By rdnewsNOW staff

on your marks...

RDC Indoor Track team has sights set on 2020

Jan 20, 2020 | 10:00 AM

With twelve student-athletes from Red Deer College Cross Country, one talented returnee, and three new additions competing on the 2020 Indoor Track team, the Kings & Queens are well-prepared and poised for another successful campaign indoors.

Last season’s track team won 10 individual and team Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) medals.

“Following a brief two week break after cross country nationals, we went right into indoor track training,” says Cross Country and Indoor Track Head Coach Kari Elliott. “We had a strong cross country season which prepares both teams well for track.”

Shayna Brower, Caitlin Debree, Shaelyn Moltzahn, Teagan Shapka, Shayla Sklaruk and Mackenzie Spinks will look to transfer their strong ACAC Cross Country silver medal performance to the indoor circuit. Sandra Garcia-Bernal, who is also a member of Queens Basketball, returns after several exceptional performances a year ago. The Kinesiology General student earned silver in the women’s 1,000 m, bronze in the 1,500 m, gold in the 4 x 400 m relay, and team silver. Bobbie Osborne is a promising new recruit to the Red Deer College Queens.

Despite Jill Stewart moving on, the Queens are bolstered by the return of Shayla Sklaruk. The second-year Bachelor of Education Elementary student won ACAC gold medals in the women’s 300 m and 600 m.

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Five members from the ACAC gold and national bronze medal winning Kings Cross Country team will compete indoors.

Will Cebuliak, Stephen Rowley, Devin Saunders, Carson Schiller and Daniel Szucs will aim for another track medal, after the Kings earned bronze a year ago.

Two quick student-athletes with football backgrounds will join the Kings. Mustapha Yekini Oladosu and Axsivier Lawrence will race in the 300 m and 600 m. Stettler’s Shayna Brower and Red Deer’s Will Cebuliak are among the first-year runners on the team this season, although they both were on the RDC Cross Country squad. The two student-athletes complement this motivated and experienced group.

With some very capable assistance, Elliott is diversifying the student-athletes’ preparation and training according to their race distance.

“This season we have two training groups primarily. Loudia Laarman, a former NCAA sprinter and alumna of the University of Southern California, is coaching our short distance athletes (300 m and 600 m). She brings much experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to our coaching team,” explains Elliott.

“I am coaching the middle and longer distance athletes. Although there is some overlap with drills and warm-ups, the training for these two groups is quite different.” The approaching grand prix will be valuable on many levels to the coaching staff and runners. “Our first meet in Edmonton is an opportunity to gain experience and see what our competition will be like for the season,” says Elliott. “My goal is to take what we learn from this first meet and adjust training and mindsets accordingly.”

MacEwan University will host Running Room Grand Prix #1 on Saturday, January 25. “Our goal is to continue to build physical and mental toughness over the next few months as we progress towards the ACAC Championships,” says Elliott.

The championships will take place over two days on March 21 and 22. Concordia University will host the event in Edmonton.

For more information on RDC Indoor Track, please visit: rdcathletics.ca.