麻豆社区

Track and field athletes from three Whitehorse high schools will represent the Yukon at the 2013 Nike High School Grand Prix in Toronto next month.

Students from Porter Creek Secondary, F.H. Collins Secondary, and Vanier Catholic Secondary have been training hard to prepare for the event, which runs May 9 to 12 at Varsity Stadium.

A local girls and boys team 鈥� both known as Yukon Rush 鈥� will compete with teams from across the country in track and field.

Athletes are in for a unique experience including Nike athlete panels, social and cultural experiences and the 10-event track and field competition which will take place May 11.

Don White is the boys coach, and has been supervising the running program, while Christine Kirk is coaching the girls and overseeing the strength training.

Athletes have been training three times a week with White 鈥� whether that be snowshoeing or trail running.

"Most of the athletes have never done anything like this before so it will be a bit of an eye-opener for them,鈥� White said. "It's not quite the Olympics but they will be made to feel like that's what they are competing in.鈥�

Some Yukon athletes will use the meet as a launching point to the Canada Games team competing in Sherbrooke, Que. in August, but most will never compete in another athletics event outside of the annual high school event held locally, he added.

Kirk has had the Canada Games crew completing strength work since the fall.

Team members include: (F.H. Collins) Martin Sealy, Karter Kazakoff, Dominic Korn, Sam Bonar, Keifer Steriah, Kyle Wallace, Chris Little, Cambria Fuerstner, Solstice Sarin-Toews, Jaylene Kelly, Ingrid Janzen, Eliza Paul, Sara Burke-Forsyth, Camille Galloway, Rachel Kinvig; (Porter Creek) Aiden Bradley, Scott Petterson, Brody Smith; (Vanier) Katherine Londero, Michah Furgusun-Mckeage.

The local team will be fundraising in the coming weeks, including bagging groceries at local stores.