The Cochrane High School Cobras girls track team fielded some impressive results at the Nike Grand Prix meet May 11 in Toronto.
Cobras track coach Esther Sieben couldn’t be happier.
“We did really well,” an elated Sieben said. “We just, yeah. We were a contender.
“It was just shocking, right? Because I’ve got Grade 10 and 11 girls. I was thinking developmentally, like this is going to be a great experience and was thinking more long term.
And they just did it. Just phenomenal performances.”
How phenomenal?
Rachel Berscht was the top high-jumper against athletes from across Canada, clearing 1.52 metres to take gold. Jennifer Denison finished fifth and Natasha Prosser seventh.
Emily Rendel finished third in the 100-metre sprint with teammate Callie Klettl taking seventh.
The Cobras absolutely killed it in the 110m hurdles, with Klettl taking third, Shannon Denison fourth, Callie Morris sixth and Brette Matheson seventh. For those of you keeping score, that’s four Cochrane athletes in the Top 8 against the rest of the country.
“What an experience,” Sieben related. “Just phenomenal. My girls – wow!”
Rendel was fifth in the 200m and Shannon Denison ninth. Shannon Denison was fourth in the 400m with Jennifer Denison placing ninth.
Jocelyn Prince finished fourth in the shot put with Matheson taking seventh.
Cara Cook was sixth in the long jump with Berscht finishing ninth.
The weekend included events featuring former Canadian Olympians on an athlete panel answering questions from the kids about nutrition, training, coaching and clubs.
“It’s just one of those things that’s good for the sport of track and field.”
Sieben’s group, along with every other track team that went received all kinds of Nike gear to bring home.
“The day before the meet, they had something called the locker-room experience. Each team went up to the University of Toronto sports locker room. Their names and competitor numbers were in a locker. They open it up, their singlets were in there. Their runners. Their spikes. We were given the royal treatment by Nike.”
Sieben was also quick to thank the support her team got from Cochrane, including Grand Ave. Pharmacy, Starbucks Cochrane, Dr. Claude Boutin (Orthodontist), Country Hills Golf Course, Cindy Greschner, the Prince Family and Bow Ridge Sports.
