Spartans capture bronze medal at provincial championship

By Mario Prusina, Times Editor

The Strathmore Spartans cross-country team earned a medal at the 2018 Provincial Championship in Vermilion on Oct. 20.
The local high school accumulated 1,100 points en route to a bronze medal in the 3A Team Cross Country event.
“I’m extremely proud of the efforts of these amazing athletes, as they’ve kept Strathmore High (School) in the elite of running teams in the province of Alberta,” said coach Paul Sonsteby. “This was a tough provincial course; though we’d had a foot of snow and slush in divisionals and zones, it was certainly more pleasant weather (for provincials).”
Despite carrying a smaller team than in years past, the team accumulated 200 more points than the 2016 team that won provincials. According to Sonsteby, the team captains led the way.
“Our captain was Rayanne Laycock – a formidable and very strong runner ready for any trail,” said Sonsteby. “Our co-captains were Luke Schramm and Josh Filipionek, who have both improved considerably after great races last year.”
One challenge for the team was recruiting runners playing other sports, but there was a formidable group of runners who were up to the task.
“Fortunately, we have runners like Justine Larson, Kaia Gron, Olivia Wilson and Josh Filipionek, as mentioned, who know that you can thrive as a multi-sport athlete,” said Sonsteby.
Despite losing some talented runners in Grade 12 to graduation, there is a group of junior and intermediate runners coming up the ranks that will keep the program competitive for years to come.