COCHRANE — A dynasty continued and a drought came to an end.
Rosie Bouchard won the first Foothills Falcon medal in 18 years at the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association Cross-Country Championships by taking the bronze medal in the Junior girls 3,000m Saturday in Cochrane. Meanwhile, the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans won their sixth-consecutive 2A cross-country title.
The swift Bouchard ran a strategic race after finding herself in the back of the pack for the first 500m.
“It was quite hard because everyone was running so fast at the start,” Bouchard said. “I was nearly last at the start of the race because I got kind of boxed in — I felt I was going to stay there.”
She took a fight and flight strategy.
“I got a bit more energy and tried to sprint to the front about 500m after the start,” she said.
Bouchard tucked herself behind the two leaders, who had built up a substantial lead.
“I just stayed in third-place,” she said. “My goal was to finish in the top 10, so I am very happy.”
Bouchard finished the 3K run in 10:25.
She said she was unaware that she was the first Falcon to win a medal since Aaron Swanson nearly two decades ago. Swanson was the 2016 Millarville Run to the Farmer’s Canada half marathon champion.
Far from a drought, the Spartans were able to repeat as champions despite having fewer runners than in their previous five title years.
“Usually we have 20 to 24 runners qualify for provincials through zones, this time we had 13,” said Spartans coach Rob Lederer said.
The STS numbers’ were down because the zone championships were held during the school’s extended Thanksgiving break.
However, it was quantity rather than quality for the Spartans.
Their top runner was Evan Vadnai who was eighth in the Senior boys 6,000m in 19:01.
“I surprised myself, I was expecting to finish about 20th,” the Grade 12 student said. “I just tried to keep up with the leaders.”
Vadnai said his work with the CALTAF track club has helped him.
“I remember in Grade 10, I was something like 110th,” he said with a laugh.
The strong performance of Grade 12 student Heidi Frehlich in the 4,000m Senior girls was key to the Spartans’ clinching the banner.
“She was 25th and that is an improvement of 35 or 40 places from last season,” Lederer said. “All of our runners did well. Many of the runners who were at the bottom (of the 18 qualifiers from zones) finished in the middle of the pack at provincials, where there are a lot more runners, and that was big.”
The Falcons’ Pedro Pardo was 26th in the 6,000m senior boys in 20:43.
“I was very happy with my race, my goal was to do better than I did last year,” he said. “My goal was to finish higher than I did last year when I was 32nd.”
The Holy Trinity Academy Knights top runner was Kiera Tennant who was 31st in the 4,000m Intermediate girls. For full results go to asaa.ca
