OHL PLAYER SHOWS OFF HIS AIM
Sudbury Wolves’ McConville wins javelin event with a hurl of 52.69 metres
Blake McConville doesn’t get to practise throwing javelin as much as he might like.
For much of year, the 18-yearold McConville was focused on playing hockey for the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves.
On Tuesday, McConville put his Wolves jersey aside to sport a Sandwich Sabres singlet and promptly won the senior boys’ javelin on the opening day of the WECSSAA track and field championships at University of Windsor Stadium.
“I’ve always done track and field through high school,” the six-foot-two, 200-pound McConville said. “It’s just so fun and different than hockey.”
And as focused as he is on hockey, McConville believes it’s important to take a break sometimes.
“It helps being an athlete just doing all sports and not just focusing on one thing,” McConville said. “I think you need a break. You’re at the rink every day and it’s nice to switch it up and just be around all your old friends and outside and not in the cold.
“Your Grade 12 year, you’re trying to do everything. So, I’m going to do track and field and be with all my friends and make more memories.” McConville was dominant in winning Tuesday’s competition. He was the only thrower to break 50 metres on the day and five of his six throws were over that mark.
“I feel like I’m in more shape this year coming back from hockey,” McConville said. “Playing in the OHL, you’re going to be in some of the best shape ever.” McConville’s best throw of 52.69 metres was over nine metres ahead of his closest rival and also established a new personal best for him by breaking his previous best performance of 51.75 metres.
“It’s good for the first meet of the year,” McConville said. “I used to play baseball. I know the coach and she told me to test it out. I enjoy it. I like winning.” He won an OFSAA bronze medal in the event in Grade 9 and hopes to better that medal this season.
“This is my last year, so hopefully medal again,” McConville said. “I’m looking for the gold in javelin, but really just having fun.” The only record set during Tuesday’s opening day of the three-day meet came from
St. Joseph Lasers’ first-year senior Nicole Larue in the 1,500 metres.
“It was a shock,” the 16-yearold Larue said after the race. A Grade 11 student, Larue only began running the 1,500 metres in Grade 10 and not with much success.
“I kind of had an off year, but worked on it indoors and had better results this year,” LaRue said. “I’m more mentally staying in it. In my head, I let a lot of things bother me (last year).” Larue and Massey’s Maya Hannagan run club together for the Windsor Legion and the two were side-by-side through 1,100 metres.
“We knew what the record was,” Larue said. “We weren’t sure we could hit it this early in the season. Then, when we went through 800 in (two minutes and 30 seconds), our coach had yelled at us ‘A little off record time.’ So, we just pushed each other through the race.”
Larue broke away on the bell lap to win in 4:41.60, which broke the old mark of 4:42.59, which was set by General Amherst’s Meaghan Marton in 2011. “We went out together, stayed together and it could have been either one of our races,” Larue said of Hannagan. “I hit that bell lap and I knew I had a lot in me. Since the record was on the line, I had motivation to bring it home in the last lap.”