Spartans capture first cross country title

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

Strathmore High School principal Kyle Larson is going to have to clear some room on his crowded gym walls for another provincial championship banner.
The Spartans won the 3A Cross Country provincial championship for the first time in school history.
“This championship shows a great representation of overcoming challenges and achieving goals,” said Spartans captain Jourdyn Sammons. “The strength and determination we all had made this a very rewarding experience.”
After capturing the South Central Zone championships Oct. 6 in Sundre, the Spartans sent 14 of their 70 runners to provincials in Cochrane Oct. 15.
Head coach and English teacher Paul Sonsteby related the school’s most successful season in a metaphor in front of a packed gymnasium Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 19) as they honoured Spartan sports teams.
“You start off and everyone is excited, it’s the fall again. You get to the starting line and you’re ready and a little nervous, you think you got what it takes, but then you realize it’s a lot harder than you thought it was.
“Then you come to that first hill and some people start to walk, some disappear into the trees. The people who won this zone banner and provincial banner understand that this is a guts-over-glory sport and commitment matters for success,” said Sonsteby who has taught and coached for 14 years. “It was an absolutely phenomenal season.”
The Spartans captured the provincial title with a team total of 956.06 points, nearly 20 points more than second place Canmore Collegiate High School and 55 points ahead of third place Eagle Butte High School.
“We compete in a very difficult zone; in my opinion it is the toughest zone to come out of. Schools like Canmore, Highwood High School and Cochrane are all very strong running schools,” said Sonsteby, who has coached teams to a couple of third-place finishes over the past few seasons.
The Top 18 runners in six different categories (junior, intermediate and senior boys and girls) from zones advanced to provincials. It is the first time the Spartans have sent runners in all divisions.
Four senior girls combined for 302.53 of the 956.06 total points, a staggering amount.
“We got an amazing contribution from our senior girls, but really it was two top-15 finishes that put us over the top,” said assistant coach Jerry Flaws.
A transfer student from a small town 100 kilometres north of Berlin, Germany, finished the 4 km run eleventh in 18 minutes, 19 seconds and 79 milliseconds.
Hanna Knop moved to Strathmore at the end of August for the school year and brought her background in the triathlon with her.
“I had a friend on my German triathlon team whose parents live here. They introduced me to the exchange program and I’m here now,” said Knop, the Grade 11 student.
While two girls in the Top 10 passed her at the finish line, Knop is thrilled with her effort and thrilled to be in Canada.
“I arrived a week before school started, so my host family took me to Vancouver and it is so beautiful there. The mountains remind me of Austria, but they are nicer here. The landscape and nature is so beautiful and I even saw a grizzly bear,” she said.
Also running at the senior level was captain Sammons. She placed 75th in 21:54.23 – with a tear in her MCL and hamstring. Her coaches didn’t even know about the injury.
“That’s truly amazing, I had no idea. She still got 46 points for us, that’s huge,” said Flaws. “That just goes to show you her work ethic and drive. She is very motivated and very proud to be a runner. She is relatable to all her teammates, very encouraging and she defines what a captain should be.”
The other big haul for the Spartans came in the junior girls division, when Rayanne Laycock ran to a ninth place finish in the 3 km, in 10:57.31 and earned 132.59 points.
Not even the pink Energizer bunny could outlast Laycock. A true runner by heart, she runs for the love of it.
“I’ve been running since I was around eight years old. I just like to compete and challenge other runners. I like the opportunity to race and improve on my running as often as I can,” said Laycock, who is in Grade 10.
Running a 3 km race seemed like a sprint for Laycock, as she is no stranger to races ranging over 10 kms.
“This was a really cool accomplishment and the significance of winning the first provincial title was amazing,” said Laycock. “Now we have high expectations for next year to get out and do this again.”
With 49 per cent (471.78) of their provincial point-getters returning next year, along with an up-and-coming crop from Crowther Memorial Junior High School, the Spartans are poised to make another run at a provincial title.
“The junior high and elementary here have really done a great job promoting cross country into their programs and developing runners at a young age. Then our job becomes a lot easier when you get experienced kids who already know what they’re doing,” said Sonsteby.
Jonathon Lemay and Mackenzie Bain finished 54th and 55th respectably in the 6 km senior boys division. Lemay finished in 21:48.55 with Bain shortly behind him at 21:49.12.
Eric Sandum was the top runner in the 4 km junior boys division with a 17:38.82. Pierston Kahnapace placed 51st in the 5 km intermediate boys division with 19:37.68. In intermediate girls, Kaylin Larson was the top Spartan with 20:51.19, good enough for 53rd.
It marks the first provincial championship for the Spartans since the 2013-14 golf season, when they captured the team and individual championship.
Members of the zone and provincial championship team will now sign the banners, raising to hang forever among the legendary Spartan teams.