Medal haul for Niagara’s track and field athletes

By Bernie Puchalski - BP Bports Niagara

Thorold Elite athletes Carson Gauthier, Kaleb Kennedy, and Mikhail Dwyer swept the podium in the novice boys javelin throw. Photo by Steve Fife.

Niagara’s track and field athletes had a dominant performance at the NXT CHAMP Invitational this past weekend at the Toronto Track and Field Centre.

Carson Gauthier was the meet’s top performer earning five gold medals and one silver medal across six events. Steve Fife photo.

Thorold Elite Track Club member Carson Gauthier led the way for Niagara at the meet which was held in an attempt to make up for two years of missed Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association championships. The invitation-only meet brought together the top 12 performers across the province to compete in each event for a spot on the podium.

Gauthier was the meet’s top performer and single-handedly earned six of the 36 medals won by athletes from the Niagara region. The talented athlete, who is training for a decathlon, won gold in novice boys javelin, high jump, long jump, shot put and 100-metre hurdles. He added a silver in novice boys discus, finishing second to Thorold Elite teammate Tommy Dallman.

Thorold Elite’s athletes won an additional 13 medals at the meet including: Caleb Grover, gold in junior boys shot put and silver in junior boys discus; Kaleb Kennedy, silver in novice boys javelin; Victoria Massoom, silver in novice girls 80-metre hurdles; Ava Young, silver in novice girls javelin; Adam Kleinsmith, silver in open boys 2,000-metre steeplechase; Matthew Kleinsmith, silver in novice boys 3,000 metres; Chad Thorpe, silver medal in junior boys 400 metres and a bronze in the 300-metre hurdles; Denis Tzvetkov, bronze in senior boys long jump; Tyrese Gibson, bronze in novice boys 100 metres; Sammy Tonnies, bronze in novice boys 800 metres; and, Mikhail Dwyer, bronze in novice boys javelin.

Zavio Prato of the Niagara Olympic Club was a triple medalist, earning gold in the junior boys 200 and 400 metres and a bronze in the 100 metres.

Welland native Sophia Saldutto, who competes for the York University Track Club, won double gold in junior girls discus and shot put.

Isaac Soppitt of Athletics Niagara won gold in the junior boys high jump and bronze in long jump. His teammate, Samuel Jeffery, took silver in the same long jump and bronze in junior boys triple jump.

Riley Coles of Runners’ Edge won gold in the open boys 2000-metre steeplechase while teammate Ryan Beauregard took bronze in the same event. Another gold medal went to Runners’ Edge’s Rian Wilson in the novice boys 3,000 metres.

Unattached athlete Kallista Elliott took home two silver medals in the junior girls triple jump and long jump.

Matteo Tonnos of Edge Triathlon raced to a silver medal in the novice boys 1500 metres and a bronze in the 3,000 metres.

Top five results turned in by Niagara athletes included: Saldutto, fourth in senior girls javelin while competing up an age group; Mikhail Dwyer and Tyrese Gibson of Thorold Elite, fourth and fifth in novice boys long jump; Thorold Elite’s Matthew Kleinsmith and Fenway Breckels, fourth and fifth in novice boys 1,500 metres; Breckels, fourth in novice boys 3,000 metres; Mason Petrucci of Thorold Elite, fourth in open boys 2,000-metre steeplechase; Anna Harmsworth of Thorold Elite, fourth in novice girls high jump; Kennedy of Thorold Elite, fourth in novice boys high jump; Dallman of Thorold Elite, fourth in novice boys shot put; Gwendolyn Cudmore of Thorold Elite, fourth in senior girls high jump; Kristina Etezadi of Athletics Niagara, fourth in the novice girls 800 metres and 1,500 metres; Lauren Thomas of Niagara Olympic Club, fifth in novice girls 100 metres; Gibson of Thorold Elite, fifth in the novice boys 200 metres; Tzvetkov of Thorold Elite, fifth in senior boys javelin; Braden McEachern of Athletics Niagara, fifth in junior boys 100 metres; Sonny Leblanc of Thorold Elite, fifth in junior boys 300-metres hurdles; and, Dwyer, fifth in novice boys triple jump.