Owen Sound Sun Times: Landing Scholarship Relieves Pressure for Collison

Article By:  Bill Walker

Retrieved From:  http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2576711

It's hard to imagine competing for a major U.S. university track team as being relaxing.


But for Saugeen Shores' Jordan Collison, the pressure was landing the scholarship to Georgia State University.

Competing as a Panther is just the gravy.

"It's nice to have the pressure off by already getting into a school," Collison said Wednesday after running away with the open boys 2,000-m steeplechase at the Bluewater Athletic Association track and field championships.

"I did well at OFSAA and got noticed a lot. Now there's no pressure."

Collison talked to several schools including Montana and Eastern Michigan.

"I talked to a few schools but (Georgia State) showed the most interest and I just liked the school and the team," said Collison, who will compete in steeplechase, the 3,000-m, the 1,500-m and cross-country.

Collison won Wednesday's steeplechase in a time of 6:17.6. It will stand as the new BAA record even though it's slower than the previous mark.

The old record was set in 1991 by OSCV's Shawn Mills, who set a time of 6:07.30 but that course did not include a water jump. Water jumps add time to a race, according to BAA track and field convener Tim Luinstra.

Collison likely could have topped Mills' mark if he'd been running at full speed.

"I wasn't really racing anyone so I was just racing the clock and just trying to get a good workout," said Collison, who has never competed in a steeplechase that didn't have a water jump.

Collison was second at OFSAA last year and he's hoping to trade in silver for gold en route to a busy summer.

OFSAA is in early June followed by the Canadian juniors later that month in Moncton.

"They're using the Canadian juniors as a qualifier for World Juniors which is also in Moncton (in July)," said Collison. "I'll head down to Atlanta (for university) in mid August."

Collison also won the senior boys 1,500-m race in a time of 4:19.4.

Peninsula Shores' Rita Rudell also set a BAA record Wednesday, breaking her old mark in the senior girls 100-m hurdles with a time of 13.6. Rudell had run a 14.22 last year.

The Syracuse University prospect also won the senior girls high jump Wednesday with a leap of 1.70 m.

Saugeen's Jayce Dunlop set the new mark in the junior boys 100- m hurdles with a time of 14.6, breaking the 2004 record of 14.80 set by Saugeen's Chris Lootsma.

Other winners Wednesday included: midget girls 400-m, West Hill's Ellen Diemert, 1:02.4; midget girls 1,500-m, Grey Highlands' Lauren Moore, 5:38.7; midget girls 80-m hurdles, Chesley District's Micaela Stutzki, 15.5; midget girls 4x100-m relay, West Hill A, 56.2; midget girls shot put, Saugeen District's Kelly Gribbons, 8.66 m; midget girls long jump, John Diefenbaker's Ashton Nixon, 4:34 m; junior girls triple jump, Kincardine District's Ali Mohr, 9.37 m; junior girls discus, Saugeen's Christine Robertson, 33.48 m; junior girls 400-m, Kincardine District's Natalie Melick, 1: 08.6; junior girls 1,500-m, Kincardine's Cheyenne Hunter, 5: 06.6; junior girls 80-m hurdles, Chesley's Steph McGuire, 14.1; junior girls 4x100-m relay, Sacred Heart A, 56.1; senior girls javelin, Saugeen's Hillary Lubimiv, 34.49 m; senior girls 400-m, Walkerton District's Rebecca Geense, 1:08.3; senior girls 1,500-m, West Hill's Chelsea Gillies, 5:13.6; senior girls 4x100 m relay, Saugeen District A, 54.2; and the open girls 1,500-m steeplechase, Peninsula Shores' Justine Rydall, 6:30.6; midget boys shot put, Grey Highlands Cameron Pillisch, 11.60 m; midget boys long jump, Saugeen's Ben Turcotte, 5.21 m; midget boys 400-m, Walkerton District's Connor Critchfield, 59.5; midget boys 1,500-m, OSCVI's Oliver Clark, 4:55.8; midget boys 100-m hurdles, Saugeen District's Morgan Archer, 17.0; midget boys 4x100- m relay, Saugeen A, 51.9; junior boys triple jump, Saugeen's Thomas Godwin, 10.84; junior boys pole vault, Dustin Boley, OSCVI, 2.73 m; junior boys discus, Walkerton District's Andrew Scott, 44.13 m; junior boys 400-m, Saugeen's Zach Murowsky, 56.4; junior boys 1,500-m, Saugeen's Logan Chappell, 4: 28.8; junior boys 4x100-m relay, Saugeen A, 49.2; senior boys pole vault, Kincardine District's Travis VanRooy and OSCVI's Josh Eppel, 2.42 m; senior boys javelin, St. Mary's MacKenzie Santin, 44.78 m; senior boys high jump, Walkerton District's Mat West, 1.85 m; senior boys 400-m, Saugeen's Evan Porter, 52.5; senior boys 110-m hurdles, Saugeen's Dave Lootsma, 16.1; and the senior boys 4x100-m relay, Grey Highlands A, 46.1.