It was a record breaking weekend for Liz Maguire as she ran to victory at the Ontario Masters Championships in Toronto. The 51 year old’s two golds highlighted a 25 medal haul from the Lions.
Running her first 1500 metre race of the season Saturday morning, Maguire set a new meet standard with her five minute 12.03 second clocking. The time took nearly four seconds off the previous standard set in 2016 by Annie Bunting. The record breaking continued Sunday in the 800 as Maguire’s time of two minutes 35.48 seconds eclipsed Christine Lavallee’s 10 year old mark of 2:35.96.
Two other women also picked up double gold – Kim Ethier and Petra Ciobanu. Both athletes, competing in the 50 and over category, were the busiest of the pride, garnering medals in four events each.
Ethier’s victories came in her specialty, the javelin, and high jump. The former World Masters Champion in the javelin had a commanding victory, winning by nearly four metres with a best throw of 33.61m. Emblematic of her affinity for the combined events, she also captured silvers in the long jump and 200 metres.
Ciobanu, a 1984 Olympian for her native Romania, was well featured in the throwing events winning discus and weight throw gold with throws of 25.14 and 8.92 metres respectively. She also took silver in the shot put and completed her full set of medals with bronze in the javelin.
Another gold came from the club’s oldest member, Bob Stavely, who at the age of 84 took victory in the men’s 80 and over javelin competition. Stavely, the club’s founding member, had a best throw of 18.51 metres to out distance his nearest competitor by more than two metres.
