Today we Talked Track with Joe Duchesne, the leader in morning talk radio. During the show Joe (second from the right) talked with London Legion athletes; Canadian Champion Andrew Graham (far left), 2 time Ontario Champion Charlotte Crombeen (second from left), and two time Ontario Champion Emma Crombeen (middle). In the conversation with Joe were Legion executives Art Scadden (centre Zone Commander) and R.T. (Bob) Walsh (far right, Zone Public Relations). Art is a Veteran of World War II.
The group discussed the tremendous success of London Legion this year, our #1 Indoor Provincial ranking, and #2 Outdoor Provincial ranking and the challenges and rewards of competitive Track & Field for athletes. Many, many thanks to Andrew, Emma and Charlotte for agreeing to be on Joe's show. Thanks also, to Art and Bob from the Royal Canadian Legion. Most of all, thanks Joe Duschene for hosting the very proud team from London Legion Track & Field.
August 29, 2007.
The September X-C Training Plan and Schedule is now available at this link. In September, Nathan Hofstetter (left) will be returning to help coach one of our fastest growing programs. Welcome back Nathan. CLICK HERE FOR SEPTEMBER TRAINING PLAN & SCHEDULE
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO PRACTICE ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1. HAVE A GREAT LONG WEEKEND!
Abdull Zubair U.W.O. T&F
Jamie Ryder University of Nebraska T&F
Stephanie Muise University of Guelph T&F Cross Country
Jenn House U.W.O. T&F
August 28, 2007.
The London Legion coaches, athletes, managment team and Board of Directors, express best wishes to our 2 Seniors and 2 Juniors as they return this week to their university T&F and Cross Country Teams. We are all extremely proud of these talented young athletes. Have a great season.
Coaches start Cross Country Training, detailed schedule soon.
August 21, 2007, London, ON
Cross country starts August 21. Please meet at T.D. Waterhouse at 5 PM on Tuesday and Thursday, Saturday's at 9:15 at Springbank Park (across from Shoppers Drug Mart).
Linda Findley World Masters Finalist
Aleccia Hofstetter Syracuse University Cross Country Captain
Bud Willis NCAA - U of Washington Marathon
August 15, 2007.
London Legion is now the #2 Outdoor T&F Club in Ontario, up from #5 in 2006. Earlier this year, London Legion became the #1 Indoor T&F Club in Ontario. This is a remarkable accomplishment since we have only 1 active Senior and only 2 active Juniors. 100% of our athletes were developed within the London Legion T&F Program. This is an incredible accomplishment for a club only 3 years old. Another important consideration, is that London Legion was strong across the board, with top finishes by our Bantams, Midgets and Juveniles. Our Juniors and Senior were the best in Ontario and contributed greatly to our team success. Congratulations to all athletes and coaches.
August 11, 2007, Oromocto, NB
Three London Legion athletes became Canadian T&F Champions this weekend at the Royal Canadian Legion T&F Championship for Midget and Juvenile T&F Athletes. Andrew Graham (far left), won Gold in the Juvenile Men's Octathlon and narrowly missed setting a new Multi-Event record. Shauna Malek (middle) continued her amazing T&F season winning Gold in the 400mh and Silver in the 400m. Gabriel Tesfaye also won 2 Championship medals, a Gold in the 100m hurdles and bronze in the 100m. Congratulations Andrew, Shauna and Gabriel.
Andrew Graham Octathlon Gold
Shauna Malek 400mh Gold, 400m Silver
Gabriel Tesfaye 100mh Gold, 100m Bronze
August 8, 2007. Oromocto, NB
Congratulations to Collette Tesfaye who this week received her NCCP Level II Coaching Certification for Sprints and Hurdles at the Athletics Canada Coaching Clinic held prior to the Canadian Legion National Track & Field Championships. Collette has been a coach with London Legion for 2 years and has played a very large role in helping build our organization. Collette is a PhysioTherapist at the London Health Sciences Centre. The Ontario Team coaching staff asked Collette to help prepare athletes for this weekend's Legion Canadian Championship. London Legion has 3 athletes selected to team Ontario, Shauna Malek, Andrew Graham and Collette's son Gabriel. Best wishes to everyone in Orimoncto.
About London Legion SAC
Who: Grade 5 - 12 Males & Females Where: Banting High School Special: We take full teams When: August 13-17 Cost: $125 one week Register August 13 Banting Registration FORM
Andrew Zadorsky WLU DB, RB
Ryan Tremblay SFU RB Ontario Decathlon Junior Champion Canadian Junior Bronze Medal 110mh
Jamie Ryder University of Nebraska Canadian Junior Champion 110mh
August 1, 2007, London ON
Three of London's best athletes have agreed to lead the London Legion SAC Summer Camps. Details of London Legion's SAC program are on the SAC Section of this website. This program was written for London Legion by Canadian Olympic Head Coach, Brent MacFarlane. Brent designed the SAC program when he coached the WLU Golden Hawk SAC program from 2000-2006.
July 27, 2007, Abbotsford, B.C.
Jenn House and Damian Warner mined Canadian Bronze Medals in the mountains of British Columbia at the Canadian Junior National Championships. Jenn House jumped 3.40m in the Junior Women's Pole Vault and Damian Warner jumped 6.98m in the Canadian Junior Men's Long Jump. Congratulations Jenn & Damian. Damian competes tomorrow in the Triple Jump.
13 Ontario Legion Championship, 5 Ontario Minor Track Championship Medals
Andrew Graham(below) shows determination and heart to win Heptathon Gold
London Legion had split squads compete at 2 Ontario
Championship Meets. At the Ontario Minor
T&F Championship, held in Oshawa,
six elementary London Legion athletes won 5 Ontario T&F medals. Congratulations to Locky Butcher (Gold Medal
- HJ), Alanna Fournie (Bronze Medal -800m), Nicolas Fournie (Bronze Medal
1500m, Silver Medal 800m), and Ian
Turnbull (Silver - 1500m).
In Ottawa, London Legion high school athletes won at total
of 13 Ontario Legion Provincial Championship medals, including Emma Crombeen
(Gold PV), Michael Lopatowski (Gold PV), Shauna Malek (Gold 400m, Gold 400mh,
Bronze 200m), Andrew Graham (Gold - Heptathlon, Bronze 400mh), Gabriel Tesfaye
(Gold 100mh, Silver 200m), Charlotte Crombeen (Silver 80mh, Bronze LJ), Meghan
Harris (Silver 100mh), and Scott Leitch (Silver 400mh).
The highlight of this weekend's competitions was the come
from behind finish that Andrew Graham had in the Men's 17 and Under Heptathlon.
Andrew won the respect of every athlete and club all across Ontario, because he delivered one of the
most impressive and gutsy athletic performances of the entire Championship
competition in the 800m, the final event of the competition.
London Legion is extremely proud of all 21 athletes that competed in Oshawa and Ottawa. Well done coaches and athletes.
July 15, 2007. Ostrava, Czech Republic
Shauna Malek won a Bronze Medal at the IAAF World Youth Games. Shauna was a member of Canada's women's relay team who won Canada's only medal at this major international competition. At left, Shauna shares a proud moment for her, London Legion, and Canada with some of her very talented hurdle team members. In her hurdle training group (picture left) are 6 Ontario and 2 Canadian Hurdle Champions. This is the first World Championship medal won by a London Legion athlete in our brief 3 year history. Congratulations Shauna!
Jamie Ryder, 19 5th in Canada
Jenn House, 18 11th Place finish
Damian Warner 18 - 18th Place 7.28m PB is 6th Best Jump in Canada
July 12-15, 2007, Windsor, ON
London Legion is so proud of our 3 very talented athletes that competed this weekend at the Canadian Senior T&F Championships. This event is the highest level of T&F in Canada. All of our athletes are under 20 and represented our club extremely well. Congratulations Jamie Ryder who is now ranked #5 in Canada in the 110mh. Jenn House placed 11th in a very competitive field of Canada's best pole vaulters. Jenn is the #3 ranked Junior in the Women's Pole Vault. Damian Warner, 18, placed 18th, but currently has the 6th best long jump result in Canada for 2007. Damian is the #1 ranked Junior Long Jumper in Canada. All of the London Legion team are extremely proud of these tremendous results.
July 12, Ostrava, Czech Republic
London Legion's Shauna Malek placed 19th in the World at this week's World Youth Games, held in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Our talented young athlete was leading her heat up to the 200m, posting one of the best 200m splits in the competition. Shauna also recorded the fastest start, electronically measured, in the competition. Strong winds and slight rain during her race, impacted great performances for all the athletes, but Shauna held on to 5th position, in her heat. Congratulations Shauna!
This weekend in Windsor, Ontario, 3 London Legion athletes compete in their first ever Canadian Senior Championships. Jamie Ryder 19 (110mh), Damian Warner 18 (LJ), and Jenn House (PV), compete on Friday July 13, and Saturday July 14. London Legion now has 3 athletes, under 20, on the Athletics Canada Top 10 List for Canadian T&F Athletes. Best wishes, Jamie, Damian and Jenn. Also, this weekend, London Legion sends a group of elementary athletes to the Minor Track Association meet in Brampton.
July 5, 2007
Fifteen London Legion Track & Field Club Athletes have been selected to compete at the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Championship, to be held in Ottawa on July 20-21. Congratulations to Fatima Braimoh, Charlotte Crombeen, Leah Ditchfield, Stephanie Van Raay, Alanna Roy, Gabriel Tesfaye, Zach Gray, Meghan Harris, Shauna Malek, Emma Crombeen, Taylor Stewart, Austin Roth, Andrew Graham, Scott Leitch and Michael Lopatowski. This is the largest group of athletes selected from London Legion in our 3 year club history. Last year 7 were selected and in 2005, three athletes were chosen. Winners of the Ontario Legion T&F Championships may be selected to represent Ontario at the Canadian Legion T&F Championship held this year in New Brunswick.
Malek Trust Fund Campaign Continues.
Shauna is now in the Czech Republic preparing for the World Youth Competition on July 11-15. You still have time to give to the Trust Fund established to help Shauna and her family cover the expenses of this trip. See story below and in last weeks Londoner Newspaper.
Please help by making a cheque out to: London Legion Athlete Trust
Give your cheque to a club official or mail to 5 Beech Drive, London, Ontario N6P 1E1
To represent Canada in 400m Hurdles in Ostrava, Czech Republic July 11-15 - Club Establishes New Athlete Trust Fund.
June 21, 2007, Ottawa, ON
Today, Athletics Canada announced the 2007 World Youth Games team for Canada. London Legion's Shauna Malek was chosen to be a part of this very talented team of young people, aged 15-17, who will represent Canada. Shauna was chosen after meeting the tough qualification standard for the 400m hurdles of 102.5. Last weekend, in Toronto, Shauna ran an impressive world standard winning time of 101.93. Congratulations Shauna and congratulations to all regional athletes who have been selected as well.
To help Shauna get to the World Youth Games, London Legion has established the London Legion Athlete Trust Fund. We encourage everyone to help Shauna. We recommend contributions by cheque only. Please make the cheque out to LONDON LEGION ATHLETE TRUST - Shauna Malek. and give your contribution to a club coach or official. You can also mail a contribution to LONDON LEGION ATHLETE TRUST, 5 Beech Drive, London, ON, N6P1E1. Thank you in advance for your support of this talented young athlete.
June 17, 2007, York University, Toronto, ON
Incredible. Damian Warner jumped 7.05m at the OTFA National Qualifier held at York University. Damian jumped the 3rd best jump in one of the best fields of Junior and Senior long jump athletes in Ontario. Damian narrowly missed the Pan Am Junior qualifying mark of 7.15m. Damian is the first London Legion athlete to jump over 7m in competition. Congratulations Damian.
Four young London Legion athletes brought Gold Medals home on Father's Day. Erica (left), Erin (centre left), Meredith (centre right) and Cassidy (right) ran an impressive 4:50.11 to win the Ontario Bantam Championship 4X400 Relay. Well done!
June 19, 2007. London, ON
Jenn House won the honour of winning the Bob Gage Award which recognizes the top male and female Track & Field Athlete in London. This accomplishment caps off an amazing month for Jenn that has included a Gold Medal at OFSAA, an OFSAA Pole Vault Record, and the receipt of a Track & Field scholarship at U.W.O. Congratulations Jenn.
Congratulations to several young London Legion athletes that set new T&F records in the recent London Conference T&F Meets. Many other amazing medal winning performances were completed over this season.
Congratulations to all athletes competing at OFSAA West and OFSAA. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. London Legion videos can be described in one word - AWESOME. Stay tuned for an announcement shortly for a new athlete profile, video and Internet service available for club athletes with www.ontarioathletes.com. Call 519-652-9477 if you would like your profile and videos on this exciting new website that profiles the best athletes in Ontario from all sports. An authorization form and parental signatures are required.
Thanks to Ontario Master's Championship Track & Field Meet Director Linda Findley, this years meet was a huge success. A near record number of athletes attended this year. Ontario Master's T&F is a rapidly growing part of the OTFA T&F program. Many, many thanks to club volunteers including Harvey Barkauskas, Jason Spalding, Penny Yip, and Sine Pettit. Several new meet, Ontario, and Canadian records were established at this meet.
On Sunday June 3, 2007, London Legion T&F will host the Ontario Masters T&F Championship. So far 181 athletes have registered, close to record for this competition. Everyone is welcome to watch some of the best athletes in Ontario, compete to qualify for the Canadian Masters T&F Championship. London Legion's Linda Findley (left) is the Meet Director, and club Master's athlete, Dr. Don Millar (right) will be competing. This is the second year that London Legion T&F has hosted this meet. So far this year, London Legion has hosted 2 major meets and 6 twilight meets for children.
Please welcome 2 new members of London Legion T&F coming to
us from Montcalm High School. Damian Warner is the 2007 TVRAA and WOSSAA
Individual Champion, winning Gold in the 100m, LJ, and TJ. Max
Dubinovsky has won several medals during this years regional
championships. Max also achieved a silver medal in the 2006 OFSAA
Championship in the TJ. Videos of their medal winning performances are above. Damian and Max are the first Cougars
ever to join London Legion.
WOSSAA T&F Championship. May 23-24, 2007, London, ON
Four Club Athletes broke long standing records at WOSSAA T&F. From left to right..... Corey Crawley 100m 200m Ryan George 400m Stephanie Muise 1500 Steeplechase Taylor Stewart LJ TJ
Videos of OFSAA Regional qualifying athletes will be placed on the website soon. Congratulations to all regional athletes for tremendous performances. More stories and videos from WOSSAA coming soon.
May 23-24, 2007, London, ON WOSSAA T&F Championship
WOSSAA results are on their way, including many incredible record breaking highlights. Stay tuned.....
Club Athletes set new records, win individual championships, May 15-16, 2007, London, ON
Congratulations to all athletes in the London and Area region for a significant increase in participation and performance at this years TVRAA Conference Championship. Video Highlights will be placed on www.londonlegiontrack.com througout the day. Next up 400m, long hurdles, 200m and middle distance and field events. For full results CLICK HERE. These high quality videos and professional athlete profiles, including results, are included in the membership fees for all London Legion T&F members. Stay tuned for a powerful new service, for high school athletes, that will be available shortly. New members can join London Legion for the remainder of 2007 for $225. Summer only program is $175. Call 519-652-9477. London Legion is the #1 Indoor T&F Club in Ontario and #1 in Ontario Outdoors, for T&F athletes 17 and under.
In the next few weeks all Indoor competition
hightlights will be up. London Legion currently has over 3 Terabytes
of videos for club athletes in Track, Football and Basketball.
May 14, 2007, LETS RACE SERIES, St. Thomas Aquinas H.S
The results are in. The story of the night was close races, very close races. Enjoy watching the effort of these young people on a picture perfect night.
Last year www.londonlegiontrack.com welcomed over 60,000 on-line visitors. This year, we are on track to having over 120,000 visitors. It is very exciting to watch the interest in Track & Field grow so dramatically in London. Welcome to London Legion Track & Field, a leader and innovator in Track & Field in Canada. London Legion currently is the #1 Indoor Club in Ontario and #1 Outdoors for Youth Development under 17. Stay tuned for new exciting services and changes to this industry leading website.
Chin-Yee
Crombeen
Flack
Kok
McCoskey
Ridgeway
Papini
Turpier
Vettraino
Walker
Welker
Howlett
Nesbitt
May 9, 2007
Lets all welcome several new athletes to London Legion, joining us as part of our SAC Program. These grouping of athletes comes to us from regional football and hockey program. Welcome to London Legion Track & Field. Profiles of these athletes are included in the SAC Athletes Section of our website.
May 7, 2007. St. Thomas Aquinas High School, London, ON
It doesn't get better than this! Perfect weather. Perfect systems. Fantastic Results. Lots of fun.
One of the great new stories for 2007 is the growing leadership of some of our wonderful London Legion athletes that are helping Coach Liz House operate this weekly series of meets. Thank you Andrew Graham, Joe Harris, Charlotte Crombeen, Chris House, Sean Ryder and Jamie Ryder.
New children are welcome to join in the fun. See you next week. LETS RACE on Monday May 14, 6:30 PM at St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
LETS RACE (2) on April 30, 2007. London, ON
The theme of LETS RACE 2, was 'Continuous Improvement'. The reason we exist is to help young people improve their athletic skills and to help create a love of sport, especially for Track & Field. It was very exciting to watch young people continue to gain experience, continue to improve skills and most important of all...continue have fun. London Legion's Meet Management Skills also improved significantly. Please make sure you thank Coach Liz House for her dedication to this development program for young people. Liz also worked hard to improve the markings on the St. Thomas Aquinas Track. Thank you Liz. Our timing system and technology also continued to improve and we lead Canada in tools and technology for Track Meets for children. Never satisfied, we always strive for continuous improvement.
New young people and families are welcome to join us next week.
April 27, 2007. London, ON.
The London Legion Board of Directors, Management Team and Coaching Staff are very excited to announce the arrival of Bud Willis to our team. Bud is a regional leader in Distance coaching and elite event management, having led the Canada Games, World Transplant Games, Ontario/Canadian Paralympic Games and TVRAA Track & Field and Cross Country finals. Bud is a certified Level III NCCP Distance coach. An avid athlete, himself, Bud ran middle distance at Western Washington University in the US and continues to run road races and marathons. Bud is also a graduate of UWO's Althouse College and was a teacher with the Elgin and Thames Valley Board of Education. Bud's full bio is in our coaches section.
April 23, 2007, London, ON
The first meet of the 10 week LETS Race series started today and was a huge success. On a cold, rainy and windy day families enjoyed an evening of fun.
London Legion continued to demonstrate leadership with state of the art starting and timing equipment and highlights of several of the races are on our new London Legion Photo Album site. Shortly, videos of these races will be published.
Enjoy. New families wishing to join in on the fun are welcome. See you next Monday at St. Thomas Aquinas High School at 6:30 P.M.
10.
TEN
WEEKS OF RACING FUN starting April 23 (6:30) 9.
IT'S FREE
FOR CLUB T&F & SAC MEMBERS 8.
IT'S GR8T ..gr8t COACHES, gr8t PROGRAM, gr8t PRICE 7.
FULLY ELECTRONIC TIMING (very rare for elementary) 6.
ONLY 6 BUCKS A NIGHT at STA H.S. every Monday 5.
GREAT
RACE PRACTICE FOR
SCHOOL MEETS 4. PRACTICE RELAYS WITH YOUR FRIENDS 3. COMPETE
IN UP TO 3 RACES EACH NIGHT 2. COMPETE IN UP TO 2 RELAYS EACH NIGHT 1. WORK WITH THE #1 T&F TEAM IN ONTARIO
Gold Package
Silver Package
Bronze Package
SAC
What
Competitive Program Ontario T&F Association Meets Minor T&F Assocation Meets LETS RACE Meets
Elementary Prep No OTFA or MTA Meets LETS RACE Meets
Best Effort Video of Competitions Bronze Package (LETS RACE) On-Line Profiles On-Line Result History Elementary SAC (when available) All Entry Fees MTA Membership
Bronze Package Weekly Races & Relays MTA Membership
Electronic Timing Best Effort Video Video Results MTA Membership
Electronic Testing SAC Training
Who
Grade 6 - 8
Grade 5 - 8
Grade 2 -8
LMFA Section - Grade 4 - 8 High School/Univer - Grade 9 up
Credits Club Coaches for Gold (200m), Silver(TJ), Bronze(60m) and 4th Place(LJ) at Ontario Masters Championship
March 3, 2007. Toronto, Ontario
London Legion Masters athlete, Dr. Don Millar completed a rare Track & Field cycle at the Ontario Master's Championship held at York University. Dr. Millar won the Gold in the 200m, a Silver in the Triple Jump, a Bronze in the 60m, and a 4th place in the Long Jump. Dr. Millar was competing in the Men's 50 -55 age division. Dr. Millar credits his London Legion coaches for his personal best performances that led to these tremendous results. Congratulations Dr. Millar and London Legion coaches.
March 3-4, 2007. Windsor, Ontario.
London Legion returned home with 4 Ontario Track & Field
Championships; the Overall Club T&F Championship, the Bantam,
Midget and Juvenile Championships. Congratulations to all athletes and
coaches on a record setting indoor season. An article on our team success
is on the cover of the OTFA March 2007 Magazine. Click here to view. Below are video highlights from this very exciting weekend.
Olympian Milt Ottey & Club Head Coach implement OTFA Youth T&F Event at Banting High School
March 2, 2007. London, Ontario.
London Legion Head Coach Sandy Cooper-Ryder has collaborated with Olympian Track Athlete Milt Ottey to bring the International Fun in Team Athletics (IFTA) program to London at Banting High School. The IFTA program is recognized around the world and operates in 33 countries for over 500,000 children.
Milt Ottey represented Canada in the 1982, 1984, and 1988 Olympics. In 1984, Milt was ranked as the #1 High Jumper in the world.
The initial IFTA program in London was a huge success with over 150 elementary athletes participating. A huge thanks to Milt Ottey, and program sponsers including the Ontario Track & Field Association (OFTA).
Several London Legion athletes were student leaders that helped implement this hugely successful event.
12 Medals won at Ontario Legion Championship
London Legion wins 1st Ontario Juvenile Championship
Congratulations to Jenn House(left), Shauna Malek(centre left), Andrew Graham(centre right) and Meaghan Harris(right) for their selection by the OTFA to represent Ontario at the U.S. High School Indoor T&F Championship that will be held in N.Y. on March 10-12.
London Legion welcomes former International Monetary
Fund(IMF) Economist
February 10, 2007. London, Ontario.
The Board of London Legion T&F met earlier this week and we are pleased
to announce that Mr. Carlos Leite, has decided to join our growing non-profit,
100% volunteer organization. Carlos Leite holds a PhD in Economics (1994) from
McMaster University as well as an undergraduate degree in accounting (1988)
from Waterloo University. Currently a senior manager with the national tax
practice of Deloitte & Touche, Carlos spent 9 years at the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), where he advised national governments on macroeconomic and
financial policy. His tenure at the IMF included 2 years as the IMF's resident
representative in Angola, Africa. Prior to joining the IMF, Carlos was
assistant professor of Economics at the University of Western Ontario in
London, Canada. Carlos and his wife Sandra are frequent visitors to
London Legion practices and Track/Cross Country Meets. We encourage club
athletes and parents to welcome Carlos to our team.
Corey Crawley & Ryan George talk about Relays with Radio Stars (story & videos below)
February 9, 2007 Club Athletes Corey Crawley and Ryan George were invited to talk with local radio stars Tucker & Taz about the London Legion Relay Team. The team of Corey, Ryan, Winston Campbell and Gabriel Tesfaye won the coveted Gold Medal in the 4X200 Relay. Above right is Legion executive, Mr. R.T.(Bob) Walsh.
Joe Duchesne, of AM980, also invited Ryan and Corey to his top rated morning talk show. Joe had a great time with Corey and Ryan. Our athletes spoke during a section of Joe's program that highlights the contribution of Legion veterans for community initiatives. Above, Joe gives a big thumbs up for Ryan and Corey's performance.
February 4, 2006. York University, Toronto, Ontario.
The depth of London Legion's sprint, and middle distance program was tested at the Ontario Track & Field Association's Indoor Relay Championship. The result's are in and our team achieved tremendous results against the best teams in Ontario. London Legion relay teams achieved a record 19 medals, 7 Gold, 5 Silver, and 7 Bronze Medals. A record 138 teams competed in this meet held at York University. This is the second Ontario Championship won by London Legion in the last 2 weeks.
Ivey Business School Professor & OHL/NHL Star will help create a better future for Track & Field in London
February 3, 2007. London, Ontario
During the week that London Legion T&F won the Ontario Multi-Event Championship, it is extremely exciting to announce that Mr. David Simpson has joined the Board of Directors of the London Legion Track & Field Alliance.
David Simpson is the Director of the
Business Families Centre at the Ivey School of Business and teaches
entrepreneurial finance and leading family firms. He has twenty years
experience as an active entrepreneur, owning and operating companies in
a range of industries including aerospace, oil field services,
restaurants and recreational facilities (golf, tennis). David is the
former captain of the London Knights and played professionally in the
New York Islanders organization winning two championships in
Indianapolis. David trained in the decathlon while at Oakridge high
school and has a life long love of track and field.
Mr. Simpson is the first of three major business leaders to join the London Legion Track & Field Board of Directors. Future announcements will be made in the following weeks.
Gabriel Tesfaye & Andrew Graham Break Ontario Multi-Event Records
January 28, 2007. York University, Toronto.
London Legion won the 2007 Overall Ontario Indoor Multi-Event Championship. Our team sent 16 athletes and came home with a team record 39 points and 5 Provincial Medals, 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 3 Bronze. Gabriel Tesfaye won the Gold in the Midget Boys Division with an Ontario Record 2372 points. Andrew Graham also broke the old Ontario Record for Juvenile Men with an incredible 3151 points, however Derek Drouin from Sarnia Athletics won the gold and the new Ontario record with 3220 points. Winning Bronze Medals for London Legion were Meghan Harris, Michael Lopatowski, and Jesse Smith. Highlights of this exciting competition are below and athlete result files will be updated soon. Click here to see all of the results from this meet.
Ontario Results
1. London Legion 39 2. Laurel Creek 14 3.Sarnia Athletics 12
London Legion Track & Field is very proud to announce that Mr. Roger Crawley, an RCMP officer attached to London, has agreed to become a club coach. Roger was recognized at an early age for his speed over 100 meters. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Roger was heavily recruited by several Canadian and U.S. University T&F Teams, before deciding to attend the University of Oregon. During his varsity T&F Career, Roger attained
a blistering 10.4 second personal best in the 100m. The University of
Oregon also chose Roger to be the lead runner on their NCAA 4X100 relay
team.
London has been home to Roger, his wife Christine and their 2 boys since 1992. While in London, Roger has coached hockey, soccer, football and the 100 meter sprint. Roger is also a part time Community College teacher.
Roger is the 4th NCAA Track & Field Athlete to return to coaching with London Legion Track & Field.
Jenn House, Shauna Malek & Andrew Graham Meet U.S. High School Championship Standards
January 19-20, 2007. Toronto, Ontario.
London Legion T&F started our 3rd season at the prestigious Nike Classic held at the University of Toronto. Our athletes had tremendous competition from top clubs and many university track teams across Ontario. Many personal bests were established. A Multi-event competition was held on Friday evening and 10 club athletes participated. On Saturday another 31 club athletes participated in a variety of field, sprints and middle distance events. Ian Turnbull won a free club T-Shirt when he correctly identified the three club athletes that met the performance standards for the U.S. High School Championships. Congratulations Jenn House (PV), Shauna Malek (600m) and Andrew Graham (Pentathlon). Below is a link to the meet results and some video highlights. Next up the Multi-Event Championship at York University on January 28. Don't forget the relay championship on February 4, to be held at York University also. Make sure you are registered. Click here to see the Nike Classic Results.
Power & Speed Specialist was former Canadian Junior Record Holder in Javelin.
January 17, 2007 London Ontario.
London Legion Track & Field is extremely excited to announce that Mr. Jason Spalding has decided to join our coaching staff. Originally from the rural farmlands of New Brunswick, Jason developed into one of the top all round athletes in the province, and in Canada. Jason was a sought after Baseball player, and a top ranked basketball player. In Track & Field Jason became nationally ranked in the Javelin and broke the Canadian Junior Javelin record. Jason's javelin marks have him still ranked as one of Canada's best javelin throwers. Jason also competed in the NCAA in the javelin, and represented Canada at international T&F competitions.
Jason brings many talents to our team including knowledge of Olympic Weight Lifting, and Power & Speed athletic training. Jason has coached many National Team and University team athletes in Football(CFL), Basketball, and Hockey (Junior A). Jason has a passion for coaching and has been a Special Olympics coach for 7 years. A competitive golfer, Jason competes in the Long Drive competitions and has a personal best drive of 378 yards.
Welcome Jason to the London Legion Track & Field family!
Competes for hurdle title with over 80 athletes in 22 universities in Holiday Inn Invitational Championship.
January 13, 2007. Lincoln, Nebraska.
London Legion T&F athlete and Banting Secondary Grad Jamie Ryder won the Silver Medal in the NCAA Holiday Inn Invitational held in Lincoln, Nebraska. Jamie competing for the University of Nebraska, ran the 60m hurdle heats, semi-finals and final competitive races against 82 athletes from 22 universities over the last 2 days. It was Jamie's first competition in a NCAA Division I Track & Field Competition. Congratulations Jamie, you make everyone in London Legion T&F very proud.
The votes are in! With over 200 votes cast by club members, we have a tie for the 2006 Story of the Year for London Legion Track & Field. Tied with 44 votes each were the stories about London Legion's first ever Ontario Overall Indoor Club Championship title, and our team unity being such a strong part of our club culture.
These stories are similar, but contrast in many ways. The OTFA called our Ontario Championship win, surprising and dominant. The results were tangible and measurable in the athletic performances of our athletes. Winning this title in just 2 years was truly a Story of the Year.
It is not possible to measure team unity, however it was very obvious that our athletes and parents felt that our organization is different in many ways because of it Led by our incredible coaching staff, our management group, and our Legion executive that supports us, our young athletes have evolved into a high performance team that works hard to make everyone in the organization successful. The story of our teamwork and our culture, is equally deserving of being the 2006 Story of the Year. Click here for the final votecount.
On June 10, 2006, at York University in Toronto, Ontario, UWO Track & Field and London Legion Track & Field Athlete Abdul Zubair was competing to qualify for the Ontario Senior Men's 110m and 400m Hurdles Championship. In the race you are about to witness, Abdul is in the final of the 110m Hurdle competition, his less familiar event. Abdul, known as a powerful, and very strong hurdler, actually physically explodes hurdle 2. Watch closely to see how Abdul amazingly recovers while pieces of the hurdle fall on him over Hurdle 3. In 2006, Abdul qualified for the 400m Hurdles and won Gold at the Ontario Championship, winning London Legion T&F's first ever Ontario Senior Men's Gold Medal. Abdul went on to place 6th at the Canadian 400m Men's Hurdle Championship. The 20 year old hurdler is now ranked in the top 10 of all men in Canada.
What a year 2006 has been! As 2006 winds down, we would like your input as to the Story of the Year for London Legion. If there is any story that we have missed, please write info@londonlegiontrack.com.
The voting will last for 14 days.
December 20, 2006
London Legion is extremely proud to announce the return of Benny Roberts to London Legion's Speed, Agility and Conditioning (SAC) winter program. The St. Thomas Aquinas running back, linebacker, punter and field goal kicker, recently won the Most Valuable Player award at the 2006 OFSAA Football Western Bowl. The St. Thomas Aquinas team won this major OFSAA Championship. Below are highlights of Benny's tremendous abilities from the Western Bowl. Ben's highlights from the last few years are on the SAC Football section of our website. Welcome back Benny!
Four London Legion SAC and Track University athletes returned home to London Legion last night from across North America. Welcome home Grant McDonald (Football Guelph, left), Andrew Zadorsky (Football Wilfrid Laurier University, centre left), Ryan Tremblay (Football & Track - Simon Fraser University, centre right), and Jamie Ryder (Track - University of Nebraska, right). Welcome home!
December 17, 2006
Talented local athlete, Luke Thomas, has joined the London Legion SAC & Track & Field Programs. Luke is the Quarterback of the Saunders High School Senior football team and he is also a gifted hockey player. In Track & Field, Luke will be training in the Sprints and Hurdles. Below are highlights of Luke's 2006 TVRAA Football Season. The rest of Luke's Football Highlights are in the SAC Football section of our website. Luke is the 4th TRVAA Football Quarterback to join London Legion's SAC Program.
Improves both Coaching Group and London Legion Executive Team
December 15, 2006. London Legion is extremely proud to announce that Mr. Doug Ditchfield has become a Coach and Board Member for our organization. Doug is a CIS (CIAU) Track & Field Medalist and was 4th in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports Championship in the Long Jump. He has also earned 10 Gold and 3 Silver Canadian Championship Medals in Long Jump, Triple Jump and Sprints as a Master's Track & Field Athlete. Doug is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and the Ivey School of Business. Mr. Ditchfield will be also joining our Board of Directors as part of our Board renewal program for 2007. It is very rare for a club to get an athlete, coach and Board Member with Doug's track record and experience. Doug will help us improve both our coaching program and our club