Red Deer Polytechnic Cross Country Running team on track for impressive 2024/2025 season
When Jenna and Michael Schnare were announced as head coaches of the Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Cross Country Running team in June, they wanted to strengthen the group beyond training and fitness.
“Once again, this year’s team has a family-like atmosphere to it,” says Jenna. “We have a mix of seasoned and new student-athletes and we prioritize cultivating a bonded community within our team.”
The RDP Queens have seven student-athletes returning from 2023/2024 – Emily Barritt, Myah Cota, Justine Larson (captain), Zoey Longman, Kammy Park, Georgia Sawchuk and Loami Rautenbach, the 2024 Red Deer Bottling RDP Female Athlete of the Year. Melissa Ray has returned to RDP after previously competing for the Queens.
Last season, Larson was one of the Polytechnic’s leaders, placing sixth at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Cross Country Running Championships and helping the RDP Queens earn silver. Larson, a Bachelor of Education Elementary student, also received All-Conference honours. Hadley Guenther, the 2024 Hunting Hills Senior Female Athlete of the Year, is a new addition to the Queens this season.