Underdog Ottawa Tech dominates Gryphon open senior boys' cross-country race

Underdog Ottawa Tech dominates Gryphon open senior boys' cross-country race; Game of the Week reports from Canterbury and Deslauriers

By Martin Cleary Thursday, September 24, 2009 "Scouring the Sidelines" Ottawa Citizen
 
When it comes to winning championships, reaching the Final Four or capturing individual medals in high school sports, the Ottawa Technical Learning Centre isn’t considered a major player.

But Andrew Towle and Tommy DesBrisay are trying to change that and improve the sports profile of the Donald Street school, which prepares it students to enter the work world with vocational skills.

Looking relaxed and focused, Towle dominated the senior boys’ 7,120-metre race at the eighth annual Gryphon open cross-country meet Thursday at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility with a winning time of 26 minutes, 59 seconds for a 46-second victory over Merivale’s Sam Milliken.

DesBrisay was an impressive third in 28:41.

“That’s amazing,” Ottawa Tech coach Peter Harrison said of his school’s 1-3 finish. “That’s definitely a personal best for our school.

“We’re building a program and we know how hard they worked in the summer. They were unstoppable. They’re machines.”

What makes their achievements even more rewarding is they have contrasting levels of autism spectrum disorder. Autism is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes.

Towle is in the school’s mainstream adaptive education program. DesBrisay is in the autism program, and has difficulty with communication and social skills.

On the race course, the well-spoken Towle broke away from the lead pack at about the two-kilometre mark and ran an commanding race. An ever-upbeat DesBrisay was encouraged by his father Peter throughout the race and carried himself in a positive and happy manner.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Towle said, after the first cross-country victory of his two-year overland career. “I was picturing in my mind the last lap like a tempo (easy) run at home. I’m so proud of myself.

“I didn’t expect that. It’s because I had a positive attitude going in, I hung with my friends and was relaxed.”

As he reflected on his victory, DesBrisay approached Towle and congratulated him.

“You ran fast without me,” said a beaming DesBrisay, who felt like a winner when he crossed the finish line.

Even though he lengthened his lead throughout the second half of the race, Towle respected Milliken’s talents.

“I looked back,” he said. “I was nervous Sam might catch me. I stayed relaxed and had a lot of support.”