Etezadi, Taylor and Van Krimpen top NRHSAA races
Last year’s cross country season is one A.N. Myer’s Kristina Etezadi would rather forget.
After winning a silver medal in the junior girls division at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships in Grade 10, the Grade 12 student struggled through her Grade 11 season.
“I got sick a lot during that season and I kept missing a lot of practices. I wasn’t consistent with my training and it wasn’t a good year. I went to OFSAA but I didn’t finish the race.”
To say the season was a disappointment is an understatement.
“It was rough,” Etezadi said Wednesday, after she crossed the finish line first in the senior girls race at the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Zone 3 and 4 cross country meet at Firemen’s Park.
Thankfully the Athletics Niagara member had lots of people to get her through the difficult time.
“My coaches and my family are really good support and they helped me through it. I know it is all not done in one year. It is just try again next year.”
She is planning to graduate from Myer this year and would love to end her career with a bang.
“I want to run in university. This is my last year and I really want to do well and have fun with it, of course. I have been more consistent in my training and I am hoping with it will pay off.”
Etezadi knows this season is an important one for her to land a university scholarship.
“I really love the sport and pushing myself. At the university level, it would be super fun to have that team environment and run for a school.”
She feels she has taken strides in the sport in the past year.
“I am a lot stronger mentally and physically. My training has been more consistent and getting through that year really helped me mentally too. It is not always about the times and everything. It is about enjoying it and pushing myself.”
Her goals for her final season are to make it to OFSAA for cross country and track.
In the girls team event: Saint-Jean-de-Brebeuf (10) and E.L. Crossley (10) tied for first in Zone 3. In Zone 4, Sir Winston Churchill (28) was first followed by Eden (18) and West Niagara (14).
JUNIOR GIRLS
It was a job well done for Eden’s Kate Taylor Wednesday at the NRHSAA Zone 3 and 4 cross country meet.
“I had a plan and it worked,” the Grade 10 student said, moments after she won a close junior girls race. “I made a strategy to stay with Tessa (Grosvenor) in second and then kick at the end.”
The 14-year-old St. Catharines resident admitted she wasn’t sure her plan would work as she needed a late burst to be the first junior girl from both zones to cross the finish line.
“I was stressed about it all day,” she said, with a laugh. “I do cross country events because I like track and I tried to use my speed in cross country.”
Taylor was recruited by the Thorold Elite Track Club after she had two seconds and a third at the District School Board of Niagara elementary school meet when she was in Grade 8
Last year at high school cross country, she won zone, placed third at SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association) and finished in the top 50 at OFSAA.
“It feels great,” she said of her win Wednesday. “I was pretty confident but I haven’t run in a race in a while. I expected to get in the top five or 10.”
She is looking forward to the rest of the season.
“My goal is to get to OFSAA and I’m using it to improve for track. It helps because running long distances makes the 400 metres feel like it is easy.”
This past spring, she qualified for OFSAA in the 800 metres after placing second at SOSSA.
NOVICE GIRLS
Parker Van Krimpen was confident but not overconfident heading into Wednesday’s NRHSAA cross country meet.
“I was expecting to maybe place first but I was a little bit nervous because there are two zones together and I wasn’t sure how that was going to go.”
The Grade 9 student at Centennial ended up winning the novice girls race and she has set her sights on even bigger goals this season.
“Hopefully I will make it to OFSAA but we will see,” the 14-year-old Welland said.
She is a relative newcomer to the sport of competitive running.
“I used to play soccer but I did well at school track and field and my mom made me try it (running). I started in April with Thorold Elite and I continue to do it because it is fun.”
Van Krimpen didn’t win any provincial medals in her first summer of running but she did garner a silver medal in the under-16 high jump at the Athletics Ontario meet.
She is having a blast competing.
“I just like the accomplishments afterwards and it is a fun way to stay healthy. I enjoy running.”
She is planning to take a bit of break from running in the winter because she also takes part in competitive dance.
It makes for a busy schedule.
RESULTS
Novice girls individual Zone 3 (4K): 1. Parker Van Krimpen, Centennial; 2. Maeva Scipio, Franco Niagara; 3. Hallie Van Niekerk, Crossley; 4. London Counsell, Brebeuf; 5. Madison Lee, Port Colborne.
Novice girls team Zone 3: 1. St.-Jean-de-Brebeuf (4. Counsell; 7. Sophie Coles; 8. Taylor Beauparlant; 11. Nicole Poulin).
Novice girls individual Zone 4 (4K): 1. Violet Crowe, Simcoe; 2. Meena van Grieken, Churchill; 3. Amara van Grieken, Churchill; 4. Lucy McGinn, West Niagara; 5. Helena Lindley, Churchill.
Novice girls team Zone 4: 1. Churchill (2. Meena van Grieken; 3. Amara van Grieken; 5. Lindley; 9. Lauren Dunlop; 14. Amariah Taylor); 2. West Niagara (4. McGinn; 8. Mischa Evason; 11. Chloe Van Geest; 12. Sandra McNally).
Junior girls individual Zone 3 (5K): 1. Lydia Jeffery, Crossley (21:5.4); 2. Arianna Romano, Centennial; 3. Averi Dama, Crossley; 4. Jacklyn Saddler, Myer; 5. Claire Breadner, Crossley.
Junior girls individual Zone 4 (5K): 1. Kate Taylor, Eden (20:07); 2. Tessa Grosvenor, Churchill; 3. Ayla Laing, Simcoe; 4. Adali Cavicchia, Eden; 5. Annalie Moran, Eden.
Junior girls team Zone 3: 1. Crossley (1. Jeffery; 3. Dama; 5. Breadner; 6. Sophia Patterson).
Junior girls team Zone 4: 1. Eden (1. Taylor; 4. Cavicchia; 5. Moran; 6. Drew Ankesmit; 7. Amelia Kong); 2. Churchill (2. Grosvenor; 9. Allegra Duncan; 11. Natalia Sanders; 12. Olivia Weekes; 13. Vanessa Dodman).
Senior girls individual Zone 3 (6K): 1. Kristina Etezadi, Myer (22:47.3); 2. Madison Douma, Myer; 3. Sasha Tarasuk, Crossley; 4. Sarah Smith, Port Colborne; 5. Bianco Romano. Centennial.
Senior girls individual Zone 4 (6K): 1. Chloe Dilalla, Eden (24:30.6); 2. Thea Quinn, Churchill; 3. Zoe Quinn, Churchill; 4. Madison Eaton, Laura Secord; 5. Jolanta Clark, Churchill.
Senior girls team Zone 3: No teams.
Senior girls team Zone 4: 1. Churchill (2. Thea Quinn; 3; Zoe Quinn; 5. Clark; 9. Abby Brendzy; 10. Kennedy Krause); 2. Eden (1. DiLalla; 11. Megan DenBak; 13, Lila Lane; 16. Annika Rigby; 20. Claire Moran); 3. West Niagara (7. Sydney Jeffery; 8. Olivia Bruinsma; 14. Laine Polmanter-Ge; 17. Astrid Stahl).
