Have you noticed YHS Junior girls running at nearby parks or around Shaughnessy School? They are members of the YHS Junior Cross-Country team hard at work training for the upcoming ISEA Championship.
The cross-country season is off to a great start at YHS. This year we have 43 girls (Grade 3-7) on the team and a record number of staff coaches from a wide spectrum of our school staff: Kimberley Ryerson, Lisa Tomlinson, and Kiera Pearkes from the Little School, Danielle Neer, Sandra Richardson, Madeleine Abbott, Monica Regan,
Celine Foucher, Sheilagh Martin, Lela Ling, and Jason Camp from the Junior School, Alison Waterhouse from the Senior School and Karm K. from the Media & Technology Department.
We are also fortunate to have a group of fantastic parent helpers who play an active role in coaching and supervision (Kathyrn Palumbo, Gail Ooi, Jonathan Aitken and Gavin Forsyth).
The girls are well into their training program and are making great progress as they prepare for the ISEA Cross-Country Championship, October 30th at Quilchena Park. At the ISEAs, athletes from each grade will try to achieve a personal best, but also compete together on individual grade teams and as a whole school team. The ISEA championship is a wonderful day for young athletes to feel rewarded for their hard work and dedication throughout the season and to unite together as a school team.
The cross-country running program is the first YHS team sport Grade 3 students are eligible to join and they are very enthusiastic Tigers! Some of our Grade 7 team members have been on the team since Grade 3! The Grade 7 team members are fantastic role models and athletes who inspire our younger members.
As part of the preparation for the ISEAs, cross-country team members have been competing in several races held throughout the Lower Mainland. At this point, the YHS Tigers have competed in the Pinetree Classic at Mundy Park in Coquitlam on a beautiful fall Saturday (September 21st), and most recently in the South Fraser Cross-Country Race at Bear Creek Park in Surrey, on a very wet September 28th. These were very competitive races and the YHS girls competed with true Tiger spirit not only on the racecourse, but also on the sidelines as they cheered for their fellow team members.
Click here for more photos taken from the last two Saturday races. Many thanks to the coaches, parent helpers and families for supporting the YHS Junior Cross-Country Team.
Go Tigers!
Lela Ling
Head Coach