INNISFAIL – It’s the time of year for track and field meets across the region.
And in Innisfail students in grades 7 to 9 at Innisfail Middle School and Innisfail High School competed in a variety of events during their annual track and field meet on May 24.
The daylong meet ran from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We’ve been doing this (track and field event) for years,” said Dean Woroniuk, athletic director at the high school. “We use results from the track meet today to qualify for the Chinook's Edge North Athletic Association (CENAA) track meet on June 4 (in Red Deer). We’ll be competing against all the other schools in the division.”
Students participated in a total of 10 events including 50-, 100-, 200-, 400- and 800-metre running events, high jump, long jump and triple jump, discus, javelin and shot put, the latter three which were completed earlier in May inside the school gym.
In addition, a number of high school students volunteered with the track meet, helping organize events, noted Woroniuk.
“We have 43 high school kids who are working the event today. They are leaders,” he said.
Pat Adams is the athletic director at Innisfail Middle School and said track and field is an important athletic pursuit that helps keep kids active.
“It’s one of the most important things they’re going to learn to do,” said Adams. “It’s as important as anything else we do in school. It’s a lifelong skill.”
He noted the importance of the event for students.
“It’s been very successful (over the years),” said Adams. “We encourage kids to come and be part of the day. We think it’s a valuable day. It’s an opportunity for them to do something different with the classmates and just enjoy the event,” he added.
Three Grade 7 classes and four Grade 8 classes, totalling 175 students, and a total of three Grade 9 classes with about 80 students, participated in the annual track and field meet.
One of them was Grade 9 student Jaden Bowe, who took third place in the 100-metre run that day.
It is his third year participating in track and field.
“I really like it. I went to the CENAA championships for javelin, discus and 800-metre last year and the year before,” said Bowe. “I’d like to go again.”
