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HAY RIVER
Athletes from eight Deh Cho schools competed in the NWT Track and Field Championships in Hay River from June 5 to 7 and collected a number of awards to showcase their successes.

Bailey Gargan of Fort Providence competes in one of the track events at the NWT Track and Field Championships in Hay River. - James McCarthy/NNSL photo

Deh Gah School in Fort Providence sent the largest contingent from the Deh Cho with 45 students and 11 chaperones and coaches. The students started track and field practices in early May but had also been doing other fitness training throughout the school year, said Christopher Carson, the lead coach.

"Overall the team did really well," he said.

The athletes earned a number of ribbons including a few in the throwing events. Faith Bonnetrouge won first place in the female mites ball throw with a distance of 11.40 metres while Marina Walker got a fifth-place ribbon in the same division for a throw of 8.80 metres. Kelly Leishman won second in peewee shot put and fourth in discus throw.

First-place ribbon earned

A first-place ribbon was also earned by Geronimoe Constant, 10, who threw a two-kilogram shot put 7.50 metres in the boys peewee division.

"It's kind of easy," Constant said about the event.

The trick is to throw the shot put ball quickly, he said. Constant got one practice throw and three throws that were measured during the competition. His last throw was the longest.

Aisha Sabourin, 10, also brought home a ribbon after placing third in the peewee girls 1,000-metre race.

Sabourin, who also competed in the 100- and 800-metre races, said she's definitely a long-distance runner.

Throughout the race, Sabourin said she kept an eye on her five competitors. Halfway through the race, Sabourin was in the lead, but then two other racers overtook her. Sabourin said she's happy with her performance and plans to race faster and earn a first- or second-place ribbon next year.

Fort Simpson was also well represented at the championships. Bompas Elementary School sent 28 competitors while Thomas Simpson School sent 17.

Val Gendron, one of Bompas' coaches, said the athletes did "awesome" with many of the students earning ribbons.

Aron Gu, 10, was Fort Simpson's most successful athlete. Gu won four ribbons including first in the peewee 100-metre race and long jump, third in the 1,000-metre race and fifth in the 800-metre event. Gu also won bronze overall in his division.

Long jump is Gu's favourite event. His third jump, in which he cleared 3.17 metres, was his most successful.

"Run as fast as you can and jump far," was Gu's strategy for success in the event.

After competing in three running events, Gu said the 1,000-metre was the most tiring. Gu said he was close behind the two athletes who finished ahead of him.

"It was fun," he said about going to the championships.

One teacher also represented Fort Simpson. Kelley Andrews-Klein defended her first-place women's masters shot put title with a throw of 7.97 metres and also placed second in discus with a 19.50-metre throw.

Some of the smaller schools in the Deh Cho also sent teams to the championships. Louie Norwegian School in Jean Marie River sent five students. Esmeralda Antoine finished first in girls peewee discus.

Charles Yohin School in Nahanni Butte sent a team of three including Leanna Vital, Sean Ekotla and Destiny Ekotla. This was Destiny's second year competing at the championships. She competed in discus, long jump, 100-metre race and javelin despite never having thrown a javelin before.

Although she didn't get any ribbons, Destiny, 15, said she enjoyed going to the championships.

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