42 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 11, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Hawks relay team showed continual improvement Continued from page 41 OFSAA bronze -- along with the fifth-place effort in the 1,500m on Friday -- was a nice conclusion to the first season of track for the Abbey Park student, who thinks he can only get better. "Hopefully I can win an OFSAA championship during my years in high school," said Mathie, who won Halton cross-country championships during his days at Abbey Lane and Pilgrim Wood elementary schools but did not try out track and field until this year. "It's been a lot of fun. I've done really well, so I'm proud of myself." Loyola girls' relay Prom night wasn't enough to deter members of the Loyola Hawks' senior girls' 4x100m relay team from pushing themselves to the limit in Friday's sweltering conditions. Grade 12 students Kacy Gray and Ashlie Tracey traded in their corsages and hairdos for OFSAA bronze, joined by Grade 10 juniors Ashara Cadogan and Megan O'Neill. In finishing third, the newly-formed team also showed its continual improvement. The Hawks finished in 48.86 seconds (behind Mary Ward's 47.83 and Pickering's 48.12), after posting a time of a then-team best 49.18 in the semis. Loyola won the south regional title the previous month, posting a time of 49.73 seconds. Abbey Park boys' relay When Michael Rose took the baton from Kevin Cox for the final leg of Saturday's open boys' 4x400m relay, the Eagles were 20 metres out of second place. Rose needed only half a lap to blow past Our Lady of Mount Carmel anchor Jonathon Buckley, and it appeared the Eagles would win their second consecutive silver medal in the event. Rose, however, was surpassed again by Buckley on the final stretch, crossing the line only 12 one-hundredths of a second behind his opponent, as Abbey Park settled for third. "If I didn't (pass Buckley so quickly), I wouldn't have run as fast as I could," Rose said. "I'm not regretting that I did it. If anyone catches you at the very end, you're going to be unhappy, but a bronze is still very good at OFSAA. I'm happy with it." So were his teammates, two of them (Michael Trnkus and Cox) returnees from the 2007 team and the other (Brandon Musselman) new to the team this season. "I was running with excellent runners," said Musselman, a Grade 10 student. "I just try to keep up with them and do the best I can." Trnkus said the team would gladly take third, especially considering the uncertainty of Cox's strained hamstring condition two weeks before OFSAA. "A month ago, I didn't think we'd be top-five, let alone win a medal," said the 17-year-old. "We kept getting better and better. I'm just real proud of the team." Stephanie MacNeill MacNeill made her final OFSAA appearance her best one, posting a sixth-place finish in the senior girls' 3,000m. The 18-year-old Iroquois Ridge student completed Saturday's race in 10:30.75, nearly 10 seconds slower than her qualifying time but still a pace she was pleased with. "It was pretty hot. No one's used to running in this heat yet," said MacNeill, whose previous best showing at OFSAA was 14th. "I am very happy." MacNeill plans to continue running next year as she hopes to attend the University of Ottawa. PHOTO CONTEST WINNER k 4 Photo by Pierre Hanchin www.oakvillesoccer.ca The Oakville Beaver A Proud Sponsor of Oakville Soccer Club See Our Flyer In Today's Selected Issues PROUDLY SERVING HALTON SINCE 1987... SALES · SERVICE TO ALL MAKES The Future of Home Comfort Carrier Cool Cash Rebates (OPA) Ontario Power Authority Rebates Eco Energy Rebates Up to 1 year deferred payment Financing OAC See us for details BONUS! Programable A/C COVER WITH PURCHASE DATE: CANLAN ICE SPORTS OAKVILLE Thermostat Included with A/C Purchase COMPLETE WINDOW COVERINGS INC. "Affordable Coverings That Complete Your Home" SHOWROOM: 4380 SOUTH SERVICE RD. Between Appleby and Walkers Line 905-681-3440 WWW.ALEXCORRANCEMEMORIALFUND.COM Finally, a quality retractable awning/canopy you can leave out in the sun the wind and the rain! Cover areas up to 16' x 30' with one canopy. Visit www.shadefxcanopies.com