By Larry Moko
A surprisingly fast early-season 200-metre time highlighted the May Madness track and field meet Friday.
Victoria Zolaturiuk of the Bishop Tonnos Titans sped to victory in the senior girls' 200 race with a clocking of 24.63 seconds.
The third-annual high school competition was held at the Ray Lewis Centre, attracting 978 athletes from 26 Hamilton and area schools.
"That's a very fast time," said Rich Gelder, Zolaturiuk's former youth development program coach at Hamilton Olympic Club seven years ago. "Some years at OFSAA that will win you a gold medal. Anything sub 25 is usually where the medals come at OFSAA."
Gelder pointed out there was also a minor headwind.
"What are we, May 9?," he said. "By the end of May she's going to be bringing it down even more."
Zolaturiuk qualified for provincial high school finals previously in both the 100 and 200 metre sprints. She cracked the top eight a handful of times but never walked away with a medal.
"I'm honestly shocked about the time," Zolaturiuk said. "I've never started off with such a fast race. It normally takes me a long time to get there. I'm very happy about my result."
A week earlier, on the same track, Zolaturiuk also excelled at the Mark Graham Memorial meet. She finished first in the 100m in a personal best time of 12.12 seconds.
"I started running at the club when I was maybe in Grade 4 or 5," she explained.
Her current coaches at the HOC are the club's president, Marcello Campanaro, along with Heidi Davidson.
"She's committed, trains hard and is passionate about what she does," Campanaro said of the Tonnos speedster. "It's been steady progress since I started with her. Everything is falling in line."
A former head coach of the McMaster Marauders university football team, Campanaro believes Zolaturiuk has room to better her times in both dash events.
"She's kind of starting the year where she ended off last year," he said.
The Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference championships are scheduled for May 16, 22 and 23 at Ray Lewis Centre. That's followed by South Regionals May 28-29 at Welland Centennial and OFSAA, June 5-7 at Toronto's York University.
Some of the other winners from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic board at May Madness included: Chloe Seiler, Tonnos, open g steeplechase; Alessia Ruiu, Bishop Ryan, sg 400m hurdles; Shay Paddy, St. Jean de Brebeuf, nb 300m hurdles; Aiden Custodio, St. Thomas More, jb 200m; Sophie Dobbin, Brebeuf, jg 800m; Natnael Mulugeto, Cathedral, b open steeplechase; Reese FitzGibbon, ng shot put and javelin; Michelle Anigwe, St. Thomas More; jg shot put; Tori D'Angela, More, ng triple jump; Jasmine Powell, More, ng high jump; Destin Tremmel, Brebeuf, nb high jump; Amos Wleh, Cathedral, jb high jump; Latoya Fletcher, More, sg high jump; Janessa Tuskan-Baptista, More, jg high jump.
Photos by R.F. (Bob) Butrym, RFB Sport Photography
More photos on HWCDSB Athletics Facebook Page
