Thomson scampers to her fifth consecutive cross-country title
Kawartha Pine Ridge board-wide championships proving to be a great experience for young athletes
Poppy Thomson has been a champion for 50 per cent of the Kawartha Pine Ridge Elementary Athletic Association’s existence.
KPREAA is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year since uniting the public school board’s four athletic regions under one umbrella. Prior to that athletic champions were crowned only within each region. Now most sports hold a board-wide championship.
Thomson, a Lakefield District Public School student, won the Grade 8 girls board-wide cross country running gold medal on Thursday at Nicholls Oval.
She adds it to her Grade 7, 6, 5 and 4 board-wide championships. About 800 runners competed.
“I’m still nervous for every race,” said Thomson. “I’m very proud because this will help me going into Grade 9 knowing that I’m pretty fast. I feel accomplished and happy that I’ve been able to do that because not a lot of people my age win every year.”
Thomson joined the Kawartha Lakes Lightning Running Club to help improve even further. She plans to attend Adam Scott Collegiate next year and join cross country and track teams.
“I felt like I needed to build on my skills and learn a little bit more about running and how to get quicker and to run with people who are faster than me so I can get quicker,” said Thomson.
Molly Strain, a Grade 11 student, was volunteering at the meet as part of her Adam Scott leadership program. Strain won an OFSAA gold medal in steeplechase last spring and got her start in running at KPREAA.
“This event is what made me want to be a runner,” Strain said. “I joined cross country one year and it was because of this event I realized this was something I was passionate about and wanted to pursue in the future.
“KPREAA did so many great things for me. Everybody here helped me become the runner I am.”
Buckhorn Public Scholl principal Christina Marris, the elementary principal rep on the KPREAA board, was there when it was created. She said then-director of education Rusty Hick spearheaded the effort to unite the regions. KPREAA has steadily grown ever since.
“KPREAA started with cross country and track and field and now we do rugby, ultimate, basketball and volleyball.”
It helps united a large board which stretches from Brighton to Courtice and Aspley to Port Hope.
“Our motto is success through sport and we want to give children the opportunity to meet from north, east, south and west cardinal areas and compete together. It’s all in good fun and a good time,” Marris said.
Thomson wasn’t the only athlete from the north cardinal area to win a medal. Macy McGill of Edmison Heights won the Grade 4 girls race. Adam Scott Intermediate’s Griff Copeland won the Grade 7 boys race and his classmate Haven Warwick placed second helping the Adam Scott team win the Grade 7 boys team title. Adam Scott’s Emily Hogg earned a silver medal in the Grade 7 girls race.
The top two teams of five in each gender and grade along with the next 10 best runners in each cardinal area qualified for the board-wide meet.