Simcoe Reformer: Girls Stay Calm, Cool

By:  Jacob Robinson, Simcoe Reformer
Retrieved From:  http://www.simcoereformer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2577008

Three close point races left everyone wondering just who would win top point getters in each girl's division at the Todd Eaton Memorial Track and Field competition.

In the midget, junior and senior divisions, first place was decided by no more than two points and three different schools were represented at the top.

After a school meet that didn't go as well as expected, Celina DeCarolis rebounded in a big way at her first NSSAA track event. The Holy Trinity midget competitor and veteran track athlete set a new record in the high jump at 1.55m, was first in long jump by registering 4.17m and took her signature 100m dash by 0.11 seconds over fellow Titan Jenna West.

I had a lot of motivation -- I was in the zone," said DeCarolis. "At the school meet, maybe I was just over prepared. I just came in today and did my best and it worked for me."

DeCarolis said she paid no mind to the cold and wet conditions, but rather focused on just putting up the best performance she could.

"With that, you don't even think about it when you're running," she said. "You just run your hardest and try your best and if it works for you sweet, but if it doesn't, that's OK too."

In the junior girls division, Emily Brooks (first in triple jump, shot put and distance) finished with a perfect 21 points, just two ahead of Holy Trinity's Hannah Reardon, with Raider Meagan Caley close behind with 15.

Also in the junior ranks, Kim Frazer of Holy Trinity racked up 21 points by winning the 80m (15.29s) and 300m hurdles (54.21s) and the steeplechase (6:46.37). The latter though is an open division race and points do not count in division standings.

Either way, the newcomer to steeplechase enjoyed the wild card of jumping over a water pit even in the cold temperatures.

"That was my first time doing it, so I didn't really know what to do," she said. "I just kind of ran it. When I was at the water pit, I just tried to jump over the water as much as I could so I didn't get wet."

As for the hurdles, it appears as a Grade 10 student that Frazer holds a distinct edge over her opponents.

"I think it's getting your feet right in between and actually having good flight over the hurdles, not getting too high or hitting them," she said. "If you go too high, it'll slow you down . . . but if you go to low, you'll hit it."

The senior division was won by Simcoe's Nicole Rollins, who was first in 400m hurdles and pole vault, and third in 1500m. Waterford's Nikki Opersko and Lindsay Miles tied for second.

The top two finishers in each event move on to the CWOSSA meet in Kitchener next Wednesday and Thursday.