Parkside athletes dominate WOSSAA

 

   From Arnold, Williamson, Sauer and Okkerse to the junior girls relay team,

   Stamps won and set records throughout the two day track and field meet

 

May 24, 2026

 

 

 

 

By Rob J. Ross 

LONDON, Ont. - Nine gold medals, two meet records and 14 athletes advancing in 18 events.

For the Parkside Stampeders, it was an outstanding meet at the WOSSAA track and field championships, May 21-22 at Western University.

Xavier Sauer led the way, with three gold medals, winning novice boys high jump (1.80 metres), the 100 metre dash in 11.40 seconds and the 200 metres in a record time of 23.14 seconds.

Nash Okkerse became the first novice ever at WOSSAA to be under two minutes, winning the two lap race in a minute and 59.87 seconds (1:59.87), a full second faster than the old time of 2:00.87 set three years ago by Ryan Georgeson.

"I was going for 58 (seconds on lap one) and I saw 59, so I knew I had to push it," Okkerse said. "The wind really picked up after the start line. I tried to maintain the best I could through the wind. With 200 (metres) I gave everything I had."

Okkerse also won the 1500m by five seconds finishing in 4:14.10.

"It feels great and I beat my cousin's school record too," added Okkerse beaming.

That would be Mason Bason, now at Guelph University, who has lost both the 800 and 1500m records within a month to Okkerse.

Mehkai Arnold took gold in both junior men's discus (56.17m) and shot put (PB 15.41m).

In shot, Arnold did the spin technique for the first time in competition, instead of throwing (the put) from a standing position.

"Discus I felt I was very consistent. I was very proud of that," Arnold said. "For shot put, I got a new personal best with my furthest throw being 15.41. I pulled out a new technique. I started spinning. I was very surprised to see how I was better at that, than what I've been practising for so long."

Amy Williamson sprinted to gold in the junior girls 100m (12.87 sec.) and placed second in both long jump (4.82m) and triple jump (10.34m).

"I felt good, pumped up and ready to go," Williamson said. "I felt it was more my speed rather than technique this time. I still need to work on my techniwue and get better. In triple jump, my first phase got better which I'm really happy about. My board and run up is getting better."

Williamson also lifted Parkside's junior girls 4x100-metre relay team to a surprise second place, running the fourth leg, with Hannah Kish, Cadence Baitz and Leighton Kramer.

"We were all very excited. We all went strong when we got the baton," said Williamson.

Emma Percy won visually impaired girls shot put.

Additional Stampeders moving on, Jack Rice in the junior boys 3000m, Brady Congdon in junior boys discus, Charlie Halpenny, junior boys 100m hurdles, Tristan Spaulding, junior boys triple jump, Kaleb Charette, novice boys javelin and Maddy Wright, novice girls 800 metre run.

The top five in each event at WOSSAA, advance to the OFSAA West regional in Cambridge, May 28-29.

From the regional, the top four in each event will head to the OFSAA championships, June 4-6 in St. Catharines.

 

LOCAL REGIONAL QUALIFIERS                                                                                   COMPLETE WOSSAA RESULTS   

 

The Scott siblings led the East Elgin Eagles.

Henry Scott set a WOSSAA record winning the senior boys 200 metres in 21.62 seeconds.

"For the first 50 metres I started driving. By the time I'm on my drive phase I was pushing around the curve," said Henry, who has improved his starts over the past year. "Getting out of the blocks and getting my drive phase down. That's was my weakest part."

Scott also won the 400 metres (48.51 sec.) and finished second in the 100 metres (10.62 sec.).

A record and two wins were exciting, but for Henry, watching his sister win her 200 meter final minutes before his race, "gave me a boost."

"It was very nice. She got a new PB. It was a good race for her," said Henry.

Younger sister, Brianna, won the novice girls 200m (26.47 sec.), placed third in the 400 (1:03.35) and fourth in the 300-metre hurdles.

"I was jumping in joy. So happy. I saw 26 and I was beaming," Brianna said. "The 200 is my favourite event and what I look forward to throughout the day."

Brianna was proud of her brother's performances.

"He's my inspiration and my idol."

Louisa Begeman qualified for regionals in all three of her junior girls events, placing second in javelin and fifth in both discus and shot put.

Bridget Woolley in junior women's high jump and Mike Dennis junior boys triple jump, also advance.

Kirk Hallman displayed his crushing kick, pulling away on the final lap on his way to first place, in both the senior boys 1500 and 3000 metre races.

Hallman is one of eight Dorchester Beavers heading to regionals.

Will Downing won the senior boys 110-metre hurdles and finished second in the 400m hurdles.

Addy Lehouillier crossed the finish line first in the novice girls 100 metres (13.18 sec.) and landed second in long jump with a PB of 5.03 metres.

"I had a good start out of the blocks," Lehouillier said. "Then I felt Sophie (Bertucci) coming up on me. I could see her. I felt she was almost beating me, then I turned it on for the last seconds."

Hallman, Downing, Curtis Willick and Miles Maule showed it wasn't a fluke winning the 4x4 relay a week earlier at Thames Valley, capturing gold again.

Fynnley Monk won novice girls javelin for a five consecutive meet, with a PB of 29.59 metres, impressive for only starting throwing this spring.

"I choose javelin because I like to do more throwing stuff than running. I tried it out and I thought it was fun, said Monk, who is a catcher for Woodstock U15 girls fast pitch. "Technique wise, it's keeping my arm straight and making sure I had the right amount of steps," Monk said. "But in the end of the day, I just had to loosen up and go for it."

Monk has improved her distance every time out, since throwing 24.42 metres at the opening meet on the schedule April 23. Monk followed with throws of 26.10 metres and 26.68m, before winning at TVRA with a PB of 28.55m.

Nine St. Joseph's Rams head to regionals, led by senior boys pole vault champ, Ethan Atkinson and Michal Hejna, the novice boys 100 and 300 metre hurdles champ.

Flourish Nmor moves on in three events, senior girls 400 and 800 metres and the open girls 2000 metre steeplechase.

Makayla Varallo of Thorndale, with Medway High, won the novice girls 1500 metres.

Parkside coach Harry Stantsos, the head coach at St. Thomas Legion Club, saw not only Parkside athletes move on, but club athletes at other schools.

The list of athletes Stantsos includes Downing from Dorchester, the Scott siblings from East Elgin, Ethan Brown, Tillsonburg Glendale, Alecia Weaver, CCH and siblings Joel, Alayna and Beanna Sloetjes, Strathroy District.

 

WOSSAA records

Xavier Sauer, Parkside, novice boys 200m, 23.14 sec. (old - Khaleel Miller, Banting, 23.42 sec., 2023

Henry Scott, East Elgin, senior boys 200m, 21.62 sec. (old - Hefferman, Aquinas, 21.70 sec., 1997)

Nash Okkerse, Parkside, novice boys 800m, 1:59.87 (old - Ryan Georgeson, Medway, 2:00.87, 2023)

Isabella Mills, Stratford St. Mike's, senior girls long jump, 5.88m (old Chloe Knox, Lucas, 5.71m, 2019

Isaiah Rogers-Lesperance, CCH, novice boys long jump, 6.19m (old - McKenzie Stevens Central Huron, 6.17m, 2017)

Zoey Shantz, WCI, 3:04.65, intellectually Impaired girls 800m (old Shantz, 3:13.97, 2025)

Kolton Scott, WCI, , intellectually Impaired girls 800m, 2:38.22 (old Noah Haddad, Banting, 2:42.40, 2024)

Samuel Schreiter, Huron Park, visually impaired boys 100m, 14.90 sec. (old - Schreiter, 17.58 sec., 2025)

Ezekiel Kerr, , intellectually Impaired boys 100m, 11.70 sec. (old - Kerr, 12.32 sec., 2025)

Samuel Schreiter, Huron Park, visually impaired boys shot put, 7.30m (old, Schreiter, 6.35m, 2025)

 

 

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    Local WOSSAA results (Elgin county schools and Dorchester) regional qualifiers in bold

 

CENTRAL ELGIN     DORCHESTER     EAST ELGIN     PARKSIDE     ST. JOE'S     WEST ELGIN

 

 

    CENTRAL ELGIN

Novice men: Hunter Haskell, 13th, discus (21.75m)

Senior men:  Dollan Brown, seventh, shot put (12.31m), 13th, discus (35.85m)

 

    DORCHESTER BEAVERS

 Eight Beavers to regionals.

Senior men:  Kirk Hallman, first, 1500m (4:00.07), first, 3000m (8:50.60); Will Downing, first, 110m hurdles (14.62 sec.), third, 400m hurdles (59.04 sec.); Aiden Hartmann, first, triple jump (13.07m), fourth, long jump (6.29m), 11th, 100m (11.50 sec.); Andrew Urquhart, second, discus (45.22m), third, discus (14.53m); Caden Flint, , 13th, 800m (2:15.53); open boys 4x4, first (3:35.64).

Junior women: Jenna Mills, 16th, 400m (1:11.29).

Junior men: Curtis Willick, second, 800m (2:07.75), third, 1500m (4:29.70);

Senior women: Aisha Medina, seventh, pole vault (2.70m); Ella De Oliveira, 11th, 3000m (12:50.00); Eve Jackson, 13th, shot put (7.90m); open girls 4x4, 15th (5:01.34).

Novice men: Miles Maude, third, 400m (55.39 sec.), sixth, 300m hurdles (48.04 sec.), 10th, 200m (25.58 sec.);

Novice women: Addy Lehouillier, first, 100m (13.18 sec.), second, long jump (5.03m); Fynnley Monk, first, javelin (29.59m); Savannah Pranger, seventh, long jump (4.64m); Ella Schindler, 14th, discus (14.77m).

  

    EAST ELGIN

Five Eagles fly to regionals

Senior women: Kiersten Kent, 12th, long jump (4.56m).

Senior men: Henry Scott,  first, 200m (21.62 sec. - record), first, 400m (48.51 sec.), second, 100m (10.62 sec.); Benji Gould, seventh, 3000m (9;23.92), eighth, 1500m (4:18.82).

Junior women: Bridget Woolley, third, high jump (1.43m); Louisa Begeman, second, javelin (29.89m), fifth, discus (27.13m), fifth, shot put (10.73m); Ellie Portlock, seventh, javelin (28.05m): Allison Sleegers, eighth, 800m (2:40.28), ninth, 1500m (5:41.75); Anneker Drader, 13th, long jump (4.17m);

Junior men: Mike Dennis, fourth, triple jump (11.75m), NH, high jump; Hudson Dyck, ninth, 1500m (4:39.83), 10th, 800m (2:16.45); Brady Brown, 13th, triple jump (10.51m).

Novice women: Brianna Scott, first, 200m (26.47 sec.), third, 400 (1:03.35), fourth, 300m hurdles (51.23 sec.); Chloe Froese, 10th, triple jump (9.30m).

Novice men: Adam Van Wychen, seventh, 3000m (10:06.56), 13th, 1500m (4:47.36); Preston Bergen, ninth, 800m (2:14.58; Ivan Klassen, 14th, long jump (4.72m).

 

    PARKSIDE

Fourteen Stampeders gallop on.

Junior men: Mehkai Arnold, first, discus (56.17m), first, shot (15.41m), DNS jav; Jack Rice, fourth, 3000m (10:12.92), eighth, open boys 200m steeplechase (7:03.60), 13th, 1500m (4:47.94); Brady Congdon, fourth, discus (41.18m); Charlie Halpenny, fifth, 100m hurdles (15.79 sec.); Tristan Spaulding, fifth, long jump (5.58m), eighth, 100m (11.68 sec.), 10th, 200m (25.10 sec.); Jack Moore, 10th, 400m (57.46 sec.); Nathan Campbell, 12th, 400m (58.19 sec); Harrison Halpenny, DQ, 100m hurdles; 4x1 relay (Sauer, Moore, Charlie Halpenny, Spaulding, Campbell), sixth (46.99 sec.).

Junior women: Amy Williamson, first, 100m (12.87 sec.), second, long jump (4.82m), second, triple jump (10.34m); Hannah Kish, ninth, 300m hurdles (52.84 sec.), ninth, 80m hurdles (13.93 sec.); Abby Harrison, 10th, high jump (1.25m); Cadence Baitz, eighth, 80m hurdles (13.54 sec.); Abby Harrison, NH, high jump; 4x1 relay (Williamson, Kish, Baitz, Leighton Kramer) second (52.26 sec.).

Novice men: Nash Okkerse, first, 1500m (4:14.10), first, 800m (1:59.87) WOSSAA record / school record); Xavier Sauer, first, 100m (11.40 sec.), first, 200m (23.14 sec.) WOSSAA record), first, high jump (1.80m); Kaleb Charette,  fourth, javelin (38.68m), eighth, shot put (10.80m), 12th, discus (22.24m).

Novice women: Maddy Wright, fourth, 800m (2:35.04), ninth, 400m (1:06.10); Raya Alkaderi, 12th, 400m (1:06.75), 13th, 300m hurdles (57.08 sec.); Charlie Lale, 15thth, javelin (19.20m)

Visually Impaired women: Emma Percy, first, shot put (4.89m).

Senior women: Payton Irwin, 11th, triple jump (9.70m).

 

    ST. JOE'S

Nine Rams move on.

Senior men: Ethan Atkinson, first, pole vault (4.35m), fourth, 400m hurdles (1:00.01), seventh, 110m hurdles (16.21 sec.); Shawn Okorhi, second, high jump (1.92m); Ty Emre, 15th, 1500m (4:55.05); open boys 4x4 relay, 13th (4:08.74).

Senior women: Danica Cober, third, 100m hurdles (15.08 sec.), fifth, 200m (26.34 sec.), seventh, 400m hurdles (1:10.35); Flourish Nmor, fourth, 400m (1:03.00), fourth, 800m (2:23.91), fifth, open girls 2000 steeplechase (8:07.74).

Junior men: Landon Richardson, 12th, 3000m (11:09.77), 16th, 1500m (4:55.06); Owen Lupson, 13th, shot put (10.86m), 14th, javelin (29.58m).

Junior women: Jane Hewitt, fifth, triple jump (9.95m), sixth, long jump (4.68m); Niyla Lindsay, eighth, high jump (1.30m); Dominion Nmor, 12th, shot put (9.29m); Tessa Johnson, 13th, triple jump (9.00m); 4x1 relay, 12th (55.37 sec.)

Novice women: Navaeh Facey, sixth, 3000m (13:09.56); Jane Okorhi, 12th, shot put (7.91m); Landyn Evagelinos, 11th, 200m (28.93 sec.); Indiana McLaughin, ninth, triple jump (9.33m).

Novice men: Michal Hejna, first, 100m hurdles (15.44 sec.), first, 300m hurdles (43.92 sec.), 10th, 400m (57.82 sec.); Hayden Siemens, third, high jump (1.66m), 13th, 400m (59.89 sec.); Matthew Fleuren, fifth, 800m (2:12.05), eighth, 1500m (4:41.07); Shay McCready, fourth, javelin (35.51m); Jomiloju Adebayo, 11th, 100m (12.14 sec.); Malcolm Omari, 10th, triple jump (10.60m), 200m, 15th (26.47 sec.); Moyinoluwa Olowolabayaki, , 11th, high jump (1.45m).

 

WEST ELGIN

Novice men: Everett Evans, ninth, javelin (28.21m)

Junior men: Alex Lacroix, , ninth, javelin (35.87m), 13th, discus (29.27m); Reece Burke, sixth, 300m hurdles (45.38 sec.)

 

 

    LOCAL (Elgin County or Thames Centre resident, attend TVRA school elsewhere)

Makayla Varallo, Medway High, novice girls, first, 1500m (5:08.32)

 

    ST. THOMAS LEGION (train with club, compete at non Elgin county schools)

Alayna Sloetjes, Strathroy DCI, novice girls, first, 80m hurdles (12.85 sec.), eighth, 300m hurdles (53.36 sec.).

Joel Sloetjes, Strathroy DCI, junior boys, fourth, high jump (1.74m).

Alicia Weaver, CCH, senior girls, fourth, 200m (25.95 sec.), third, 400m (1:01.95), senior girls 4x1 relay, first (49.08 sec.), mixed 4x4 relay, third (3:49.50).

Ethan Brown, Glendale, novice boys, fifth, 1500m (4:29.96), eighth, 800m (2;14.29).

 

 

 

        rob@hometownplay.ca