A Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School Spartan didn’t cross the finish line with her friend at the provincial high school cross-country championships on the weekend. However, Gillian Ceyhan was definitely thinking of her close friend and teammate Claudia Belanger, when she crossed the finish line in 15 minutes and 26 seconds to win the 4,000m Intermediate girls race in Red Deer Saturday.
‘I was sad Claudia didn’t get to run with me, but when I heard my time I was happy about winning,” Ceyhan said. “She was going to come up and warm up with me, but her coach recommended she didn’t run.”
Belanger and Ceyhan crossed the finish line together at the South Central zones in Canmore two weeks ago. However, a foot injury prevented Belanger from competing at the provincials in Red Deer.
Ceyhan, a Heritage Pointe resident, took to running by herself quickly at Red Deer.
“For the first quarter of it another runner set the pace, and I was able to pass her on the hill,” said Ceyhan, a Grade 11 student at STS. “For the rest of the race I was by myself. It was pretty hilly and it was snowy. I was glad I had my spikes.”
Ceyhan won the 800m Junior girls gold medal at the high school provincial track championship in June. She said she is starting to like the longer distances and will compete at the national cross-country championships in Vancouver in November.
Holy Trinity Academy Knights Michael Quick’s hopes of winning a second consecutive cross-country tumbled away when he tripped approximately a kilometre into the Senior boys 6,000m final.
“I went out pretty strong and I was in second and I tripped on a root,” Quick said. “It was awfully disappointing.”
Quick aggravated a hip injury which he had going into the provincial championships.
He will now focus on the Canadian cross-country championships in Vancouver in November.
Quick had won the silver medal as a junior in 2010 and was the provincial champion in 2011 before tripping this year.
Bruce Dickie, HTA cross-country coach, said the Knights had a strong showing at provincials with Simon Leslie leading the way with a ninth place finish in the Junior boys 4,000 at 14:30.
The Knights Claire Thorimbert was 11th in the Intermediate girls 4,000m at 16:53. Sophia Clubbe was 12th in the Senior girls 4,000m, crossing the finish line in 16:43.
Dickie estimated the Knights finished sixth among 3A schools (enrolment of 450-799 students).”
Foothills school results at the Alberta high school cross-country championships:
Junior girls (3,000m): 18. Brynn McLellan, STS, 13:00; 26. Tiana Ewing, Foothills, 13:18; 40. Kaylee Bertrand, HTA, 13:50; 55. Lize-Mari Louw, STS, 14:03; 62. Juliana Smith, STS, 14:21; 68. Janae Baker, Highwood, 14:27; 72. Kathryn McLellan, STS, 14:37.
Intermediate girls (4,000m) 1. Gillian Ceyhan, STS, 15:26; 11. Claire Thorimbert, HTA, 16:53; 50. Sawera Dhaliwal, STS, 18:51; 57. Mikayla Fredricksen, Highwood, 19:20; 59. Maria Golubev, STS, 19:04; 85. Adele Bibault, HTA, 20:12; 88. Mandi Hofer, Highwood, 20:18.
Senior girls (4,000m):12. Sophia Clubbe, HTA, 16:43; 30. Bethany Bromfield, HTA, 17:37; 36. Kendall Seasons, STS, 17:53; 45. Lauren Benn, Highwood, 18:25; 56. Erin Bews, Highwood, 18:54; 58. Millicent Brentnall, Highwood, 19:02; 72. Georgia Young, STS, 19:32;
Junior boys (4,000m): 9. Simon Leslie, HTA, 14:30; 26. Riley Jane, Highwood, 15:05; 53. Arnaud Nimenya, NDC, 15:33; 68.Michael Bruhjell, STS, 15:55;
Intermediate boys (5,000m): 63. Miland Eskander, STS, 20:34; 67. Connor Lainchbury, NDC, 20:44; 71. Xavier Boulianne, STS, 20:52; 92. Riley Paul, Foothills, 22:12; 102. Andrew Stone, STS, 23:19;
Senior boys (6,000m): 17. Angus Rawling, STS, 22:45; 76. Philip Taylor Smith, Highwood, 25:29; 81. Hayden Amundson, STS, 25:48; 85. Benjamin Roskey,STS, 26:05; 91. Justin Nadeau, STS, 26:17
