This weekend hundreds of young athletes will compete in the St. Albert Challenge, the annual track and field meet hosted by the St. Albert Mustangs. The event that runs May 25 to 27 is drawing athletes from near and far, including cities in northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
Just under 400 kids are competing this weekend, including roughly 40 to 50 Mustang athletes. Track teams will test their agility and accuracy in the various racing, jumping and throwing events. For many of the athletes, the Challenge is a great start to the season because it provides the opportunity to try different events.
Amy Millar, event coordinator and Mustangs head coach, said the atmosphere at the Challenge is special because it gives the club the chance to pull together and put on a great event.
"We do our best to make sure everyone has a special experience. We have such a good support system from our parent volunteers. We put in the work beforehand so it's not a scramble," Millar said.
The three-day competition requires 50 volunteers a day to help manage athletes, present awards, maintain the field and more.
Millar said the club has come a long way since she started as a Mustang athlete more than 20 years ago.
"For me it was a fairly easy transition. Track is always something that I've loved. It's the first club I've coached for; they stuck with me through thick and thin and I'm the same way," Millar said.
Currently there are about 72 athletes registered with the club. Millar said the junior development program, for kids age 13 and under, is going especially strong with more kids returning for another season. Bunmi Lagoke, 12, has been with the Mustangs for five years. She said she enjoys the club because it gets her out of the house and doing something active. Lagoke said being a Mustang is all about teamwork.
"We all wait for each other and cheer each other on. We do basically everything together," she said.
The peak performance team, for kids age 14 and up, has also been very successful. Some Mustang athletes were chosen to represent Alberta at the Tri-Western Provincial Championships last year.
"It's nice to see our athletes develop, to see the work they put in at practice and see the dedication and commitment translate into the opportunity to make these teams," Millar said.
The St. Albert Challenge will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at Fowler Athletic Park, 63 Sir Winston Churchill Ave. The event will go ahead rain or shine and is free for people to attend.
