Holy Cross track hopeful for provincials

 Aryssah Stankevitsch  

Times Reporter
 
The Hawks hope not only to have a few students qualify for provincials, but to excel once they get there. Track and Field Finals are set for Foothills Athletic Park in Calgary for the second weekend in June.
After athletes qualify in the Wheatland County competition (against SHS and Standard), the best move onto the South Central Zone finals. There are eight zones in the province, and the top two contenders in each event for their zone battle in provincials.
In track and field, students do not necessarily face other students from their grade; groups are based on age. For example: late-born grade 12’s may contend with the oldest grade 11’s.
“We’ve had a lot of success in long jump, high jump, and triple jump in the past few years,” said Michael Annicchiarico, one of the team’s coaches. Because the school doesn’t have an actual track to practice on, they usually perform better in field events.
Holy Cross has about double the amount of junior high kids on their track team than senior athletes; however, Annicchiarico says the Hawks have “a couple of athletes on the senior high track team that have done as well as second in provincials, which is an amazing achievement.”
Grade 12 Mike Molina’s best event is high jump, though he competes in long jump and triple jump as well. This will hopefully be his third year to move on to provincials. Fellow student Kirstyn Johnson went to provincials for both triple jump and long jump in 2012, placing second in the latter.
“It’s a lot of mental preparation and just kind of giving your best when it matters,” said Annicchiarico. “I think it’s possible, I think we could get someone to actually win at provincials.”