A total of 18 east end athletes and five relay teams have qualified for the OFSAA provincial track and field championships after finishing in the top five in their respective events at the OFSAA East Regional qualifying meet in Belleville last week.

École secondaire publique Louis-Riel lead the way with seven athletes qualifying in their individual events, while four relay teams made the grade. Colonel By wasn't far behind with seven athletes also qualifying and one relay team. Two athletes qualified from École secondaire publique Gisèle-Lalonde and St. Peter High School and École secondaire catholique Béatrice-Desloges will be sending one athlete each.

Louis-Riel will be sending an especially strong team that will include three event winners and one new record holder.

Grade 9 student Mallea McMullin smashed the meet record in the novice girls javelin with a throw of 40.04 metres. The old record was set of 34.71 metres was set in 2008.

McMullin also qualified for provincials with a third place performance in the novice girls discus. She will be joined in London by team veterans Zachary Jeggo and Deniel Cova.

Jeggo qualified for provincials with wins in both the senior boys 400 metres and 400-metre hurdles, while Cova won the Open Boys 3000-mere Stepplechase and placed second in senior boys the 3,000 metres.

The Louis Riel team will be rounded out with Danica Mulvihill who placed second in the senior girls 100-metre hurdles, Maxime Chartrand who tied for first in the novice boys pole vault and Evan James Rebane who placed 5th in the junior boys 3,000.

Louis-Riel also had a very successful day in the relays. They won both the senior boys 4x100 relay and the open boys 4x400. They placed third in the junior girls 4x100 and they came in fourth in the senior girls 4x100.

The Colonel By team will be lead by Laila Label who won the novice girls 3,000 metres and placed fourth in the 800. Other Cougar athletes who will be making the trip to London are Ella Robertson (4th in the junior girls 80-metre hurdles), Andromeda Bromwich (4th in the senior girls high jump), Allan Bordovsky (5th in the novice boys long jump), Austin Walker (5th in the junior boys 800 metres), Mason Brennan (4th in the senior boys 110-metre hurdles) and Owen Siderius (3rd in the open boys 3000-metre steeplechase).

The east end contingent will also include Timéo Atonfo from École secondaire publique Gisèle-Lalonde, who qualified for provincials in three events after placing first in the senior boys 110-metre hurdles, 2nd in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump; and his younger teammate Tahlia Aird-Greaves who also qualified in three events with a first place performance in the novice girls long jump, a two second place results in the 80-metre hurdles and the 100-metre sprint.

Last, but by no means least, Taisei Tan from École secondaire Béatrice-Desloges won both the junior boys 100- and 300-metre hurdles to put him among the favourites to medal in both events at the OFSAA provincials which will take place on June 5 and 6.

Here is a complete list of area athletes who qualified for OFSAA Provincials...

Novice Girls
100 metres 2nd Tahlia Aird-Greaves, Gisèle-Lalonde 12:48
800 metres 4th Laila Lebel, Colonel By 2:27.82
3000 metres 1st Laila Lebel, Colonel By 11:10.00
80-metre hurdles 2nd Tahlia Aird-Greaves, Gisèle-Lalonde 12:12
Long Jump 1st Tahlia Aird-Greaves, Gisèle-Lalonde 5:03m
Discus 3rd Mallea McMullin Louis-Riel 21.17m
Javelin 1st Mallea McMullin Louis-Riel 40.04m (New meet record)

Junior Girls
80-metre hurdles 4th Ella Robertson, Colonel By 12.84
4x100 relay 3rd Louis Riel 52.94

Senior Girls
100-metre hurdles 2nd Danica Mulvihill, Louis Riel 15.36
High Jump 4th Andromeda Bromwich, Colonel By 1.50m
Long Jump 5th Franckie Cobby, St. Peter 4.93m
4x100 relay 4th St. Peter 51.73

Novice Boys
Long Jump 5th Allan Bordovsky, Colonel By 5.38m
Pole Vault 1st (3-way tie) Maxime Chartrand, Louis-Riel 2.75m

Junior Boys
400 metres 1st Ayoub Shangai, Louis-Riel 51.42
800 metres 5th Austin Walker, Colonel By 2:03.41
3000 metres 5th Evan James Rebane, Louis-Riel 9:12.21
100-metre hurdles 1st Taisei Tan, Béatrice-Desloges 13.71
300-metre hurdles 1st Taisei Tan, Béatrice-Desloges 40.53
4x100 Relay 4th Louis-Riel 46.10

Senior Boys
400 metres 1st Zachary Jeggo, Louis-Riel 48.19
3000 metre 2nd Daniel Cova, Louis-Riel 8:45.21
110-metre hurdles 1st Timéo Atonfo, Gisèle-Lalonde 14.24
110-metre hurdles 4th Mason Brennan, Colonel By 14.79
400-metre hurdles 1st Zachary Jeggo, Louis-Riel 55.46
Long Jump 2nd Timéo Atonfo, Gisèle-Lalonde 6.60m
Triple Jump 5th Timéo Atonfo, Gisèle-Lalonde 13.09m
3000 metre Open Steeplechase 1st Daniel Cova, Louis-Riel 6:08.86
3000 metre Open Steeplechase 3rd Owen Siderius, Colonel By 6:13.00
4x100 Relay 1st Louis-Riel 43.02
4x100 Relay 4th Colonel By 43.83
4x400 Open Relay 1st Louis-Riel 3:25.37