VanderGriendt headed to OFSAA championships
Rondeau’s Gracie VanderGriendt will compete in two events at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association track and field championships in London this week.
The Grade 9 Chatham-Kent Secondary School student finished third in both the novice girls 1,500 and 3,000 metres at the West Regional qualifying meet at the University of Windsor on the weekend.
VanderGriendt finished third in the 3,000 metres on Saturday in a time of 11:20.14, which was 16 seconds behind the winner, Asha Nazarewicz of London Central and six seconds behind runnerup Alexandra Pardalis of LaSalle Sandwich Secondary.
One week earlier, VanderGriendt beat Pardalis by five seconds to win the SWOSSAA title.
On Friday, VanderGriendt ran 5:06.71 in the 1,500 metres to finish third behind Micah Carswell of Cambridge Pere Rene-de-Gal, who won in a time of 4:58.74. Avery Van Will of Strathroy District was second in 5:05.42.
Both of VanderGriendt’s West Regional times were faster than her winning times at LKSSAA (5:11.70 in the 1,500 and 11:45.05 in the 3,000) and SWOSSAA (5:22.76 and 11:28.74).
The top four finishers in each event at West Regionals, which consists of Southwestern, Western and Central associations, qualify for OFSAA this Thursday through Sunday at Western University.
VanderGriendt will run the 1,500-metre heat races on Thursday at 4:45 p.m., with the final on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
The 3,000-metre timed final is Saturday at 4:45 p.m.
It will be VanderGriendt’s second OFSAA appearance in her freshman year. She won the novice girls’ cross country titles at LKSSAA and SWOSSAA before finishing 91st out of 260 runners at the all-Ontario meet.
Ridgetown’s Addisyn Veccia, a Grade 11 student at Ursuline College, finished ninth in the senior girls discus with a personal-best 29.14 metres, topping her fourth-place 27.67 metres at SWOSSAA and second-place 24.37 metres at LKSSAA.
Veccia was up against one of the top throwers in Canada. Julia Tunks, of London Oakridge, won with a record 60.61-metre toss, topping her own record of 54.06 metres, which she set in 2023.
Veccia’s Ursuline teammate, Emma Negri of Blenheim, won the junior girls’ discus and shot put. She heads to OFSAA looking to complete a second straight undefeated season from LKSSAA through to the all-Ontario championships.
Ridgetown had a double OFSAA gold medallist in 2023, as Jeremy VandenBoorn of Ursuline College won the senior boys’ shot put and discus.
Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Ridgetown Independent News
