Deh Gah School brings home silver
Cross-country championships return to Fort Providence
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, October 13, 2016
DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
Thirty-eight runners from Fort Providence's Deh Gah School and eight from Kakisa Lake School took to a familiar pathway on Oct. 7.
Deh Gah School's Jacynda Bonnetrouge, left, takes off alongside schoolmates Helena Landry, Charlotte Landry, Kathleen Gargan and Princess Alexandra School's Grace Schaub. Behind Charlotte, with her face obscured from view, is Deh Gah School's Marina Walker, who went on to take fourth place in the bantam female division. - April Hudson/NNSL photo
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The turnout for the 2016 Cross-Country Championships fell just shy of 200 - that includes runners only. Dozens of community members and chaperones also turned out for the annual event, which has been held in Fort Providence for four year.
Deh Gah School took silver in mite male, thanks to Chase Savage, as well as tyke female, thanks to Mackenzie Gargan-Neyelle.
Kakisa Lake School's Kellyn Reardon claimed silver in mite female, while school principal Greg Reardon reeled in silver for recreational male.
Following the race, Gargan-Neyelle, 7, said she was happy with how she ran and felt her speed had been good throughout the race.
However, the 1,520-metre track the tyke divisions ran proved to be a bit of a stretch for the young athlete.
"It was a long way," she said. "It was tiring to go that far."
The clear winner at the end of the day was Ecole William McDonald School out of Yellowknife, which went home with 10 medals. Close behind was Sir John Franklin High School, also out of Yellowknife, which took eight medals.
A points system listed by Nimisha Bastedo, Deh Gah School's on-the-land instructor who is one of the chief organizers of the race, notes Ecole William MacDonald School as this year's banner winner, with 19 points. Points are based on three for each gold medal, two for silver and one for bronze.
The aggregate winner, she said, was Ecole Sir John Franklin High School.
Track lengths differed across divisions. Mites ran the shortest distance, at 1,130 metres, while seniors maxed out the track at 7,680 metres.
Jason Morrissey, a teacher with Harry Camsell School in Hay River, said his school appreciated the hospitality and the efforts of the event's organizing committee and volunteers.
"The course was well laid out, the walkthrough was nice and organized and the handouts were easy to follow," Morrissey said.
"Clearly, this event took a lot of preparation in advance."
He said Bastedo and her team of organizers deserve recognition for putting on an event that benefits youth in the territory.
"They led the way for this even to take place so the young people could experience and learn from the positive effects of sport and develop a love for being physically active," he said.
"That's huge."
Seventeen schools participated in the event, including four from Hay River, seven from Yellowknife, two from Fort Smith, one from Ndilo, one from Behchoko, Kakisa Lake School and Deh Gah School.
