By Larry Moko
Thirty-five boys' high school teams participated in the three-day Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference track and field championships last week where Cathedral finished on top of the standings.
And in the girls' division, Cathedral ended up with the seventh-highest point total among the same list of schools.
Combined, it gave the Gaels the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board championship, with a narrow margin of victory over the runner-up Bishop Ryan Celtics.
Oakville's St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders took the overall GHAC championship at Mohawk Sports Park.
"We've done really well," Cathedral coach Dante Luciani said.
Asked if it was Cathedral's best showing in a long time, the second-year Gaels coach added: "I'd say so."
Over 100 athletes competed in track and field for Cathedral this year despite some comparative disadvantages of its lower city Wentworth Street location.
"We don't have a track," Luciani said. "It's just a 100-metre straightaway.
"We like to think of it as an advantage, though, because it makes you a lot more creative on how you approach training. We find ways to get our athletes moving."
Practices, he points out, have made use of hallways and the artificial turf soccer field.
Many of those workouts began in November.
"At Cathedral, we have great student-athletes," Luciani said. "They bought into our system, they're passionate and they're committed."
The Gaels coach also referred to them as a "resilient bunch" who battled the rain and cold temperatures of Thursday's GHAC Day 2.
"It showed when the weather broke down a lot of teams," he said. "But it didn't break our kids. Our kids showed up and had a great day in less than ideal conditions.
"It speaks lots for them as people. Our motto is 'Find a way to get better every day.'"
The top five finishers in each GHAC event earned the right to advance to South Regionals May 28-29 in Welland. And on the final two days of GHAC competition alone, Cathedral individuals qualified 33 times.
In the open boys' 2000m steeplechase, Cathedral finished 1-2. Natnael Mulugeta won in 6 minutes, 32.20 seconds, edging teammate Jeremy Pinho (6:33.80).
Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic first-place finishers from Day 2 and 3 of GHAC were: Reese FitzGibbon, Tonnos, NG shot put, 10.88m; Isabella Zenone, Bishop Ryan, SG discus, 29.12m; Levi Snider, Bishop Ryan, SB discus, 39.59m; Emma Flynn, Bishop Ryan, JG discus, 20.88m; Michelle Anigwe, More, JG shot put, 10.29m; Samantha Lipinski, Bishop Ryan, SG triple jump, 11.26m; Reese FitzGibbon, Tonnos, NG discus, 32.48; Marco Tavares, Brébeuf, JB shot put, 11.38m; Owen Snider, Bishop Ryan, NB discus, 34.15m; Anna Ptaszek, St. Mary, SG 3000m, 10:08.60; Brébeuf SB 4x100m relay 44.99; Great Matukala-Nkosi, More, G 200m Para-I; Victoria Zolaturiuk, Tonnos, SG 200m 25.55; Tori D'Angela, More, NG 200m 26.47; Kingston Bond, Cathedral, NB 300m hurdles, 49.29; Adrianna Kupis, Cathedral, NG high jump, 1.35m; Nathaniel King, Cathedral, NB high jump, 1.55m; Jasmine Powell, More, NG high jump, 1.35m; Roedane Williams, Brébeuf, B 100m Para-V, 37.80; Nathan Osborne, Brébeuf, B 100m Para-A, 16.41; Khaled Alkader, Brebeuf, JB 400m, 54.98; Tori D'Angela, More, NG 100m, 12.63; Milo Domanski, Bishop Ryan, JB 100m, 11.65; Victoria Zolaturiuk, Tonnos, SG 100m, 12.43.
The top four placings from each South Regional event advance to the OFSAA championships, June 5-7, at Toronto's York University.
Photos by R.F. (Bob) Butrym, RFB Sport Photography
More photos on HWCDSB Athletics Facebook page
