Newton in Limbo

Adam Newton did what he set out to do at this weekend’s Canadian Junior Track and Field championships in Montreal.

The North Bay sprinter was hoping to finish in the top four in the 100 M final and make the Canadian junior 4 x 100 meter relay team, and it appeared that he did just that finishing in fourth place in the final with a time of 10.89, just behind bronze medalist Michael Leblanc who finished only a fraction of a second ahead of Newton at 10.85.

A fourth place finish usually means a guaranteed spot on Canada’s junior 4 x 100 meter relay team and after the race Canadian track officials took Newton to get fitted for his Team Canada gear which he would be wearing as part of the team which will host the Junior Pan Am games in Windsor in the last week of July.

However before Newton was able to celebrate during his drive home to North Bay, track officials told him he didn’t have a guaranteed spot on the team and they would let him know their decision Sunday night or Monday morning.

The news put a knot in Newton’s stomach the size of Cundari field.

“It’s nerve wracking because there’s so much on the line,” Newton said in a phone interview from his North Bay home Sunday night.

“Me representing my country and me representing North Bay, it’s like my dream, it’s like someone is playing with my dream.”

Newton says the issue is that the National team may opt for using a 200 meter sprinter or even a long jumper to run with the 4 x 100 relay team in his place, and Newton fears that they’ll use one of these alternatives over him.

“I’m just waiting for the verdict, and all I can do is wait,” said Newton, who also ran an impressive 10.77 in the semi final heat that took place during a torrential rain storm.

“It’s their choice and I can’t do anything about it.”

Simard finishes 7th

North Bay’s Tanya Simard finished in 7th place in the Women’s Triple Jump event at the National Juniors.

The Algonquin track star who took part in the event as a member of Sudbury’s Track North club finished with a best jump of 10.97 meters which left her in seventh position and out of the final.

Gawinski in top 20

Widdifield’s Kali Gawinski running for the North Bay Legion track club finished in 16th spot in the 2000 M steeplechase with a time of 7:54.69.

McAneney lucky 13?

North Bay’s Lucas McAneney running for the North Bay Legion track club finished 13th in the 5000 M race with a time of 15:30.33.

The North Bay long distance runner who is on a track scholarship at Gardner State in North Carolina may have an outside chance to run for Canada at the Junior Pan Am games in the 10,000 meter event because of a lack of participants in that category.