RDC Cross-Country Running 2017-2018 Preview
2016-17 Review
Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Championships in Grande Prairie, Alberta
RDC Queens – gold medal
RDC Kings – 4th place
Jordanna Cota – 2nd (20:25) to earn silver, Jill Stewart – 4th (20:56), Amy Severtson – 7th (21:19)
Nolan Dyck – 13th (30:53), Cory DeRaadt – 18th (31:37), Devon Gurney – 19th (31:52)
Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Cross-Country Running National Championships in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
RDC Queens – silver medal Jordanna Cota - 6th (19:21), Jill Stewart – 14th (19:41)
2016-2017 Awards
ACAC Women's All-Conference Team – Jordanna Cota, Amy Severtson and Jill Stewart
ACAC Cross-Country Running Coach of the Year – Kari Elliott
CCAA Women's Cross-Country Running All-Canadian Team – Jordanna Cota
RDC Athletics Awards Night
Coach's Award – Jeff Willoughby
Most Improved – Breanna Berridge
Rookie of the Year – Jill Stewart
Most Valuable – Jordanna Cota
2017-2018 Preview
Head coach, Kari Elliott, enters her second year as the RDC Cross-Country Running Head Coach.
"The student-athletes have been training for several months already, and many have reached the kilometre targets that I set for them each month. The key to our success during the season is having a strong base building off last season, and we have done just that," says Elliott. "Now we can switch gears and move from base building to speed training. The balance lies in pushing the team to achieve beyond what they think they can and reining them in to prevent injuries."
Assistant coaches - Courtney Long, Stephanie Flieler, Jodi Nesbitt
Returning Queens
Breanna Berridge (Bachelor of Science – General/Penhold), Jordanna Cota (Bachelor of Science in Nursing/Red Deer), Janaya Garbe (Bachelor of Science – Pre-Professional Medicine/Red Deer), Shaelyn Moltzahn (Bachelor of Science in Nursing/Red Deer), Teagan Shapka (Bachelor of Science – General/Alix), Jill Stewart (Bachelor of Science – Biological Sciences/Red Deer)
New Queens
Sadie Borgfjord (OP Therapist Assistant/Camrose)
"Our women's team is largely the same as last year. Sadie was a powerhouse on the track, and we are excited to see how she develops over the longer distances. This season will be Jordanna's last - she brings a wealth of experience and talent to our women's team," says Elliott. "She has always been a leader, and we are looking forward to having her lead not only in performance but also in encouragement. At our ID camp, a few of the women came out looking sharp and ready to race. Janaya Garbe is looking strong and, now that she has finished playing ringette, we can look forward to having her undivided attention."
Returning Kings
Cory DeRaadt (Bachelor of Science – Math, Economics, Statistics/Rocky Mountain House), Devon Gurney (Kinesiology & Sport Studies/Prince George), Justin Moltzahn (Bachelor of Education – Middle School/Red Deer)
New Kings
Stephen Rowley (Kinesiology & Sport Studies – General/Caroline), Adam Wass (Bachelor of Science/Lacombe), Lucas Wessner (Bachelor of Science in Engineering/Lacombe)
"I am excited about our men's team. The group of student-athletes we have this year are super committed and have already put in many training kilometres this summer," says Elliott. "They are keen to be on the podium as a team this year and are training with that goal in mind. I think we can expect a great season from these motivated young men."
Not Returning
Samantha Debree, Nolan Dyck, Lauren Mearns, Amy Severtson, Laura Szymanek, Jeffrey Willoughby
While Nolan Dyck, one of the top male runners last season, and Jeffrey Willoughby are not back this season, DeRaadt, Gurney and Moltzahn are expected to push for personal bests and provide leadership as they compensate for the departures.
The first meet, the Running Room Grand Prix #1 will take place on Saturday, September 9. Concordia University of Edmonton will host the event. "This year is especially exciting for us as we prepare to host not only a regular season grand prix but also the ACAC championships," says Elliott. "Clearly, our goal as a team is to be on the podium at the championships on our home course." Red Deer College will host the Running Room Grand Prix #4 on September 30, and the 2017-2018 ACAC Cross-Country Running Championships on October 28, 2017.