Local roundup: VanNeck, Kalp win Ontario medals; Cougars advance in playoffs

Noah VanNeck of Cedar Springs won two golds and one silver at the Ontario Legion track and field championships on the weekend in Sudbury.

Article content VanNeck wins two Ontario golds Noah VanNeck of Cedar Springs won two golds and one silver at the Ontario Legion track and field championships on the weekend in Sudbury. VanNeck won gold in the shot put (17.57 metres) and hammer (53.95 metres) and silver in the discus (47.85 metres) for under-18 boys. Four of his Chatham-Kent Golden Hawks teammates also competed.

Alex Crow was fourth in the javelin (43.08 metres) and sixth in the discus (32.63 metres) for U16 boys, while Jack Saunders was fourth in the discus (36.55 metres) and seventh in the javelin (39.83 metres). Lia Hillman was seventh in the 200 metres (25.77 seconds) and ninth in the 100 metres (12.78 seconds) for U18 girls. Carysse Leach was eighth in the 200-metre hurdles (31.49 seconds), 13th in the 300 metres and 15th in the 200 metres for U16 girls.

Leach, Crow and Saunders are on the Zone 1 team for the Ontario Summer Games from July 30 to Aug. 2 in the Waterloo Region. The Canadian Legion championships are Aug. 7-9 in Regina, Sask. Kalp wins bronze at provincial meet Chatham’s Griffin Kalp won a bronze medal in the U20 men’s javelin with a toss of 53.17 metres at the Ontario U20, senior and para track and field championships on the weekend in Windsor.

Kalp was sixth in the U20 discus (43.06 metres) and Chatham’s Ian Costello was seventh (39.51 metres). Also from Chatham-Kent, Gracie VanderGriendt was sixth in the U20 women’s 2,000-metre steeplechase (7:50.65) and Madeline Verbeek was seventh in the U20 women’s 400-metre hurdles (1:04.81). Cougars to host under-18 semifinal The Chatham-Kent Cougars will host the Sarnia Sturgeon in an Ontario Summer Football League U18 AA consolation semifinal Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Chatham-Kent Community Athletic Complex.

The Cougars beat the North Halton Tide 26-7 in their quarter-final. The U10 Cougars travel to Toronto’s York University for the A championship Sunday against the Durham Dolphins after beating the Peel Panthers 66-34 in a semifinal. The U16 Cougars lost to the Sturgeon 18-13 in a AA championship quarter-final.

The U14 Cougars lost to the Niagara Spears 21-12 in a AA consolation quarter-final. The U12 Cougars lost to the Sturgeon 86-70 in a A semifinal. DeSimone stars in Chatham SC win Sebastian DeSimone scored the winning goal and had the shutout as Chatham SC A beat Sarnia FC 1-0 Saturday in a First Division Cup quarter-final in the Western Ontario Soccer League in Arkona.

The teams went directly to a penalty-kick shootout after a scoreless regulation. Chatham goalkeeper DeSimone scored in the 11th round and then got back in net to make the winning save. Chatham faces the London Scottish in a semifinal July 25 in Arkona.

Chatham also returns to Arkona Thursday to play Taxandria in a First Division game and hosts St. Thomas Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at St. Clair College’s Chatham campus. In the WOSL Third Division Cup, Chatham SC B beat the Ingersoll Flyers 3-2 in a quarter-final on goals by Colton Simpson, Cristian Suffi and Nathan Alves.