Grade 10 student Nicholas Tozer tried hurdles for the first time two months ago and he’s already breezing by the competition and heading to the OFSAA provincial championships.
Tozer, from Forest Heights Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, took home first place in several qualifying rounds in his three events, 100 m sprint, 100 m hurdles and 300 m hurdles.
“You don’t know you’re good at something until you try it. I was skeptical to try hurdles,” Tozer said. “300m hurdles is another monster. You have to keep your pace and your form. And your legs are tired at the end of the race and if you can’t make the last hurdle then you’ll fall.”
One of his coaches, Jasmin Kerr, helped paved the way for Tozer. She suggested he tried out.
“Nick is a great leader. He is great to his teammates. He’s a great kid,” Kerr said.
Kerr said many are impressed by Tozer’s skill as a newcomer to the sport. She called him one of the very few top seeded athletes going to OFSAA who never ran with a track club.
“Doing a block start, which he had never done one before, doing hurdles, which he had never done before and developing step pattern and technique over the hurdles,” Kerr said.
Nicholas Tozer stand atop a podium. (Submitted/Forest Heights Collegiate Institute staff)
The OFSAA competition is at York University this Thursday to Saturday and is the final competition of the season for high school students.
“It can definitely bring up a lot of nerves. But I just have to stick to my plan and remember I made it this far for a reason,” Tozer said.
His coaches said he has what it takes to make it even further, and they feel confident about his future.
“He could be recruited by universities here in Ontario and beyond actually,” said Kerr.
Tozer said he wants to try to pursue soccer or track after high school but confirmed he will do track again in his senior years at Forest Heights.
Forest Heights staff hope Tozer’s success will inspire more students to join the track team in the future.