THUNDER BAY – After coming away with medals at the Ontario University Athletics track and field championships in Windsor last weekend, a pair of Lakehead Thunderwolves athletes are looking to keep the momentum going.
Amy Stieh and Niko Dowhos will represent their hometown school at the U Sports national championships, which take place in Winnipeg from March 7-9.
“It was exciting to go to the OUAs and execute there, but I know that I can run faster at the nationals,” Stieh said.
“I’m ready to compete with the other girls there and put myself in the mix.”
“The OUAs and the nationals are super exciting, but I try not to get too ahead of myself,” Dowhos added.
“I just try to take it one day at a time and go from there.”
Dowhos has been burning up the track this season in the 60-metre dash and enters the U Sports meet as the co-top seed with Jordan Soufi of the Manitoba Bisons.
He set a school record time of 6.67 seconds in the preliminary rounds in Windsor and captured the OUA gold medal in a 6.73-second sprint.
“I ran okay last year but it wasn’t what I was looking for,” Dowhos said. “I was determined to run faster this year and I worked really hard over the summer to try and get better.
“That’s always been the biggest thing for me. I just keep practicing and trying to figure things out and know what’s going on so I can improve.”
Stieh is coming off a third-place result in the 600 metre race at the OUAs – where she ran a time of 1:32.43 – and is ranked eighth nationally.
“My goal was to put myself in a position where I could medal and compete with the other girls in that race,” Stieh said.
“I was able to position myself to the front and held on for as long as I could. It worked out and I was super happy to execute the race strategy and come away with a third place.”
The national stage is nothing new for Dowhos and Stieh, who have both competed at major indoor and outdoor meets in the past.
At the U Sports level, Dowhos finished fourth in the 2022 60-metre finals in Saint John and Stieh had a sixth-place result a year ago in the 600-metre race in Saskatoon.
“It’s easier said than done, but the biggest thing when you get to that point is to not let the pressure get to you,” Dowhos said. “I feel like the best people perform is when it matters the most in the season.”
Stieh noted that there's also a level of familiarity for her and the other athletes at the nationals.
“We’ve seen a lot of the top competitors during meets all through the year, so there’s really no surprise once you get to this point,” she said.
In addition to her individual event, Stieh will also be competing with the Thunderwolves 4x200m and 4x400m relay squads in Winnipeg.
The 4x200 quartet consists of Megan Bryson, Stieh, Sydney White and Tia Lampo, with Aly DaSilva, Lampo, Bryson and Stieh making up the 4x400 team.
Thunderwolves track and field head coach Joe McDonough said it’s a big deal for the school to be represented on the national stage, especially as they are a smaller program.
“It speaks to what we have going on here as a team culture within our program,” McDonough said.
“We’re starting to develop a lot more homegrown athletes and we’re starting to attract a lot more athletes from out of town.
“It’s nice to see those athletes that we’re working with are starting to produce some national and world class results.”
