The cross country coach for Holy Cross Collegiate Micelle Conner says her background in Physics and Math don't contribute to her team's success,  but in the same breath concedes that many cross country coaches are math teachers.  Whether or not a specific formula is used in the sport you can't deny the record of wins and times this team is posting.  The most recent meet saw two local athletes take 1st place and 2nd place at the Strathcona Tweedsmuir race in Okotoks. The ground was snowy and caused difficulty on the hills for the Strathmore runners because there are not many hills in town to practice on.    

That wouldn't stop the talented young runner Sophie Beekman.  Conner has watched her grow as an athlete and enjoys watching her talent blow the competition away, "Sophie Beekman has been running with us since she started with HCC in grade seven.  She runs outside of school as well, I know she runs with her family quite a bit.  She has come so far, I have been tracking her paces for the past five or six years and her pace is just improving and improving.  She is one of those kinds.  We did a race together in September, the coaches and the kids did it, and I remember she passed me and I thought to myself if I  sprinted I would not be able to catch up to her now.  She is incredible."

Second place went to one of the new junior high school students that is a natural runner as well, Nathan Maloney.  The coaching staff will be watching his progress because they feel he has a good chance to compete in provincials. The rest of the team did well but there was a unique story about two runners who missed the start gun but still posted a great run, Conner explained what happened, "Gun went off and they weren't ready, and they weren't at the finish line and they did not give them any time to get there.  They started almost a minute behind all the other kids and they ended up coming in seventh and eleventh place.  It was incredible, they just kept passing kids constantly.  The one is Chayton Codd, his pace was just under four minutes per kilometer and the other one is  Ethan Maclean.  Same thing he ran like crazy."

The team trains by running eight kilometers every day, and if they miss one they usually make it up the next day with the help of the assistant coaches Carla Bisharat, and Tony Hamilton-Irving.  Their next big test will be Zones on October 15, or 16 weather permitting.