East Three tops track events
School wins gold medals in both junior men and junior women categories
Sarah Ladik
Northern News Services
Thursday, June 9, 2016
INUVIK
Despite their smaller team, students from East Three School topped the podium in two important categories at last week's Territorial Track and Field Championships in Hay River.
"We're bringing home two gold medals," said coach Kenzie MacDonald. "It went really good."
Emily Rutherford won the gold medal in the junior women's division for placing first in the 1,500 m, 800 m, and 400 m races, and finishing second in the triple jump, while Braeden Picek similarly won gold in junior men's for placing first in the 3,000 m, 1,500 m, and 800 m races. He came in second in the triple jump.
"They did really great, it was great to see," said MacDonald.
The rest of the team, he said, did well overall, finishing with varied results but a lot of experience gained.
"The weather was nice the whole weekend," he said, adding there were a few sunburns but luckily no serious injuries.
"I think we exceeded expectations as a team."
Last month, MacDonald told the Drum the school's track team was in a rebuilding phase, with many younger athletes coming up through the ranks after some of the top competitors graduated and left the team.
He said that bringing a younger team to the event this year will hopefully get some of the elementary students excited about the sport.
Paul O'Connor has been trying to get to the championship for two years and was prevented from attending last year when he was in Grade 10 because his grades weren't high enough.
"It was quite fun," he said.
"It was hot there, and I had a blast."
O'Connor competed in the high jump plus the 800-m, 400-m, and 200-m races. He said the highlight of his experience was coming in third place in the 800-m race.
"I don't usually see that many people at a sporting event," he said of the competition that draws thousands of people to the track at the centre of the South Slave community.
"That was really fun."
After a situation last year in which points were mistallied, a banner awarded, and then subsequently taken away, MacDonald said the aggregate score and school champion of the meet would be announced this week.
