The Yorkton Regional High School is going to be a very busy place over the next couple of weeks. Having hosted its first of two major track and field events last week, the weather keeps getting better and students are seemingly spending almost as much time outside of the classroom than inside.
The Kinsmen Century Field behind the Regional (YRHS) will be hosting its second track meet next week when the East Central Districts take over for close to two full days.
Last week, it was the Good Spirit School Division's (GSSD) annual meet involving seven schools, each of them sending all of their Gr. 6-8 students.
Mark Schendel, a GSSD teacher out of MC Knoll School, said it was an awesome day for staff and students alike this past Friday, a meet that he said involved just under 500 students.This meet was mandatory, he said, referring to recent media reports that suggest that youth obesity numbers are on the rise.
Schendel said both of Friday's meet and the upcoming East Central Districts are indirectly related to combating the problem.
"We thought this meet was a 'must'," stated Schendel, who added that he is "proud to see the students getting active and participating."
Among the schools involved were MC Knoll, Dr. Brass, Columbia and Yorkdale, while outside competition came from Saltcoats, Springside and Calder Schools.
Students competed in 11 events including shot put, discus, high jump, long jump, triple jump as well as three sprint events (100, 200 and 400-metre) and long distance running (800, 1500 and 3000-metre).
Students who advance from the GSSD meet will qualify for the East Central Districts, which involves Gr. 6 up to G. 12.
Columbia, Dr. Brass, and MC Knoll Schools will combine to send 50 athletes to next week's meet, says Schendel, who proudly added they won't have a problem sending 50 kids to compete against the best of the rest of the city.
"We will have a full roster this year. We are sending a lot of talented athletes to the ECD this year."
The schools will be competing under the team name Yorkton Urban Middle Years.
From Friday's meet, Schendel wishes to thank YRHS teacher Darren Wandy and his high school archery team for providing the canteen at the GSSD meet, adding that nobody could have been able to put together such a successful meet had it not been for the "numerous school staff members that operated the numerous events, the families of the athletes and the athletes (themselves)."
Schendel added that seven GSSD track records had been broken.
One was by Logan Wiley of Columbia who broke two records in the bantam boys 100 and 200-metre relays, as well as Yorkdale Central's Paula Lutz who is now a double-record holder.
Final determinations for each school's representation at the ECD was expected to be made clear early this week.
