Local runner Jelmer van den Hadelkamp will be attending the national cross-country meet on Nov. 30 in Vancouver and is the only student attending from Sundre High School.
At age 16, he is already competing with university students and is proud of his accomplishments.
In October, he competed at a meet in Saskatchewan against University of Saskatchewan students and ran in the eight-kilometre race.
“I was very happy with how I ran at the Saskatchewan meet because I actually beat a lot of university guys, because I ran a really good time,” said van den Hadelkamp. “That's when my coach thought that I could make nationals.”
He said nationals are by invite and competitors must be a member of a cross-country club to attend.
“So your coach has to invite you to go, and it just depends on the times you run at the meets and at provincials,” he said, noting that his coach is Christine Laverty.
He competed in the club provincials on Nov. 2 and placed sixth. “I'm pretty happy about going to nationals. That was kind of my goal, to make nationals at least once before I was out of high school.”
He got involved with cross-country when he was attending elementary school and he has always enjoyed running.
“I always just ran because I enjoyed it, but I never really ran at a high level. And I always liked cross-country a lot better than track because I found I was better at it because I could do longer distances,” he said. “I've always been more of a long-distance runner.”
He usually runs in the six-kilometre race, but will be running in the eight-kilometre race at the national meet.
“I'll be running longer than usual, but that's better for me.”
As this is his senior year, he said his grades in school are important to him as well.
“School is really important to me because I'm trying to keep my grades up so I can get into sports therapy in university, which is a very competitive course, so I need good grades,” he said.
Another goal of his is to make nationals for track, participating in the 5,000-metre event.
He has been awarded a gold medal in cross-country high school zones, fifth place in cross-country high school provincials and a bronze medal in cross-country club provincials.
As well, he was 2012 junior cross-country athlete of the year and 2012 junior track and field athlete of the year.
Meanwhile, the rest of Sundre High's cross-country team is finished competing for this year.
After the county meet in Sundre, 54 athletes participated in the zone meet in Canmore with 16 runners advancing to provincials in Drayton Valley.
Following are the results of provincials:
• Junior Girls: Kate Jackson (57), Lexie Ringland (121)
Intermediate Girls: Angela Leussink (53), Hanna Werezak (65), Kassie MacTavish (107)
Senior Girls: Isis Landsbergen
Junior Boys: Lucas Dyer (41), Cameron Reimer (47), Tanner Savage-Howe (90), Jitse van den Hadelkamp (76)
Intermediate Boys: Jelmer van den Hadelkamp (6), Mike Newton (73), Connor Bourgonie (85)
Senior Boys: Flurin Obrist (78), Ty Grassl (93)
