CANMORE – The 2019 Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association (ASAA) Track and Field provincial meet started with flurries, but athletes from high schools all over the province persevered through the cold weather.
That included Canmore’s Anya Morgan, who won gold in the women’s ambulatory 100-metre dash last Friday (June 7).
“I just started this season – so I’m a para-alpine ski racer, that’s kind of my main sport,” said the Grade 10 Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy student. “I came into this season not sure if I wanted to continue … But then, as we got to training, I realized how much I love track and realized I actually really did want to compete. So we made that happen.”
During the 100m dash, Morgan ran alongside para-athlete Erick Seed from Louis St. Laurent in Edmonton.
“That felt really cool, especially being at provincials, it was also the first time that I got to run against someone. He wasn’t in my specific category, but he was another para-athlete,” Morgan said.
In addition to winning a gold medal, Morgan also achieved a new personal best time. Ryan Washburn, OLS track and field coach, said that Morgan put in a lot of dedication to her training.
“For somebody in their first season who might have been a little reluctant at the start, if they were going to like track or not, she really stepped up and she really is one of our most dedicated athletes and it really shows,” Washburn said.
“Her perseverance throughout this season was really amazing, even though she wasn’t running against other para-athletes until the provincial meet, she showed a tremendous level of dedication and it ultimately paid off with personal bests and a gold medal at provincials.”
Morgan and students from the other Bow Valley schools, including Banff Community High School, Canmore Collegiate High School (CCHS), Banff Elementary School, Lawrence Grassi Middle School and Exshaw School participated in the provincial meet, with some placing in the top ten for their categories.
CCHS students Isobel Hendry and Maya Fish found themselves in the top ten for the intermediate women 3,000m run, beating their own personal best times.
“I’m very happy with second in the three-km, but also time was a big goal for me this year to get under 11 minutes,” Hendry said.
Hendry won silver with a new personal best time of 10 minutes and 59 seconds and Fish placed seventh with a personal best time of 11 minutes and 58 seconds. Additionally, Hendry also beat her personal best time in the intermediate women 1,500m run at five minutes and nine seconds, placing fifth.
“Definitely next year, I’m really excited about track next season already and seeing how much I can improve for next year,” Hendry said.
Also finishing in the top 10 were CCHS runners Alena Kohl, who placed ninth in the junior women’s 800m run, and Ellie Thompson, finishing ninth in the junior women’s 400m run, nearly reaching the finals by only milliseconds.
