ST. PAUL – St. Paul Regional High School recently showcased its athletic prowess at the 2023 ASAA Track & Field Provincials from June 2 to 3 at Foote Field in Edmonton, placing second among all 3A schools.
Two athletes also made it to the podium in their respective events.
Grade 10 student Mercedes Trefenanko secured the gold medal in the junior women’s discus throw, and fellow Grade 10 student Abdul Abdulsalam secured a silver medal in the junior men’s long jump event.
Abdulsalam said he was grateful for the opportunity to attend provincials, wanting to test his mettle against others and just strive to do his very best.
Going into the competition and facing off against 16 other provincial-level athletes in his category may have put him under pressure, but “I just knew I had to try and keep calm, and do my thing,” he said.
“I was just happy that I got to show my skills, and they paid off.”
Abdulsalam’s best jump was 5.81 meters in the long jump. He thanked coaches Hank Smid, Tanya Hebert, and Taylor Hebert, who helped guide him throughout the competition.
Gold
Meanwhile, Trefenanko was seeded first going into provincials, which put her under even more pressure.
Her first two throws were considered fouls, making for an important third throw in order to make the top eight and continue moving forward in the competition.
“But [she] came through,” said Smid, who is also the athletic director at St. Paul Regional High School.
Trefenanko then had a successful third throw of 23.99 meters, the third best among the 15 competitors. Moving on, she threw another three times, and had the top distance of all competitors with a distance of 27.34 meters – earning the gold medal.
“It’s really exciting,” she said, before thanking all her coaches. Trefenanko practiced three times a week leading up to the meet, assisted by the school’s track and field coaches.
Coaching Trefenanko was Paige Skrypichayko, Brandon Strocki, Daniel Hebert and Josh Foote.
Smid commended all the athletes who attended ASAA provincials, acknowledging that it can be tough mentally to compete at the provincial level.
“Sometimes, when you’re in provincials, you don’t perform as well because the nerves get to your head,” said Smid, adding, “They did great. They came through.”
