Ross Sheppard students shatter 46-year-old running record
A group of students is celebrating after breaking an athletic record that’s been in place in Edmonton for nearly half a century.
The Ross Sheppard High School cross country team beat the Strathcona High School cross country team at city finals for the first time in 46 years.
“It was pretty awesome, I was really excited beforehand, even more excited afterwards,” Grade 11 student Carson Young told CTV News Edmonton.
“Scona’s been always a big track school, they have a track, we don’t, it’s just really awesome for everyone to come out and be part of that and work together to get that goal.”
Coaches say the team came close to beating Strathcona in 2021, so they made an extra push this year.
“We really started recruiting, started training them hard this year and just their commitment levels and drive this year were unreal,” said coach Kim McAthey.
“We actually have a chance guys, so let's go!”
About 40 athletes competed on the winning team.
“More than the past years it’s the commitment of the kids. We’ve been training three times a week plus the race day, so just the commitment. Everyone just has fun, we try to not make it stressful. We want it to be fun because we want you to enjoy running,” McAthey said.
Grade 12 student Alison Mackie was one of the members of the winning team. She runs in the summer to be fit for cross country skiing in the winter.
“We thought that we might have a chance last year, which proved unsuccessful, but just completing that goal this year makes it extra special, especially for my last year of high school,” she said.
“I also love to race. I’m super competitive. So this is a great way to channel my competitive energy.”
McAthey hopes the win will show the teens they can accomplish anything.
“It shows them that they’re capable of doing this. We’re more than capable of doing this and they should continue to push and continue to grow and they will achieve anything.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.