After rescheduling what would have been a grueling day for track and field in high winds and rain, athletes enjoyed glorious skies while they strived for athletic excellence at the northeast track and field zones in St. Paul on May 29.
Schools from as far and wide as Fort McMurray to Cold Lake to Vegreville would send athletes, but in the end, Glendon School, FG Miller and St. Paul Regional High School would claim the 1A, 2A and 3A banners respectively, while Lloydminster Comprehensive took the 4A banner.
Glendon coach and athletic director Daryn Galatiuk said he believed his school had won the zones banner eight out the past 10 years, but was edged out last year, with 10 fewer athletes competing than St. Mary’s out of Vegreville. This year, 23 Glendon athletes came out to zones, collecting their school 627 points and outstripping its closest 1A competitor, Two Hills, which had 298.50 points.
Helping to boost the team’s track and field success is the fact Glendon kids have embraced the pole vaulting event, a rare sport in track and field, particularly for rural schools.
“It’s time-consuming for coaches and kids,” said Galatiuk, noting the kids must travel to train and compete in Edmonton facilities. “But it’s pretty rewarding – the coaches there are fantastic.”
Other local students are starting to get into pole vaulting too, but Glendon retains the edge in the sport that requires some nerve to tackle.
“It’s not like we’re just a fledgling school – we’re pretty good at it, and we’re there to compete,” said Galatiuk.
Among the school’s athletes that had a red-letter day at zones was Brooke Skyrpichayko, who not only competed and placed first in four categories, but broke records in three - shot put, javelin and pole vault as well.
“She’s just a phenomenal athlete,” said Galatiuk, noting Skrypichayko is one of those athletes that come along every few years that excels at multiple sports but combines that talent with dedication, he says, adding, “She works her tail off.”
Of course, winning a banner at track and field, like other sports, is also dependent on numbers. St. Paul Regional High School athletic director and coach Hank Smid notes the school normally sends 45 kids to SPAA track and field, with about 35 advancing to zones. But this year, the school managed to send 59 athletes to zones this year, which is “ridiculous” in comparison – and in the best way possible, he said.
“We’re really happy about that, and proud of the kids for competing, and representing the school,” he said, noting that sometimes, kids may not be as motivated to take part in athletic events in the summer months, but that wasn’t the case at this year’s SPAA and zone events.
For the first time that Smid can remember in 16 years of being part of track and field zones, the event was rescheduled because of high winds and rain from the Wendesday prior. While it’s rare to re-schedule, with weather advisories warning of downpours and wind speeds gusting beyond 50km/hr, it was the best call, he said.
“The kids wouldn’t have performed well, they would have been grumpy, everybody would have been grumpy.”
This year, for the second year in a row, para sports were included as part of the track and field events, a move to inclusion that Smid applauded.
“These are kids in our school but they never get a chance to compete . . . ASAA made a move to open this up; these kids are getting acknowledged for what they can do as well, and I think it’s a great move,” said Smid, noting there are three categories, including intellectual, ambulatory and wheelchair categories for students to compete, with everyone seeing “smiles all around” when these competitors take the field. “Everybody enjoys seeing this happen.”
800 Meter Run Junior – 2. Morgan Gerlinsky (SPRHS)
Pole Vault Junior – 1. *Brooke Skrypichayko, (Glendon) Record – 1.80m* 2. Morgan Gerlinsky (SPRHS)
Shot Put 3 kg Junior – 1. Brooke Skrypichayko (Glendon) Record – 11.26m*
Discus Throw 1 kg Junior: 1. Brooke Skrypichayko (Glendon) 2. Abby Baker (FG Miller)
Javelin Throw 500g Junior: *1. Brooke Skrypichayko (Glendon) Record – 35.32m*
200 Meter Dash Intermediate: 1. Paxton Gamblin (Glendon)
Pole Vault Intermediate: *1. Karlee Voltner (Glendon), Record – 2.20m* 2. Paxton Gamblin (Glendon)
Shot Put 3 kg Intermediate: 1. Sadi Houle
Javelin Throw 500g Intermediate: *1. Samantha Weinmeier (Mallaig), Record – 35.96m*
80 Metre Hurdles 84 cm 33” 8m Senior : 2. Jazmin Zaparniuk (Two Hills)
800 Metre Run Senior – 2. Jessie Brandt (SPRHS)
3000 Metre Run Senior – 2. Heidi Tymko (SPRHS)
Long Jump Senior – 1. Courtney Hebert (SPRHS)
Triple Jump Senior – 1. Courtney Hebert (SPRHS)
High Jump Senior – 1. Brooke McOuat (Glendon)
Pole Vault Senior – *1. Syndey Theroux (Glendon), Record – 2.1m* 2. Faith Janz (Glendon)
Shot Put 4 kg Senior – 1. Brooke McOuat (Glendon)
Discus Throw 1 kg Senior – 2. Gabrielle Gosselin (SPRHS)
Javelin Throw 600 g 220 cm Senior – 1. Savannah Toma (Two Hills)
Outdoor Pentathlon Open – 2. Courtney Cole (SPRHS) - 100 metre dash, high jump, shot put, long jump, and 800 metre run *Two records set within pentathlon - 8.78m for shot put, and 4.32 metres for long jump*
100 metre hurdles 84 cm 33’ 8.5 Junior – 1. Daniel Hebert, (SPRHS) 2. Owen Breast (SPRHS)
3000 m run junior – 2. Braden Hnatiw (SPRHS)
Long jump junior – 2. Ben Fodchuk (SPRHS)
Triple Jump Junior – 1. Daniel Hebert (SPRHS)
Pole Vault Junior – 1. Brett Foley (Glendon)
Discus Throw – 2. Jordan Dumbleton (Two Hills)
Javelin Throw 700 g junior – 1. Parker Allen (FG Miller) 2. Brayden Fairbairn (FG Miller)
400 metre dash intermediate – 1. Brendan Levasseur (SPRHS)
100 metre Hurdeles 2. Nathan Dubeau (Ecole Mallaig)
800 metre run intermediate – 2. Brendan Levasseur (SPRHS)
1500 metre run intermediate – 2. Christian Castle-Wasson (FG Miller Grad)
Pole Vault Intermediate – 2. Dylan Amyotte (SPRHS)
Shot put 5 kg intermediate – 2. Blaine Lotsberg (Glendon)
Discus Throw 1.5 kg intermediate – 1. Shayne Hurtubise (Ecole du Sommet), 2. Kale Seguin (Mallaig)
100 metre dash senior – 1. Matthew Hawiuk (SPRHS)
200 metre dash senior – 1. Mathew Hawiuk (SPRHS)
400 metre dash senior 2. Brayden Labant (SPRHS), 2. Madison Brousseau (SPRHS)
100 meter hurdles 91 cm. 36” 8.5 senior – 1. Byron Steinhauer (Ashmont), 2. Noah Pashulka (SPRHS)
800 meter run senior 1. Nathen Palsitt (Two Hills)
1500 metre run senior 1. Nathen Palsitt (Two Hills)
Long Jump Senior – 1. Matthew Hawiuk (SPRHS)
Triple Jump Senior – 1. Nathen Palsitt
Pole Vault 5.44 kg *1. Carson Doonanco (Glendon), Record – 3.50m* 2. Wyatt Doonanco (Glendon)
Shot Put 6 kg senior – 2. Joel Gratton (Ecole du Sommet)
Discus Throw 1.75 kg senior – 2. Tyler Shirt (Ashmont)
Javelin Throw 800 g 260 cm senior – 2. Arron Gagne (SPRHS), 3. Joshua Foley (Glendon)
300 meter hurdles – 1. Jaden Plaska (FG Miller)
Girls 100 Meter Dash Intellectual – 1. Alanna Mounce (SPRHS)
Girls Shot Put Ambulatory Open – 1. Alanna Mounce (SPRHS)
