Innisfail Junior/Senior High School track athletes are going for the gold to be tops in the province.
With zone and regional track and field competitions ongoing for the last two weeks, three Innisfail students have emerged from the pack and are going to the provincial track meet in Calgary on June 6.
The regional track and field meet was held on May 21 in Red Deer for grades 10 to 12 while grades 6 to 9 met in Innisfail for their competition. Zones for senior high were held in Red Deer on May 28 and the junior high athletes will compete on June 3 at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School (LTCHS).
With the aim of qualifying for the zone competition on May 28, 14 athletes from Innisfail competed on May 21 at LTCHS. Emily Lucas took first place in the 1,500 and 3,000 metre runs, Emily Lyster-Smith placed first in javelin, Josh Gette took second in the 3,000 metre run and third in the 1,500 metre event, and sisters Rebekah and Elizabeth Maciborsky placed second in hurdles and second in triple jump respectively. Simon Bigger took second place in discus.
At the zone championship in Red Deer, Innisfail athletes performed well, placing in the top three in six events.
“We have always had good representation from our track athletes at zones and provincials,” said Narsh Ramrattan, vice-principal of Innisfail Junior /Senior High School. “This year was no exception.”
Emily Lyster-Smith took first place in senior (Grade 12) javelin while Grade 11 student Emily Lucas won both the 1,500 and 3,000 metre events, setting records in the process.
Elizabeth Maciborsky lept to second place in the junior (Grade 10) triple jump event and Josh Gette scampered for third place in the junior 3,000 metre run. Simon Bigger threw for seventh place in the discus event and will not go to provincials on June 6.
“The Grade 9 track team will be competing on June 3 in Red Deer and includes Drake Caron, Carmen Maree, Teren Christensen, Michele Gerber, Joel Ray (who won the overall male title), Ally Blain and Kennedy Jackson (winners of the female title), Taylor Melanson, Brooke Bilton, Jacob Stauffer and Kendall Janssen,” added Ramrattan.
After the results of the May 28 meet in Red Deer, Emily Lucas, Emily Lyster-Smith and Elizabeth Maciborsky will be going to provincials in Calgary on June 6 with Rebekah Maciborsky and Josh Gette waiting to hear if both first and second place competitors in their event are able to go.
“Our 2014 track team is poised to continue a tradition of athletic excellence,” said Ramrattan. “What is very impressive is that some of our athletes are able to balance academics and athletics. Emily Lyster-Smith is an honour student as well as being a top-notch thrower with little beyond high school coaching. She has the raw skill to go further and perhaps compete in college track if she chooses. Emily Lucas trains intensely with a Red Deer running club as well as the school so her going to provincials is not a surprise and reflects her love of running.”
