Fresh off a banner performance at Zones, Canmore Collegiate High School students represented the local running community well at the Alberta Provincial cross-country running high school championships on Saturday (Oct. 18) at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir.
Only seven local runners made the trip to provincials, even though 18 qualified for the trip.
“I thought they did an excellent job. They all put their hearts into it,” said CCHS coach Deb Sellers.
Sam Hendry led the Bow Valley team with a 14th-place finish in the junior boys division, as each race featured extremely competitive fields. Away from the rooted, single track of the Canmore Nordic Centre, the CCHS team of Anita Martin, Anna Sellers, Sarah Price, Morgan Rogers, Stefan Martin and Marc Dupuis finished mid pack in their races.
“There were rolling hills with some steep uphills on the course, and the weather was perfect for running. There were more grassy and dirt trails than our team is used to, but I wanted them to see what other trails are like,” Sellers said.
Runners had to finish in the top 18 at Zones to qualify for provincials, which were held Oct. 11 at the Canmore Nordic Centre, where CCHS and Lawrence Grassi Middle School captured a banner.
Coached by Andrea Quinlan and Olympian Milaine Theriault, LGMS faired extremely well, producing several top results. Medal winners from LGMS included Megan Orvig (third, bantam girls), George Reed (third, bantam boys), and Anita Martin (second, midget girls).
Banff Community High School and CCHS medal winners included Reed Godfrey (gold, juvenile boys), Ty Godfrey (silver, juvenile boys), Lauren Turcot (gold, junior girls), Emmy Phillips (silver, junior girls), Liah Harvie (bronze, junior girls) and Peter Hicks (silver, intermediate boys
LGMS coach Quinlan said she was extremely proud of the team’s performance.
“This year’s banner performance was the outcome of years and years of hard work and perseverance,” said Quinlan. “Many students join the cross-country team in Grade 4 and develop a love for running that continues throughout their years at school.
“Lawrence Grassi Middle School is a member of the Alberta Medical Association’s Youth Run Club in partnership with Ever Active School and is leading the way for healthy school communities.
“I am personally proud of every single boy and girl that ran in the cross-country race. It was a difficult two-kilometre course that required both strength and endurance. Many thanks to our junior high running coach Miliane Theriault; the Grassi kids are lucky to have such a dedicated volunteer coach.”
