This past weekend saw more than 900 runners take part in the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association’s (ASAA) Cross Country Provincials at Rundle Park in Edmonton.
Various students competed at the ASAA Cross-Country provincials over the weekend. (Photo/Jordan Loughlin)
Students from right across the Peace Country competed in several categories, including in Boys Senior, Intermediate and Junior levels, as well as in the Girls Senior, Intermediate and Junior Levels.
In the Intermediate Girls category, 16-year-old Cassandra Loughlin, a student from Peace River’s Glenmary School, finished in 26th place out of 120 runners, as she did the whole course with a time of just under 18-and-a-half minutes.
Cassandra says she’s very proud of her achievement.
“I put in a lot of training to get into that position at provincials,” Cassandra told the Trending 55 Newsroom. “The race was definitely harder that it was at zones. For one thing, there weren’t as many hills to cross. At provincials, we had to go up a sledding hill, and I did two laps to cover four kilometres, so I had to go up the hill, and then right back down again and then do some more trails.”
She said it took lots of dedication at least two times a week, but it did eventually pay off.
Her father, Glenmary teacher Jordan Loughlin at Glenmary, was also her coach, a fact that Cassandra said didn’t make things any easier.
“It was actually the opposite,” said Cassandra. “He pushed me a lot harder than a lot of other coaches would have, because he knows my potential, as well as what I can do, so he pushed me to get to that position.”
Cassandra is next looking forward to playing basketball for her school once the season starts up. She’s also looking forward to playing that sport when she attends college next year.
“I’m going up to Keyano College in Fort McMurray for a practice at the college in November,” she said. “The coaches there are considering having me play for their team, and I’m really excited about it. It should be fun.”
One of her teammates in the cross-country run, Dustin Jeanson, competed in the Intermediate Boys Category. During the race, he ended up giving up his spot in the race to help an injured competitor finish the race. For his efforts, he received a sportsmanship pin.
All in all, competitors from various schools within the Peace Region finished with respectable showings at the event.
A list of the competitors from our area can be found below…
Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association – 2017 Cross Country Provincials:
Senior Boys Cross Country:
| Name | Place | School | Time |
| Brice Wilkes | 30 | Peace River High School | 24:09 |
| Howard Ribbonleg | 98 | John D’or Prairie | 27:34 |
| Nate Dubland | 106 | Rainbow Lake | 29:00 |
| Lachlan Bell | 109 | Peace River High School | 29:17 |
| Ambrose Loonskin | 110 | John D’or Prairie | 29:38 |
| Christopher Key | 111 | Georges P. Vanier High School | 29:39 |
| Josh Barnhill | 124 | Rainbow Lake | 32:52 |
| Bobby Brochu | 128 | George P. Vanier High School | 39:42 |
Intermediate Boys Cross Country:
| Quentin Clarke | 104 | Fort Vermilion Public School | 23:22 |
| Hayden Seeseequon | 105 | Fort Vermilion Public School | 23:37 |
| Derrick Brochu | 117 | Georges P. Vanier High School | 24:50 |
| Ryo Tabata | 119 | Grimshaw Public School | 25.04 |
| Destin Willier | 122 | E.W. Pratt High School | 25:18 |
| Dustin Jeanson | 128 | Glenmary School | 35:55 |
Junior Boys Cross Country:
| Michael Dick | 32 | La Crete Public School | 15:33 |
| Noah Wood | 108 | Peace River High School | 17:52 |
Senior Girls Cross Country:
| Koen Hordos | 75 | Rainbow Lake School | 20:57 |
| Arianna Loogman | 108 | Peace River High School | 23:29 |
Intermediate Girls Cross Country:
| Cassandra Loughlin | 26 | Glenmary School | 18:28 |
| Lindsay Martens | 30 | La Crete Public School | 18:37 |
| Tatianna Malmquist | 50 | High Level Public School | 19:17 |
| Jenika Martens | 61 | La Crete Public School | 19:54 |
Junior Girls Cross Country:
| Rae Anne Gill | 51 | E.W. Pratt High School | 13:51 |
| Amy Wolfe | 69 | La Crete Public School | 14:24 |
| Brittany Perkins | 128 | Fairview High School | 20:56 |
– Posted by BET
