The Black Flies Meet, as it exists in 2026, is likely as good a test as any local high-school athlete is going to face, before leaving town.

With all fourteen events contested under the "Open" divisional heading, Sudbury secondary school talent were frequently lined up alongside recent graduates of the SDSSAA ranks, runners now plying their trade at the post-secondary level.

Equally as much fun was the presence of the younger crowd, elementary aged entries, with one as young as just five years old (Blakely Cuddy).

The truth is many of those who will be looking to garner some hardware at the city high-school track and field championships this week at Laurentian University passed this test with flying colours.

Maxime Belzile was already starring down the daunting task of looking to cover the 3km stride for stride with his older brother (Raphael), even before he was made aware that Alexandre Fishbein-Ouimette, a graduate of the Laurentian Voyageurs cross-country program, would also be on the starting line for the seven and a half lap affair.

"Starting off the race, I wanted to follow either Fish or my brother," said Maxime, his time of 9:29.84 barely edging out Fishbein-Ouimette (9:29.96), but allowing for some suppertime bragging rights over his sibling two years his elder (9:33.23).

"But then I saw Fish go out really fast so I decided to follow my brother - and it worked well."

The race behind Fishbein-Ouimette appeared to be a Belzile battle for second place - until Maxime cranked it up a notch on the very last lap, making up a great deal of ground and overtaking the leader with 20 metres or so remaining.

"That was a surprise to me," said the race winner. "I didn't think I would catch him."

Pleased with his sub 9:30 performance, Belzile knew that a ten-person race falls well into his wheelhouse.

"On the track, the start is less important," he noted. "It's harder to get boxed in. At OFSSA Cross-Country (November 2025), I didn't start fast enough, got boxed in and it really hurt me."

The talent at the top of the girls H-S sprint bracket is probably as deep as it has ever been in these parts, with the likes of Annabelle Richardson, Melina Doiron, Jaya MacDonald and a host of others welcoming a very special duo to the fold this year.

Twin sisters Ay'Den and Ash'Li Nixon are nearing the end of their first year of high-school studies at St Charles College, running step for step in the 100m and separated by little in the 200m as they work on finetuning their technique with coach Robert Esmie and the Air Blastoff Lions.

"The 100m is my chance to beat her," said Ay'Den, the girls both clocking in at 13.25 seconds in the 100 metre dash in an event that saw Richardson (12.56), MacDonald (12.71), Ellie Sauve (13.10) and Rowan Frood (13.20) secure the top four spots.

"She's got the 200m locked - but it's like back and forth with us."

A powerhouse out of the blocks, Ay'Den has no issue with her initial thrust at the sound of the gun, focusing her training this summer on other facets of the race that is completed in more or less the blink of an eye.

"I've really got to work on my drive phase - and my feet," she said. "The extension of my feet, bringing them back a little more. When you're coming out of the blocks, you're holding your head down, driving your knees, punching your legs."

But from a race strategy standpoint, she possesses a clear-cut outlook that would make her coach proud.

"I like to power out of the blocks so that as soon as I hit that 60 metre mark, I know I have to blast off," said Ay'Den with a smile.

Remaining event winners were as follows:

Men's - 100m dash - Abdul Abiodun (Track North) - 11.18
Women's - 200m dash - Annabelle Richardson (Air Blastoff) - 25.64)
Men's - 200m dash - Abdul Abiodun (Track North) - 22.87
Women's - 400m - Nadia MacDonald (Air Blastoff) - 58.90
Men's - 400m - Jacob Paille (Air Blastoff) - 50.08
Women's - 800m - Misaki Diavolitsis (Lockerby) - 2:23.17
Men's - 800m - Thomas Green (Track North) - 2:00.22
Women's - 1500m - Lily Bignucolo (Lo-Ellen) - 4:44.74
Men's - 1500m - Travis Annett (Track North) - 4:30.69
Women's - 3000m - Alessandra Melo (Lo-Ellen) - 11:41.79