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20 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, June 4, 2002 * ,Welcome to men's football, Milton Milton Marauder Damien Hannaford gets ganged up on and tackled by Oakville Longhorn defenders Mark Houlder (32) and John D'Ovidio (41> during Saturday afternoon's season opening clash at Bishop Reding. The expansion Marauders were hammered by the detending league and national champions 65-O. For f ull resuits of the game, see page 25. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE BR runner sensational at South Regionals By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion Bishop Reding's athletic department has 1to be feeling a littie envious of the Maple Leafs these days. Unlike BR, Toronto at least bas the opportuni- ty to retain the services of its standout performer. The Royals, bowever, bave no sucb luxury wben it comnes 10 racing phenom Ilan Butcher. With Georgetown's Cathoie higb school set t0 open this fail, its local counterpart bas no choice but to bld farewell 10 one of the province's most gifted young runners. "I'll defmnitely be sad to see hm go," said BR track and field coach Maureen Morrison, wbo'll continue working witb the lth grade wonder next year. "He's the most coachable athete I've ever bad. He listens 10 everything you say." Butcher is in the miùdst of deliverlng a remnark- able swan song season at Reding - one that was higblighted witb an unofficial record-breaking performance during the South Regionals at H-amiltons McMaster University Wednesday. Decimating the midget boys 400-metre com- petition, he bested the OFSAA bcncbmark by nearly three quarters of a second - fmnishing in 49.26s. OFSAA records, tbough, can be broken only at the OFSAA cbampionships. "It was pretty amazing," said the soft-spoken 15-year-old, who claimed provincial silver as a first-year midget in 2001. "I actually didn't have that great of a start, but over the last 200 metres everything 'd been taugbt, opening up my strides and fmishing strong, just went to work." Butcher's 400m fmish wasn't joît tops within the mnidget ranks. but among ail racers at South Regionals. He heads lto OFSAA as the gold- medal favourite and bas already beaten the num- ber two seeds - Chris Taylor of Clarkson, who also raced at McMaster Wednesday. Quipped Morrison, "Maybe they should have just brougbt the OFSAA medals to Hamilton." BR's 400m ace did admit 10 being a little nervous S about beading imb the provincial cbampionships - ~~shouldering such igh expectations - but no more so than last year, when be went in as a legit- imate medal contender. Ian Butcher Ils a bit scary, but so was last year. 1 really want- ed to break 50 (seconds) and 1 tbink I can do it agairi." The 400m will be one of tbree races for Butcher at the OFSAA cbampionsbips in Belleville this weekend. He ran a pcrsonally disappointing 2:09.41 in the 800m but stilI snuck loto the fourtb and final qualifying spot - due to a scratch - and belped second in a combined 46.98s. Rounding out the silver-medal squad were Darren Izumiù, Mike McGiII and anchor Mike Rubmno. Meanwhile. BR bas a genuine shot at a provin- cial medal in the ficld as well. Chris Kargel - a returmng transfer student - tumed back al South Regional chalengers in the senior boys high jump, clearing 1 .86m, and threw the javelin 51 .33m for second-place honours. Rubmno narrowly missed qualifying individu- ally witb a fifth-place effort in the midget boys lOOmn, clocking inat 12.13s. Matching that in the midget girls long jump - witb a 4.48m leap - was Julie lantomno. McGill took sixt ini the midget boys 3,000mn while also cracking the top 10 i the midget boys long jump and senior girls 800m respectively were Izumi and Mfichele Docil - who feUl short in ber bld to reacb OFSAA for a third lime in four years. Family Support Network ot 1)0951 muffins, POP-f coffee etc. will e for sale Il t i>"0 flor COIVCiCltolt sc3le À Announces our GIANT GARAGE SALE SATURDAY, JUNE 8TH 760 Main St. En (right next to the GO train station) PLEASE DROP BY, TUESDAY JUNE 4, 2002 -1-1 IL CANADIAN Ci 1AMPION S,ýPOR