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CTV News
10-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
‘Best team in Ontario': STA girls win OFSAA AAA Soccer
The St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Girls Soccer Team pose for a photo with the OFSAA Championship banner after winning the 2025 AAA title. (Brent Lale/CTV News London) The St. Thomas Aquinas Flames girl's soccer team knew they had unfinished business. After losing in the OFSAA AAA gold medal game in 2024, nearly the entire team returned this year for redemption. The Flames finished the job this time with a 3-2 win over Michael Power St. Joseph high school from Etobicoke in the final. 'It was like something definitely to remember,' said Tienna Martins, Flames captain. 'We worked really hard for it and especially last year when we didn't win, I thought that everyone worked super hard this year to get it back.' After going undefeated (6-0) through round-robin and playoff action, outscoring opponents 19-1, they reached the final. After surrendering a game-tying goal with just minutes in regulation, the Flames drew a penalty. It set up Bella Martins' game winning kick to bring home the title. St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Girls Soccer The St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Girls Soccer Team celebrate on the field after winning the 2025 OFSAA AAA title. (Source: STA Soccer) 'This season was mentally and physically wearing,' said Bella. 'We worked really hard and came out on top for WOSSAA, and then in OFSAA we came up short last year, but this year we really pushed and wouldn't accept anything less than first.' The Flames never lost a game all year but remained confident when they gave up the tying goal. 'There were definitely some hard moments in that game where we had to stick together as a team,' said Tienna. 'I think that we did it emotionally well and we ended up getting the win.' St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Girls Soccer The St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Girls Soccer Team finished their championship season with a 23-0-1 record en route to winning OFSAA AAA. (Brent Lale/CTV News London) This group of seniors finished their final season with a 23-0-1 record, winning TVRA, WOSSAA and OFSAA. They scored 131 goals and gave up just 12. 'The past few days have been crazy,' said Lucie Duffy, Flames goalkeeper. 'Realizing you are the best team in Ontario, it's been really special. Celebrating it with the group of girls as we have like 11 seniors. It's been really, really nice and really special, and the best way we could have ended it.' Fellow graduating player Ava Rogers agrees. 'As a senior was just really special,' said Rogers, an assistant captain. 'You want to go out strong and you want to come out on top. That's what we did.'
CTV News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Sir Frederick Banting S.S. wins provincial track and field title
For the third consecutive year, Sir Frederick Banting S.S. has won the provincial boys overall track and field title. With four individual gold medals at OFSAA this week, they accumulated enough points to capture the championship. Jackson MacKay won three (pole vault, long jump and 110 m hurdles) and Finne O'Leary won the Junior boys shot put. Banting head coach Todd MacKay says it takes a lot of commitment from the entire team to win a title. 'We practice off site a lot, so it's not quite as convenient as walking out to the track and practicing,' says MacKay. 'We've got to commit to taking the bus to Western and training and then getting themselves home. For them to bear down and be able to do that, that's a real accomplishment.' His son, Jackson, was the star of the meet bringing home the three individual gold medals. 080625 - track and field Jackson MacKay (right) poses for a photo with his father and coach Todd MacKay after winning 3 gold medals at the OFSAA Track and Field Championships in Toronto on June 7, 2025. (Source: Todd MacKay) He entered first in the long jump and 110 m hurdles and third in pole vault. 'He put a lot of pressure on himself to perform,' says MacKay. 'After he won the first two events, he wanted that last gold in the pole vault. He ended up beating a number of pole vault specialists, and I think that's what he's most proud about is the fact that he's a multi athlete and he was able to beat guys that are completely dedicated to the individual event.' MacKay says the atmosphere at the pole vault event was amazing. After Jackson jumped a person best 4.6 metres, he went for the OFSAA record. 'He'd never even come close to vaulting at that height, but he literally was over the bar,' says MacKay. 'Having not jumped that high before, it just it kind of changes a little bit. A few things like the depth and the length of the pole and the flex of the pole. He was literally high enough over the bar on two of the attempts, and that just couldn't get the right angle to land it.' Jenna Tunks of Oakridge S.S. lived up to the billing dominating the Junior Girls Discus (48.11 metres) and Shot Put (15.53 metres) bringing home a pair of gold medals. Noah Mitoraj of St. Thomas Aquinas won the Senior Boys Discus (52.37 metres). With a team title, and seven individual gold medals, MacKay credits London's dedicated coaching community and resources at the schools. 'The sport has never been more popular which is evidenced by the number of athletes we have at our TVRA championships,' says MacKay. 'It's the largest regional championship in the province and our numbers are so good that for the first time in the history of TVRA, we had to implement standards in order to try and control the numbers of participants'. With this much talent and success, including Olympic athletes it may be time for the City of London to look at upgrading the track and field facilities. 'It's really popular and we have a lot of talent in the area with good coaches, so let's provide them with good facilities,' says MacKay.
CTV News
08-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Sir Fredrick Banting S.S. wins provincial track and field title
For the third consecutive year, Sir Fredrick Banting S.S. has won the provincial boys overall track and field title. With four individual gold medals at OFSAA this week, they accumulated enough points to capture the championship. Jackson MacKay won three (pole vault, long jump and 110 m hurdles) and Finne O'Leary won the Junior boys shot put. Banting head coach Todd MacKay says it takes a lot of commitment from the entire team to win a title. 'We practice off site a lot, so it's not quite as convenient as walking out to the track and practicing,' says MacKay. 'We've got to commit to taking the bus to Western and training and then getting themselves home. For them to bear down and be able to do that, that's a real accomplishment.' His son, Jackson, was the star of the meet bringing home the three individual gold medals. 080625 - track and field Jackson MacKay (right) poses for a photo with his father and coach Todd MacKay after winning 3 gold medals at the OFSAA Track and Field Championships in Toronto on June 7, 2025. (Source: Todd MacKay) He entered first in the long jump and 110 m hurdles and third in pole vault. 'He put a lot of pressure on himself to perform,' says MacKay. 'After he won the first two events, he wanted that last gold in the pole vault. He ended up beating a number of pole vault specialists, and I think that's what he's most proud about is the fact that he's a multi athlete and he was able to beat guys that are completely dedicated to the individual event.' MacKay says the atmosphere at the pole vault event was amazing. After Jackson jumped a person best 4.6 metres, he went for the OFSAA record. 'He'd never even come close to vaulting at that height, but he literally was over the bar,' says MacKay. 'Having not jumped that high before, it just it kind of changes a little bit. A few things like the depth and the length of the pole and the flex of the pole. He was literally high enough over the bar on two of the attempts, and that just couldn't get the right angle to land it.' Jenna Tunks of Oakridge S.S. lived up to the billing dominating the Junior Girls Discus (48.11 metres) and Shot Put (15.53 metres) bringing home a pair of gold medals. Noah Mitoraj of St. Thomas Aquinas won the Senior Boys Discus (52.37 metres). With a team title, and seven individual gold medals, MacKay credits London's dedicated coaching community and resources at the schools. 'The sport has never been more popular which is evidenced by the number of athletes we have at our TVRA championships,' says MacKay. 'It's the largest regional championship in the province and our numbers are so good that for the first time in the history of TVRA, we had to implement standards in order to try and control the numbers of participants'. With this much talent and success, including Olympic athletes it may be time for the City of London to look at upgrading the track and field facilities. 'It's really popular and we have a lot of talent in the area with good coaches, so let's provide them with good facilities,' says MacKay.
CTV News
03-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Local athletes head to OFSAA Track and Field as gold medal favourites
Jenna Tunks (L) and Jackson MacKay (R) are gold-medal favourites heading into OFSAA track and field. June 3, 2025. (Brent Lale/CTV News Londno) Decathlete Jackson MacKay is hoping to finish his high school track career with a haul of medals. 'With this being my last year, winning a couple of medals, it would mean a lot to me,' said MacKay, a top provincial athlete and student at Sir Fredrick Banting Secondary School (SFBSS). Heading into OFSAA, he's ranked number one in the province in long jump and the 110 metre hurdles. His 4x100 m relay team is also the favourite to win a gold medal. He's currently ranked second in pole vault, and his SFBSS 4x400 m relay team is also ranked number two in Ontario. 'He's kind of been sort of challenged with timing issues at OFSAA the last number of years,' says Todd MacKay, his father, and head coach of SFBSS track and field. 'It's been hurdles going at the same time as a high jump for example in the past. This year the schedule works out well and I think it's his goal to medal.' Jackson is coming off a successful OFSAA West Regions where he won the 110 m hurdles, the long jump and the 4x100 m relay. He had second place finishes in pole vault and the 4x400 m relay. He'll compete in all five events this week. jackson mackay - pole vault Jackson MacKay of Sir Fredrick Banting S.S. cleared 4.35 m in the WOSAA pole vault competition. (Source: Todd McKay) 'My coach thinks I can get the OFSAA record for pole vault,' said Jackson of the mark of 4.87 m set by Rob Lindsay in 1984. 'I don't know about hurdles because Gregory McNeill [Mother Teresa in 2010] it's pretty impressive what he ran [13.33 seconds]. I don't know if that record is going to get broken.' Jackson turned down a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati to stay at home at Western this fall. He did that in order to play both football and run track, the same thing his father Todd did. Across the field, Oakridge Secondary School thrower Jenna Tunks is the favourite to win both her events in the junior girls division. At OFSAA West Regionals, she won the discuss by more than 12 metres with a throw of 45.57 m and took the shot put with a throw of 15.32 m. 'I'm really just like focusing on like my technique recently because I haven't been very confident in my throws, but I feel that I'm like getting that confidence back,' says Tunks. 'I'm hoping to get a new OFSAA record for the Shotput.' Jenna Tunks Jenna Tunks of Oakridge S.S. is favoured to win the OFSAA Jr. Girls Discus and Shot Put events (Source: Jason Tunks) OFSAA records run in the family. Her father Jason, a former Olympian, has held the discus record for 30 years, and her sister Julia holds both the junior and senior girls discus marks. 'It'll be difficult [to break the discus record] as her sister's OFSAA record is like 53 (metres) and some change,' said Jason. 'I mean she's always been around 50 (metres). I think the ultimate goal is if she gets around 50, conditions bearing, as we've been getting a lot of rain. If we get no rain and a favorable wind, I think 50 is the goal.' When it comes to the shot put, she has a legitimate chance to etch her name in the books. 'She's more than capable of breaking the OFSAA record in the shot, which is at 16-zero (metres),' said Jason. 'If she can execute really well, she should do that.' Tunks has already won an OFSAA gold medal this year with the Oaks in volleyball. She has a great chance at coming home with two more this week at OFSAA which runs Thursday through Saturday at York University in Toronto.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Sandwich athlete winning races, setting records and in pursuit of provincial greatness
She's fast, she's focused and she's chasing history. Ella Steel-Douglas is running towards a legacy that would make her the most decorated high school track and field athlete in the history of OFSAA. 'It's exciting,' said the Grade 12 athlete. 'It gives me a constant goal and it's exciting to go after something that I know that I can achieve.' According to Sandwich head track coach Rob Moore, Ella was beating older kids when she was in grade 6. 'When she got to Grade 8, we noticed more and when she got to Grade 9, it just, wow. I mean, four OFSAA golds in Grade 9. That was just phenomenal. No one has ever done that,' Moore told CTV News. Steel-Douglas earned four provincial medals in Grade 10 and again last season pushing her total to 12. She has five events heading into the OFSAA West. If she qualifies for all five, she has a chance to end her high school career with 17 OFSAA medals. According to OFSAA, 2-time Olympian Jessica Zelinka won 16 medals during her five-year high school career while 3-time Olympian Kevin Sullivan finished with 13. 'When I got here in Grade 9, I had no clue what the records were. I had no clue who held them or who she (Zelinka) was in particular,' Steel-Douglas said. 'Then as I kept getting four medals every year, that's when it (the record) kinda came in sight. Ella's core four events are the hurdles, relay teams and long jump. This year, she added high jump to give her a chance at surpassing Zelinka. It's an event she's had to rediscover. 'When I was a kid, I did it,' said Steel-Douglas who has also jumped a couple of times during multi-events with her club team. 'I have a good foundation for it but actual practice, I don't really practice it all that much. Yet she won both the local and regional titles this spring. Steel-Douglas shares her achievements with teammates who have played a big role in her success. 'Having them beside me and having like-minded people in my corner, it helps me achieve those things. Her goal is in sight, but first order of business is getting through the OFSAA West Regionals starting Friday in London. 'I'm just excited for not just this school but all of Essex-County because I see the athletes that are coming out of this area, and I think it's gonna be a good OFSAA for Windsor-Essex County kids if we can get them through,' Moore said. The top 4 in each event advance to the OFSAA Championships at York University starting June 5th.
