Manitouwadge Elementary Athletes From 3 Schools Represent In Thunder Bay

Written by Reader Submission on 08 November 2011

Article by Kristy Lachance, Coach; Photos by Amii Hache, Parent-Volunteer

40th Annual Mid-Elementary School 3km Cross-Country Run

Runners. representing Manitouwadge Public School, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School and École Publique Franco-Manitou, stretch and warm-up before the race. Photo by Amii Hache

: Runners, representing Manitouwadge’s Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, Manitouwadge Public School and École Publique Franco-Manitou, warm-up in preparation for the race. Photo by Amii Hache

This race was no walk in the park! This photo helps illustrate the huge number of runners competing alongside the Manitouwadge athletes. Impressively, Manitouwadge Public School's Raija Hache ran her best time of the season as she worked past the 150+ girls on the field taking 5th place in the run! CONGRATULATIONS Raija! Photos by Amii Hache.

THUNDER BAY, ON – Saturday, October 22^ndsix students from Manitouwadge, representing three local schools, travelled to take part in the 40th Annual Mid-elementary School 3km Cross-Country Run at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.

Representing Manitouwadge Public School (Superior-Greenstone District School Board/SGDSB) were:

Brooke Sagle, Grade 5
Raija Hache, Grade 6

Representing École Publique Franco-Manitou (Conseil Scolaire Publique du Grand-Nord de l’Ontario/CSPGNO) were:

Hailey Chisolm, Grade 6
Noah Chisolm, Grade 8

Representing Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (Superior North Catholic District School Board/SNCDSB) was:

Mackenzie Clark, Grade 6

The students had all worked diligently this fall, training regularly and competiting against their peers at Our Lady of Lourdes invitational run in October. For most of the half-dozen students who travelled to Thunder Bay 2011 was their first season as runners but their diligence and focus allowed them to compete, and excell, among the best elementary cross-country runners from our region.

The hard work and dedication of the student-athletes was apparent as they partook in the 40th Annual Mid-Elementary School 3km Cross-Country Run. The cross-country course looped Lakehead University’s golf course stretching, as its name describes, an impressive three (3) kilometers across which 152 girls and 142 boys from the Thunder Bay area competed.

Parents and coaches accompanying the students could not have been more proud as Coach Kristy Lachance put it “Each of the Manitouwadge athletes performed amazingly!”. Lachance explained that this was true of not only their impressive athleticism but also their exemplary sportsmanship and mutual respect and support shown among them. The young athletes showed the composure of seasoned runners, each of them running their personal best time of the season.

“This race was an excellent opportunity for our young runners to represent Manitouwadge on a regional level” explained Coach Lachance as Manitouwadge had not seen its athletes compete at the Annual Mid-Elementary School 3km Cross-Country Run in more than a decade. She emphasized the commendable performance the young athletes had put forth reminding fans of the hard work, commitment to training and focus required of them throughout the weeks preceding the race to have reaped such positive results.

Coach Lachance’s last words to the six Manitouwadge athletes as their running season now draws to an end “Excellent job all of you! Congratulations!”

: Raija and one of her fans. Photos by Amii Hache

: This race was no walk in the park! This photo helps illustrate the huge number of runners competiting against the Manitouwadge athletes. Increibly, Manitouwadge Public School’s Raija Hache found her way through the huge crowd of competitors to take 5th place in the run! CONGRATULATIONS Raija! Photos by Amii Hache

MANITOUWADGE STANDINGS
40th Annual Mid-Elementary School 3km Cross-Country Run

Girls Manitouwadge Public School:

5th Raija Hache 13:13.75, MPS
117th Brooke Sagle 17:48.50, MPS

Girls École Publique Franco-Manitou:

134th Natalia MacFarlane 18:42.75 6:15, ÉPFM
141st Hailey Chisolm 19:31.20, ÉPFM

Girls Our Lady of Lourdes School:

87th Mackenzie Clark 16:32.15, OLOL

Boys École Publique Franco-Manitou:

137th Noah Chisolm 18:52.90, ÉPFM

: Manitouwadge athletes bring it home with their best personal times ever! Photos Amii Hache

: The race is underway, soon the congested field will space out and runners will go into ‘the zone’ where their biggest competition is themselves. Photos by Amii Hache