Hayley Francois was determined to go the distance at the provincial high school cross-country championships after finishing second overall last year.
“I really wanted to win it. I felt confident in myself that I had the chance to do it, so I tackled it and came out with a good result,” said the Grade 11 St. Albert Skyhawk.
Francois, 16, was the only athlete from the Edmonton zone to win gold at provincials Saturday in Elkwater. Her winning time in the intermediate 4,000 metres was 17 minutes, 20 seconds. The runner-up was Kinley Gibson of the Jasper Place Rebels at 17:30. A total of 119 runners completed the race.
“The pace was pretty easy for the first two K. I stayed with the leader girl and just kind of relaxed,” Francois said. “At two K I decided to pick it up because I felt good and I just held my pace until the end.”
The hilly course brought out the best in the 2010 Athletics Alberta cross-country midget female of the year.
“Hills are kind of my strength. That’s why I felt pretty strong,” Francois said. “On that course you run up a hill and then down a hill and that was a two K loop. Pretty much the whole way up it was a real steep incline and then you just run down it. I kind of tried to conserve my energy going up the hill, but not slow down.”
Last year Francois represented the Paul Kane Blues at provincials in Vermilion and was the second-fastest female in the junior 3,000m at 13:14. The winner was Claire Sumner of the Western Canada Redmen of Calgary at 12:52.
“I didn’t really get a good start so I spent most of my race trying to pick my way up to the front,” Francois said. “This year I had a better start and that helped me out a lot.”
At the Edmonton zone provincial qualifier Oct. 5 at Goldbar Park, Francois was the top intermediate female at 17:53 and Gibson was third at 18:45.
The member of the Edmonton Harriers Track and Field Club runs cross country to stay in shape for the indoor meets.
“I don’t really enjoy cross country. I find it a little long compared to my normal events. I do the 800 and 1,500 but cross country is really important for base training to get that kind of fitness you want before you go into the indoor season,” said the 2011 gold medallist for the Blues in the junior 800 and 1,500 metres at the provincial high school track and field championships.
FAST TIMES: In the junior female 3,000 metres, Adeline Maunder of the Blues placed fifth at 13:08. Monica McDowell of the Skyhawks finished 19th at 13:52 and Sydney Koroluk of the Blues was 47th at 14:45.
Ben Sperling of the Blues was clocked at 20:40 for 21st place in the intermediate male 5,000 metres.
Representing the Bellerose Bulldogs at provincials was Katelyn Moorhouse and Hayden Sinclair. Moorhouse placed 72nd in the senior female 4,000 at 22:01. Sinclair finished 67th in the senior male 6,000 at 27:04.
