BY SCOTT HADDOW
AND JASON THOMPSON
Ten athletes from Greater Sudbury are going to Quebec for the
National Track and Field Championships, which run from July 21
to 23.
The Dharma Sports Science Group (DSSG) is sending two and Track
North is sending eight.
DSSG sprinter Celine Loyer's believes her time is now.
When she started her training last fall, Loyer was behind
the pack.
 All season long, Loyer ran against older and more
experienced competition. She faced a lot of intense situations
and despite not winning, gained much needed experience, and
earned her personal best times along with the will to win and
get better.
"At a meet in Ottawa recently...I ran the 100-metres in
12.10," said the 17-year-old. "It was a new personal best for
me. I said earlier in the year, July and August is my time. I
am at my potential right now. I am also getting better
everyday."
Loyer, who will compete in the 100-m dash, is thrilled about
the prospects of competing against the best.
"It's a real honour to be going there with the best athletes
in Canada," said the Sacred Heart student. "It's going to be an
awesome meet. It's my first Canadian Juniors and I am going to
have fun too."
Her coach, David Case, has been submerging Loyer into tough situations and letting her swim with the sharks of the track world in order to prepare her for the inevitable.
"There's been no concern with putting Celine up against older
competition," said Case. "I would rather see her get seventh at
those meets and get personal best times and hone her craft.
She's going to meet these people eventually and she will be
desensitized to them. The best way to get experience is to run
and run and run."
The move has paid off.
"Celine took her licks earlier," said Case. "She came back to beat people that had beat her. What's most pleasing is she is beating people who beat her at OFSAA. She has been patient and it has paid off."
Loyer is still considered a juvenile aged athlete, competing
against opponents several years older than her.
"I am giving 100 percent and getting 100 percent back," said
Loyer. "My times are going down...so we'll see what happens at
nationals."
 Allen is riding tall in the saddle, thanks to an
impressive showing at the North American Indigenous Games,
where he won three gold medals in the 100-m, long jump and the
triple jump. He also earned silver in the 200-m.
"My confidence is up...way up," said the 19-year-old. "I got
a personal best in the long jump...6.58-m. It's the best I've
ever done. I've been having good meets recently and I've been
running personal best times as well. It's all there right now
and I am improving."
Allen, who will compete in the 110-m hurdles and the long
jump, is looking for more glory at nationals. "I am ranked
sixth in hurdles and in the Top 10 for long jump...so I know I
am in contention," said the future York University student. "I
might be able to come away with a medal. I have to have clean
runs and jumps and do my best."
Case has seen tremendous improvement in Allen overall and
sees a bright future.
"Elijah has improved his skills in terms of speed and
focus," said Case. "He will be looking towards the decathlon in
the next five years and I see him at the national or
international level in a short time if he applies himself."
"The coaching has made a big difference for me," said Allen.
"My jumping coach, Tom Black, has also helped me a lot."
The Track North team worked hard preparing to challenge for a
spot atop the podium.
Under the guidance of coach Darren Jermyn, Kaitlyn Tallman
will be competing in the women's 1,500-metre and 3,000-m race
while Eric Ouellette is hoping to improve on his eighth place
finish from 2005.
Rebecca Johnston, who is competing in the women's 200 and
400-m race, and Andre Pelland, who is set to run the men's
400-m, are coached by Dick Moss.
Tianna Deck, competing in the women's long jump; Tanya
Simard, who placed seventh in the women's triple jump in 2005;
Dave Thibert, who finished sixth last year in the men's high
jump, and Dan Gardiner, competing in the men's long jump and
the triple jump, are all under the tutelage of Jim Taylor.
Taylor said Gardiner, who finished seventh in the triple
jump at the national competition in 2005, has an opportunity to
make a real impact this year.
"He's been training harder this year, and his maturity as an athlete has come a long way...He helps out the other athletes and is a leader among the club," Taylor said, adding the difference between first and eighth place in the triple jump at nationals is about 50 centimetres.
