It was an experience 12 Glendon School track and field athletes and two coaches will likely never forget.
The Glendon team took part in the inaugural Nike High School Grand Prix Track and Field Invitational in Toronto, getting the opportunity to visit the city, while competing on the national stage against some of the top high school athletes in the country.
The May 12 event marks the first Canadian national track and field competition and organizers hope to see the event eventually grow into annual competition at the national level attracting the best athletes the country has to offer.
In order to encourage that, Nike and the events supporters went all out, providing athletes and coaches with an amazing weekend of sport and camaraderie.
“It was unreal,” said Daryn Galatiuk, Glendon School athletic director and co-coach of team Alberta at the Nike Grand Prix. “From the moment we arrived, we were treated like professional athletes.”
He added, “None of us had ever experienced anything like it. Some of us hadn't flown before. Some hadn't travelled outside of Alberta. This was all new and exciting and was an amazing experience.
“The University of Toronto Stadium, where it was all held, is right downtown. It's surrounded by old buildings and skyscrapers. The venue itself was just stunning.”
Athletes were even more impressed as they entered the locker rooms.
Each locker had an individual athlete's name on it and the locker contained a tracksuit, shorts, jersey, running shoes and track spikes, all pre-sized and provided by Nike.
And if the items did not fit snugly, Nike reps were on hand to provide proper fitting gear before the start of the competition.
Galatiuk said even coaches were left amazed with the way the event was organized.
“Our team had national level coaches helping out our athletes prior to the competition,” said Galatiuk. “As a high school coach, I just stood there in awe as our athletes absorbed everything the national level coaches had to say.”
Galatiuk said the Glendon team approached the event as an opportunity to go up against some of the top athletes and achieve a personal best on a national level rather than an elite competition.
Galatiuk said his athletes received some words of encouragement from the director of the Alberta Schools Athletic Association before heading to Toronto.
He said, “It's not about your placement relative to the other athletes. It's about your own personal achievements. It's about going for your own personal best.”
Galatiuk said the competition was a little nerve-racking but Glendon's athletes stacked up very well against some of the best in the country.
“There were some phenomenal athletes and performances but I think that pushed our athletes to another level,” said Galatiuk. “When it was all said and done, we had so many personal bests, as well as some of the top placements for individuals and as a team.
“We're so proud of how our students performed at this national event.”
Top finishers and medal winners from Glendon are as follows:
Paige Skyrpichayko: silver in shot put
Colten Zentner: silver in high jump and in the relay
Kyle Kwiatkowski: gold in the relay
Fred Attfield: 4th in high jump and long jump
Austin Paton: 5th in shot put
Alanna Gagne: 12th in 800M and 1500M
Shayla Danyliuk: 16th in hurdles
Megan Pelham: 10th in the 400 M
Darcy Kwiatkowski: 16th in long jump
Jessie Witwicky: 10th in shotput
Paige Lundgren: 20th in 200 M
Robert Burshtinski: 14th in the 200 M
In terms of team standings, Team Alberta dominated the competition. On both the girls and boys sides, Team Alberta finished second place. Overall, Team Alberta was the top ranked province at the Grand Prix and with 12 of team Alberta's 26 athletes coming from Glendon, Galatiuk said that should be a source of community pride.
“When they tallied up all the scores and we came out on top, it was just another amazing accomplishment for these athletes to take out of an overall incredible experience.”
Galatiuk also commended Glendon and its surrounding communities for the support they showed the athletes.
“We were able to raise enough money to cover all the costs,” said Galatiuk. “The donations supported such a great opportunity for these students and something they will take with them for years.”
Upon returning from Toronto, Glendon School's athletic director and multi-sport coach Daryn Galatiuk was treated with more good news. Galatiuk was named the 2011-2012 Alberta Schools Athletics Association Most Sportsmanlike Coach.
“There are certainly other coaches in the league that are very worthy of this award – some that I look to as a coach myself,” said Galatiuk.
“It's an honour to have been nominated by my peers and recognized in this way.”
