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Final hurdle to OFSAA cleared Gallant leads local By Steve LeBlanc CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF As her freshman high school basketball seaâ€" son came to a close, Kristin Gallant was enâ€" couraged to take her jumping prowess beâ€" yond the court. "I wouldn‘t say she (basketball coach Alana Juzenas) forced me into... let‘s just say she saw my potential," quipped the soonâ€"toâ€"be Bishop Reding graduate, recalling the goodâ€" natured nudge into track and field‘s hurdles. While admittedly nervous to take on this new athletic challenge â€" with her elementary school running having kept her on the ground â€" Gallant would soon come to recognize the promise her basketball coach had seen. "At my first meet I came second. That gave me a lot of confidence, and pushed me to work harder." Jumping forward to this spring, Gallant now heads into the innermost sanctum of provinâ€" cial high school track and field for a third time. Having missed the mark with a sprained ankle last year, she returns to OFSAA (today through Saturday in Belleville) with a secondâ€" â€"place performance in the senior girls‘ 400m hurdles at last week‘s South Regionals in St. Cathaâ€" rines. A 1:05.76 finish was a new personalâ€" best, and was less than a second behind winâ€" ner Nicole Parsons of Oakville‘s Abbey Park. "It feels good to be going back (to OFSAA)," said Gallant, a shooting guard who‘ll be playâ€" ing for Brock University in the fall. "The last 150 metres or so I pushed it and had a big finâ€" ish." Servmg i / Since qualifying contingent with secondâ€"place performance in 400m hurdles | With partâ€"time work at Tim Hortons taking her away from many afterâ€"school practices, the OFSAA veteran credits her outâ€"ofâ€"school | training with keeping her in top form. "I‘ve been getting the work in when I can" Gallant fell just one spot shy of qualifying in the triple jump as well, placing fifth with a personalâ€"best leap of 10.42m â€" a mere .03m short of an OFSAA berth. Jumping was the predominant skill among the local standouts in St. Catharines. A fellow basketball ace turned track and field star at Bishop Reding, Jalen Simpson delivâ€" Milton 1989 ered two qualifying efforts at South Reâ€" gionals. In just his third high jump competition, he cleared the 1.70m bar to tie for fourth among the junior boys. He‘d match that placing with a 43.97s effort in the 300m hurdles, advancâ€" ing by just a 10th of a second. Simpson rounded out the meet with a sevâ€" enthâ€"place showing in the 100m hurdles (17.20s). He‘ll miss competing at OFSAA due to a religious commitment this weekend. | A wellâ€"versed racer with success in crossâ€" country and the triathlon as well as on the | track, Milton District‘s Ella Kubas returns to OFSAA for a third straight year. She does so after finishing fourth in the open | girls‘ 1,500m steeplechase â€" clocking in at 5:31.79 on a rainy openingâ€"day in St. Cathaâ€" | rines. (&mmmmmmmm Automotive Detailing Automotive Window “Ilfillfl 581 McGeachie Drive, Unit 1, Mllton Bishop Reding‘s Jalen Simpson (above) and Ella Kubas of Milton District (far left) compete in the high jump and steeplechase at South Regionals. Inset, Bishop Reding‘s Kristin Gallant. Above photo hy EP insidehaiton.com PS Z ‘T auny 4e TOZ ) £ «* onl wosr | NOIJWVHJI NYVIGVNYI NOLWW Leithwood / Metroland Media Group At left and inset, supplied photos "I‘m so excited to be going back to OFSAA, especially now that I‘m in senior (girls diviâ€" sion)," said the 11th grader, who just missed qualifying in the 3,000m, taking fifth in 10:48.75. "It (steeplechase) was tough. The rain let up a bit right before the race, but it was still slippery." Other topâ€"10 performers at South Regionâ€" als were: Samuel Villa (Craig Kielburger â€" tied for 5th in senior boys high jump), Tife Ademidun (Bishop Reding â€" 6th in junior girls 300m hurdles, 7th in high jump), Brooke Playter (Craig Kielburger â€" 7th in junior | girls 8O0m hurdles), Tyrell Smikle (Jean Vanier â€" 7th in senior boys 100m), Hannah Smith (Milton District â€" 8th in open girls 1,500m steeplechase), Simon Black (Milton District â€" 9th in senior boys discus), Akanni Forde (Jean Vanier â€" 9th in midget boys 200m) and Jean Vanier boys relay (8th in 4x 100m).