Based solely on the number of personal bests that were established at the 2024 Ontario Indoor Relay Championships last weekend in Toronto, it's a pretty safe bet that the meet was indeed quite the "blast" for coach Robert Esmie and his local track and field contingent.

Eleven different athletes representing the Air Blastoff Lions raised the bar for themselves in what amounted to a final pre-season warm-up in the eyes of the Olympic gold medal winner.

Melina Doiron has picked right up where she left off last summer, clocking in at 7.97 in the 60m dash (11th of 56 athletes) and 43.14 in the 300m, both new records on a personal level for the Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School senior.

Still a year away from high-school competition, Annabelle Richardson joined Doiron in those same events (8.47 - 60m; 47.22 - 300m), as did Leah Serre (8.51 - 60m; 46.15 - 300m).

The girls welcomed Myra Balfe (51.37 - 300m) in putting together a 4 X 200m relay team which placed 10th (of 16), with Balfe setting a new PB in the weighted throws (9.25m) while also heaving the shot put 8.22 metres.

On the boys side, the foursome of Nicholas Bechard (7.55 - 60m; 41.44 - 300m), Jacob Paille (7.74 - 60m; 39.10 - 300m); Juan Silvestre Pascual (8.68 - 60m; 43.45 - 300m) and Carson Huzij (7.44 - 60m) combined to erase six former best marks as well as placing 6th in a field of 11 in the 4 X 200m U18 relay.

Nehemiah Esmie (9.38 - 60m; 52.68m) also went 2/2 in personal bests, while Tom Davis picked up a pair of PBs while competing in the 60m (12.20), the weighted throw (6.87m) and the shot put (5.83m).

Finally, Blaire Rickard continued to make a name for herself, showing the way in the shot put (10.12m) and the weighted throw (9.26m).

A small handful of these athletes are expected to attend the 2024 Indoor Harry Jerome Track Classic in early February before returning home for the Ontario Indoor U18 & Open Athletics Championship on February 10th and 11th.