Stephen Hosier Press

   HAMILTON - Stephen Hosier continues to build a legacy that will be forever remembered at LCVI.
   The Grade 10 student won his second Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) track and field gold medals in as many years with Saturday's win in the junior boys' 3,000 metre run. The provincial meet was held in Hamilton.
   Hosier employed a similar strategy that allowed him to set a new record in the midget boys' 3,000 metre run at last year's OFSAA meet
   "One guy would lead and then he would drop back and someone else would take the lead". the 16-year-old Hosier told The Lindsay Post. I just stuck to the leader throughout the race and waited to make my move".
   "He ran smart", LCVI coach Tim McAlpine added. "He stayed off the shoulder of another runner and waited until the final 350 metres before he made his move"
   Hosier crossed the finish line in just under nine minutes. His time of 8:59.35 was four sec slower than last year's.
   But there is good reason for that.
   Saturday's scorching heat added an extra obstacle to the race. Furthermore, Hosier had to check out of his hotel at 11 a.m. Saturday morning, go to the track and wait for his 3:30 p.m. race.
   To combat this, Hosier said he drank plenty of water and stayed out of the sun.
   The heat was not the only road block Hosier has had to overcome this year. He got a late start to the competive season because of an illness that has not yet been fully explained.
   "The doctors believe I had mono, but they still aren't sure", he said. "It's actually a bit scary".
    Hosier's ability to overcome all the aforementioned obstacles has earned him hig praise from his coach.

   There's not too many kids out there who can win two years in a row", McAlpine said. "He's by far the toughest and best runner I've worked with".
   Hosier also competed in the 1,500 -metre run. In that race he just missed out on a bronze medal. His time of 4:06.54 was a little more than a second slower than Oshawa's Eric Dillon.
   Hosier again used the strategy of staying with the leader before making a push with 400 metres to go. However, McAlpine believes the young runner made his move a little too soon.
   Hosier explained the rationale for his early move.
   "The 3,000 is really my race and the 1,500 is just a race I do on the side", he said. "But I ran well in the preliminary heat, so I thought I could medal.
   "I think I got a little excited and I tried to make my move a little early".
   With the high school season over, Hosier will turn his focus to his club team, the Durham Dragons. He will compete in a provincial qualifier this weekend. In two weeks, he will attend a national qualifier.
   Hosier was joined at OFSAA by a number of other athletes from the city.
   Hosier's teammate, Shawna Reesor qualified for the junior girls' 300-metre hurdles. Reesor finished seventh with a time of 47.30 seconds, which was a new personal best.
   The Fenelon Falls Falcons sent the most students to OFSAA. Braeden Coy competed in the midget boys' 100-metre dash and long jump. Coy did not qualify for the final of the 100-metre and came 15th out of 24 competitors in the long jump. He was also a part of the 4x100-metre relay team. Other members included Zach Dudman, Jake Webster and Devon Jackson.
   Fenelon's Jordon McAlpine finished 16th out of 24 in the junior boys' discus.
   The St. Thomas Aquinas Titans sent two runners to OFSAA. Sebie O'Neill was unable to qualify for the junior boys' 800 and 1,500-metre finals while Jeff Addley did not make the senior boys' 200-metre final

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