Vortex Victory
The Tecumseh Vista Academy Grade 9 midget boys’ cross-country team, from left to right: Jonathan Taylor, Alex Orshinsky, Nicholas Orshinsky, Mitchell Ubene and David Collins, finished first at OFSAA at Heart Lake Conservation Area in Brampton Nov. 3 and remain undefeated. (Photo By/ Mandy Matthews)
by Mandy Matthews
Five freshman friends are running through the course and into the whirlwind of Tecumseh Vista Academy’s Vortex, leading them along the path of victory winning the school’s first cross-country provincial title.
Vista’s Vortex Grade 9 midget boys’ team took the top four spots at the Windsor and Essex County Secondary School Athletic Association race Oct. 18. The boys finished in the top 10 at the South Western Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association meet in Sarnia, giving their team a first place ranking. They went on to compete at Ontario Federation School Athletic Association Nov. 3 at Heart Lake Conservation Area in Brampton, Ont.
The Vortex team conquered their opponents and captured their third gold medal making it the first cross-country banner victory for the two-year-old school. Mitchell Ubene was the first teammate across the finish line, placing 16th out of 250 runners. His teammates Jonathan Taylor, David Collins, Nicholas Orshinsky and Alex Orshinsky finished in 32 33 40 and 67 respectively.
Ubene, Nicholas, Alex and Taylor have been running cross-country since Grade 3. Collins started running in Grade 6 and joined his teammates in Grade 7 at A.V. Graham Public School and the five friends said they have not been defeated since.
“We always try to push ourselves as individuals, but work together as a team,” Ubene said.
Retired D.M. Eagle Public School teacher and coach Marty Denonville said he looks at running as something that he hopes will be a lifelong activity for students. Denonville has been coaching for 44 years and has been volunteering his time to the boys.
“Coaches have an impact on all of my sports because they are the ones who encourage you mainly to push yourself,” said Collins. “Without coaches telling me how to improve and what mistakes I made I wouldn’t be able to improve to the next level.”
The young runners continue to stay involved in other sports throughout the school year and Collins says he hopes one day to receive a scholarship for his efforts.
The Vortex athletes remained injury free this season, which proved to be a great accomplishment for Taylor, who ran with a hip brace in Grade 8.
“I never thought at the beginning that we would all go as a team and win OFSAA, which was a dream come true,” said Collins.
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