Steffler, senior boys shine for DCVI at OFSAA cross-country meet

Pictured on the left is Quintin Steffler. On the right, in the front row, from left to right, are Marcel Scheele and Alan Mazur. In the back row, from left, are Abe Bender, Zach Matheson, Nic Brintnell, Charlie Bender, Kaleb Dingman, and Myles Clinton. The St. Marys DCVI senior boys won the OFSAA cross-country championship in their division, while Steffler placed a very respectable 37th in the para division. The novice boys team also placed a very respectable fourth overall.

By Spencer Seymour

Quentin Steffler, the St. Marys DCVI Senior Boys’ team and the novice boys’ squad had a strong showing at the OFSAA cross-country meet on Nov. 1 in London.

The senior boys headlined the Salukis’ results, finishing as the top overall team in their division. Individually, Myles Clinton topped the St. Marys charts, finishing 19th. Kaleb Dingman came in 34th, Charlie Bender finished 52nd, Nic Brintnell took 66th and Zach Matheson rounded out the 279-athlete field for DCVI at 183rd.

Head coach Marcel Scheele cited the team’s cohesiveness as being a big contributor to their first-place finish.

“As a team, they were a great group of young individuals who worked well together,” Scheele told the Independent. “They showed up every day to practice with a great mentality, great attitude and pushed each other to be their best. They all have faith in each other, and I think they gained confidence throughout the races and throughout the season.”

Scheele noted the senior boys entered the meet with high aspirations.

“The energy was very high in the morning,” said Scheele. “Going into the season, we had a goal. They wanted to medal, and we put it in their ear that, if we’re going to go for a medal, let’s go for the gold one, and all season, we stayed focused on that goal. They were as prepared as they could be and executed perfectly.”

Scheele recounted the jubilation experienced by everyone when the Salukis captured the gold medals.

“During the race, I wasn’t quite sure where we were position-wise, and I took a quick peak at my phone to check the results and my heart dropped when I saw we were in first place. I remember I hadn’t seen the guys yet, they had just come through, and I was at the finish shoot waiting for our fifth guy. All I did during the race was encourage them as best I could and hopefully watch them move up as many spots as we can, as that’s what counts.

“I think they surprised themselves,” Scheele continued. “Before our race, I told them I believed they were the top team in the province, and to go out there and show everyone, and they executed. I knew they had it in them, and they and the parents who were there (and) were all over the moon. It was pure joy and excitement. Those kinds of moments are just something you don’t experience often. It was perfect.”

DCVI’s novice boys also had a very respectable day, coming away with the fourth-best team overall. Will Richardson and Volker Fraser led the way, finishing 56th and 57th place, while Andrew Seebach took 87th and Hayden Barker placed 144th.

In the para category, Quentin Steffler had a strong day for DCVI, finishing 37th in a highly competitive division.

“He’s come a long way,” Scheele said. “It’s extremely rewarding to see, especially having his mom there too. She was ecstatic and so proud of him. I’m sure he felt it too, and his commitment to his training and his work with our assistant coach, Alan (Mazur), helped him develop the way he has. Finishing as high as he did in one of the largest para divisions in OFSAA history, and to have a personal best jump by two minutes is outstanding.”