Despite all the success that a large handful of students from around the area, including winning more gold medals than Team Canada's gold total at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, local track and field runners are still looking for more.Okay, maybe not quite as many as the Olympians. Or is it? I should probably go over those numbers again. But they did well, again in any case. Really well.They all seem to have a lot to say about it which is good. But the cool thing about it is, none of them are basking in the glory of it just yet.They're obviously very proud of themselves but each one of them has their sights set on something much bigger.Like Jonathan Toews, the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. After beating San Jose in the Western Conference finals, customary it is for the captain to at least hold and pick up the conference championship trophy.It's not quite the Stanley Cup of course, but it is a trophy. And you have to work for it. Much like the local students who placed high at the East Central Districts track and field meet held here in Yorkton last Wednesday and Thursday. Some won a gold medal, some won four gold medals.They accomplished a lot.But if I was hoping to get a picture of one of them with the medal around their necks the following day at school, I was sadly out of luck.What's astonishing is that some of them brought home as many as four medals from districts, however none of them are getting cocky at all about what the future might hold once they arrive in Moose Jaw.Sometimes in high school, the football team and sometimes the cheerleaders will wear their team uniform on game days.It lets people know what's going on, who they are, that kind of thing. It looks good and feels good too.Nobody was wearing their gold medal around their necks.Like Toews following the Hawks' biggest win to date, he apparently didn't want anything to do with the conference trophy. His mind is clearly fixed on winning the biggest prize-Lord Stanley's Grail.Watch out Philadelphia Flyers!Much like the students of the two Yorkton high schools, they have their sights set on something they've all told me means so much more (that's six of them in total), their sights are clearly set on something higher.For some of these kids, it's nothing new. For others it's a brand new experience. With the SHSAA's (Saskatchewan High Schools Athletics Association) provincial meet of track and field, there is quite a bit on the line.Ironically, none of them appear to be egotistical about it either. Most will tell you that they are nervous about it.Preston Liebrecht, Avery Westberg, Cale Brown have all proven themselves here on home turf, broken records too. But once you start talking about provincials, they slowly start running out of things to say.It's understandable because of what's at stake for them, especially the Gr. 12s who will be looking to either get a glimpse of what provincials is like in terms of the competition, or possibly add to the accomplishment they've made from districts, both last week's, and last year's.The districts track meet represents the "one shot" that each and everyone competing in it has of 'winning' a spot on the provincial team. Both Yorkton high schools are once again sending a good number of runners, jumpers and throwers to the biggest meet of them all, next weekend over in Moose Jaw.Some of them have been through it once before, others likely won't have that same experience.But it's also their one last chance of the school year to bring in a major accomplishment.Both Yorkton Regional High School and the Sacred Heart High School have been really getting into the act in terms of qualifying for the provincials. It's not just one or two runners or jumpers, but upwards of 20 who proved they could compete at the second highest level.If there's anything you'd like to see covered by Game 7, please forward your suggestions to the Yorkton This Week sportsdesk by phone, fax or email. All ideas are welcome and can be submitted by calling (306) 782-2465 X-114, or by fax to: (306) 786-1898.
