs related to notable records and personal bests achieved by athletes at the COSSA (Central Ontario Secondary School Athletics) Championships last week in Peterborough.

Isaac Little who is in his first season competing in steeplechase ran a personal best in the steeplechase.

He ran it in 6:58.38 shattering the Hawks record set by Ryan Manning of 7:15.31 set last year. He also ran a 12-second personal best in the junior boys 3000 metres in 10:11.56. The Grade 10 runner is competing against Grade 12s in this open boys event. He may look to challenge Sean Keaney’s junior boys record of 10:04.90 set in 2003 next week.

Alex Little ran a 2:16.32 in the 800 metres in the midget boys field at COSSA. Earlier this season he nearly broke Shawn Walker’s midget boys’ 800 metres record of 2:13.19 in 2016 with his time of 2:13.68 run at the Bay of Quinte Invitational meet. He also ran a really fast 400 metres setting a new PB of 55.50 placing third in a field whose winner set a new COSSA record. Alex’s dad (also Alex) still holds the senior boys’ 800 metres and 1500 metres records set in 1986.

Rebecca Archibald who last year almost didn’t even qualify for COSSA but was able to advance due to a scratch – jumped to two third place finishes this year in both the long jump and the triple jump jumping to a new PB of 9.68 metres in the triple jump. Rebecca also ran a strong leg on the junior girls relay team that qualified in fifth of which she is actually the only junior girl and she is running with our three younger midget girls on the team.

Another performer to watch this year has been Sterling Nesbitt. This midget girl rookie jumped 4.61 metres in the long jump at Kawarthas last week one centimetre shy of Joan Barker’s longstanding school record set in 1962. Nesbitt also finished fourth in the long jump and fourth in a fast midget girls 100 metres race this week. Nesbitt anchored the junior girls relay team to a fourth place finish.

Sam Longo shaved more than 10 seconds off his time last week for a third place finish and a new PB of 4:29.98. Emily Domerchie also shaved three seconds off last week’s time to run a new PB of 5:25.99. Domerchie also ran a personal best and finished fifth in the senior girls 400 metre hurdles and went on to follow that with a PB in the 3000 metres.

Shawn Walker continues to run new personal bests in the 400 metres shaving another second of his time this week to run 53.77. He ran the starting legs of both the senior boys 4 x 100 metres relay (see below) and the open boys 4 x 400 metres seventh.

The senior boys 4 x 100 metre relay team is also moving on next week to the East Regionals. They tied for a fifth place finish with the ENSS ‘B’ team from the faster heat. After reviewing the rules it was determined in this event that HHSS earns the right to move on as ENSS already has a team representing their school at East Regionals this week. This means we have four 4 x 100 metres relay teams moving on to regionals – the most I can remember in a long time!

Submitted by Karen Gervais