3 days ago
Local athletes head to OFSAA Track and Field as gold medal favourites
Jenna Tunks (L) and Jackson MacKay (R) are gold-medal favourites heading into OFSAA track and field. June 3, 2025. (Brent Lale/CTV News Londno)
Decathlete Jackson MacKay is hoping to finish his high school track career with a haul of medals.
'With this being my last year, winning a couple of medals, it would mean a lot to me,' said MacKay, a top provincial athlete and student at Sir Fredrick Banting Secondary School (SFBSS).
Heading into OFSAA, he's ranked number one in the province in long jump and the 110 metre hurdles. His 4x100 m relay team is also the favourite to win a gold medal.
He's currently ranked second in pole vault, and his SFBSS 4x400 m relay team is also ranked number two in Ontario.
'He's kind of been sort of challenged with timing issues at OFSAA the last number of years,' says Todd MacKay, his father, and head coach of SFBSS track and field.
'It's been hurdles going at the same time as a high jump for example in the past. This year the schedule works out well and I think it's his goal to medal.'
Jackson is coming off a successful OFSAA West Regions where he won the 110 m hurdles, the long jump and the 4x100 m relay. He had second place finishes in pole vault and the 4x400 m relay.
He'll compete in all five events this week.
jackson mackay - pole vault
Jackson MacKay of Sir Fredrick Banting S.S. cleared 4.35 m in the WOSAA pole vault competition. (Source: Todd McKay)
'My coach thinks I can get the OFSAA record for pole vault,' said Jackson of the mark of 4.87 m set by Rob Lindsay in 1984.
'I don't know about hurdles because Gregory McNeill [Mother Teresa in 2010] it's pretty impressive what he ran [13.33 seconds]. I don't know if that record is going to get broken.'
Jackson turned down a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati to stay at home at Western this fall. He did that in order to play both football and run track, the same thing his father Todd did.
Across the field, Oakridge Secondary School thrower Jenna Tunks is the favourite to win both her events in the junior girls division.
At OFSAA West Regionals, she won the discuss by more than 12 metres with a throw of 45.57 m and took the shot put with a throw of 15.32 m.
'I'm really just like focusing on like my technique recently because I haven't been very confident in my throws, but I feel that I'm like getting that confidence back,' says Tunks. 'I'm hoping to get a new OFSAA record for the Shotput.'
Jenna Tunks
Jenna Tunks of Oakridge S.S. is favoured to win the OFSAA Jr. Girls Discus and Shot Put events (Source: Jason Tunks)
OFSAA records run in the family. Her father Jason, a former Olympian, has held the discus record for 30 years, and her sister Julia holds both the junior and senior girls discus marks.
'It'll be difficult [to break the discus record] as her sister's OFSAA record is like 53 (metres) and some change,' said Jason. 'I mean she's always been around 50 (metres). I think the ultimate goal is if she gets around 50, conditions bearing, as we've been getting a lot of rain. If we get no rain and a favorable wind, I think 50 is the goal.'
When it comes to the shot put, she has a legitimate chance to etch her name in the books.
'She's more than capable of breaking the OFSAA record in the shot, which is at 16-zero (metres),' said Jason. 'If she can execute really well, she should do that.'
Tunks has already won an OFSAA gold medal this year with the Oaks in volleyball.
She has a great chance at coming home with two more this week at OFSAA which runs Thursday through Saturday at York University in Toronto.
