NEW GLASGOW – Ten North Nova boys have been selected to attend the 2013 Nike High School Grand Prix, the first Canadian invitational track and field event for high school athletes, now in its second year.
To be accepted the school had to submit and application involving the team’s academics, athletics and an essay outlining why they should be chosen.
“We basically had to give them a history of ourselves, talking about our accomplishments academically and athletically, mostly centered around track and field although most play multiple sports,” said Grade 12 Sam Cameron. “It’s all about being an all around person so it had a spot for awards and community involvement as well.”
The team is the only boys team from N.S., with the girls team coming from Cole Harbour District High School. There are two teams from each province, the Northwest Territories and Yukon that will be attending the event at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Stadium May 9-12.
North Nova’s team is made up of Cameron, Mitch MacDonald, Mike Graham, Peter MacIntosh, Allister Mason, Blair Dewtie, Ryan Washburn, Marshall Fitt, Spencer MacDonald and Ian MacDonald. Their coaches are Ann Findlay and Dan MacDonald.
This is the first national track and field event for all participants except for Mason. Most of the members play multiple sports at North Nova, but never expected they would attend a national event for track and field.
“There were so many other schools applying to be part of this that we never would have expected it to actually happen,” said Washburn, a senior at North Nova. “It was our school’s second year applying and I don’t think any of us really thought we’d have a good chance of being selected.”
Events at the meet include: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m run, 110m hurdles (boys), 100m hurdles (girls), long jump, high jump, shot-put, and the 4 x 100m cross-provincial relay. Although the NNEC track and field hasn’t started training yet, they will begin after the March Break, which runs March 11-15.
Mason said most of the athletes have continued track training throughout the off-season by going on runs outside or at the gym on top of their practices with various teams. He said they’re all excited to attend the event and beginning to train as a group again.
christopher.cameron@ngnews.ca
On Twitter: @NGNewsChris
