Recap of the Senior Track & Field Team's Season
This year was exceptional for our Senior Track Team, with many personal best (PB’s) set, school records broken, and history made.
The first school record to be broken was by Tyler Shepherd ‘24, who threw 13.15 in the senior boys’ shot put, breaking a 22-year-old record. Although Tyler narrowly missed qualifying for the OFSAA Championships in shot put, he can be pleased by the way that he finished his last high school track and field season.
The CISAA championships took place at York University on May 13th and 14th. All 30 athletes persevered and achieved personal bests. With twelve first-place, five second-place, and three third-place medals, CDS placed 7th overall out of 30 independent schools. Congratulations to the athletes who finished in the top four of their events and qualified to compete at the Metro championships on May 23rd and 24th.
On the first day of the Metro Championships, Nikolai Abramov ‘26 place 7th in the 100m, Arden Estabrooks ‘26 placed 13th in the 100m, Aidan Quast ‘26 placed 9th in the triple jump, Eamon Sheppard ‘26 placed 5th in the 100m, Tyler Shepherd ‘24 placed 13th in the Javelin and the Junior Boys 4x100m relay team (Andy Hamilton ‘27, Nikolai Abramov ‘26, Armaan Patel ‘26 & Eamon Sheppard ‘26) placed 5th, just missing qualifying for OFSAA by a 100th of a second. The team that just narrowly beat the relay team went on to win the OFSAA Championships. Thomas Tran ‘25 placed third, Mackenzie Stewart ‘27 won the 80m hurdles and Alex Estabrooks ‘24 won the 400m, and as a result qualified for the OFSAA Championships in these events.
On the second day of the Metro Championships, the CDS track team had another outstanding day. Nikolai placed 7th in the 200m, and Tyler placed 5th in the shot put. Mackenzie placed 3rd in the 300mH, Juliet Chieduch ‘26 placed 3rd in the 800m, Eamon placed 4th in the 200m, Alex placed 3rd in the 200m and Cole Sheppard ‘24 placed 2nd in the 400m hurdles, and as a result qualified for the OFSAA Championships in these events
Carter Saley ‘26 placed 10th in the 300m hurdles and 5th in the high jump. His jump of 1.70m put him in a 4-way tie at the Metro Championships. Unfortunately, with the count back, Carter ended up just missing OFSAA. However, Carter did set a new PB and school record by over 10cm in the high jump, which was an incredible feat.
After qualifying from the Metro Championships, six CDS athletes headed to compete at the OFSAA Championships held in London from June 6th to 8th. These athletes would represent CDS in nine different events. Competing at OFSAA is an experience of a lifetime, as an athlete gets an opportunity in their event to compete against the top twenty-three athletes in Ontario.
History was made as Thomas became the first para-athlete to compete for CDS and qualify for the OFSAA Championships. At our first indoor meet at York, Thomas had an opportunity to watch and be inspired by some of Canada’s top para athletes while they practiced before our meet started. Although Thomas did not set a new PB, he put forth his best effort, and hopes to compete in a running event next season.
Our freshman to the team Mackenzie Stewart competed in both the 80m and 300m hurdles. Mackenzie competed in the hurdles last year, but this year had to add to her repertoire hurdling with her non-dominant leg. This is a very hard skill to master, but with practice and determination, she became proficient at hurdling with either lead leg. Mackenzie managed her nerves well at the OFSAA Championships and achieved personal bests in both races, finishing 13th in the 80mH and 11th in the 300mH. Setting new PB’s is an outstanding way to end the season.
This was Juliette’s first time competing at the OFSAA Track and Field Championships. She quickly realized that it was much different than running at the XC OFSAA Championships. Juliette has been consistently improving her speed and reached her goal of qualifying for OFSAA. Although Juliette did not qualify for the final, she ran with determination and should be pleased at placing 15th overall.
After placing 5th by 0.01 with his relay team, Eamon was determined to qualify for OFSAA in the 200m. Not only did he qualify for the 200m, but he also got the chance to run the 100m after another athlete dropped out. Eamon climbed the rankings to finish 11th in both the 100m and 200m, setting new personal bests in both events. Eamon set a new school record in the 100m with a time of 11.18 and tied the existing 200m record of 23.10 set by the late Dr. Bill Gairdner’s son Billy.
We would like to express our gratitude to a former CDS parent Dr. Bill Gairdner for initiating the record boards displayed outside the Senior School gym. As a former Olympian and coach with a deep passion for track and field, his legacy continues to inspire. Though he is no longer with us, his memory will forever be a cherished part of the halls and track at CDS.
Having had the opportunity to compete in two XC OFSAA Championships, Cole was determined to qualify for an OFSAA Track and Field Championship. Last year, he tried the steeplechase and competed in both the 400m and 800m races. Despite setting a new CDS record in the senior boys 400m, it was the 400m hurdles that became his event at OFSAA. Qualifying for OFSAA wasn't enough for Cole; he aimed to reach the finals, and he did. He finished his high school career ranked 8th in the Province in an event he had just started running this year.
This was Alex’s second trip to the OFSAA Championships. She had a stellar season in grade 10, placing in the top 8 in both the 100m and 200m events. However, an injury last season prevented her from competing at OFSAA. This year, injury-free, Alex decided to run the 400m race, an event she plans to continue next year at UBC. In her first season running the 400m, Alex set a new senior girls' record and won a silver medal at the OFSAA Championships. She also ran the 200m, placing 16th overall. This was a fantastic way to finish her high school career.
Congratulations to all of the athletes who competed at the OFSAA Championships!
While this article focused on the individuals who competed on our team, we are incredibly proud of the entire track and field team. There is an abundance of talent and potential, which will only strengthen our team. Thank you, everyone, for your dedication. We look forward to working with you again next year.
A special thanks to this year’s graduating students, Sarah Cathers, Alex Estabrooks, Cole Sheppard, and Tyler Shepherd, for their leadership and commitment to the track and field program. You have been fantastic role models and will be greatly missed. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
