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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.
