When Central Cyclones distance running standout Akuol Riak finished second at the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Associaton provincial cross-country championships this past fall, she mentioned in an interview that one of her long-term goals was to run for a post-secondary institution.
Such a move would make perfect sense for the Moose Jaw Rotary Track Club competitor, given her solid showings not only this fall but in high school and club meets prior to the pandemic.
So when word came out that Riak had signed with a university for the 2022-23 season, it was no surprise.
What was a surprise is where she signed -- the University of British Columbia, whose powerhouse track and field team stood over the U.S. NAIA college ranks like an iron colossus pre-pandemic and are expected to do the same once things are back to normal.
And the good news didn’t stop there for the MJRTC, as it was also recently announced that Peacock senior Brooklyn Roney has signed on to run for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, picking up on a stellar running career that included a fifth-place showing at cross country provincials on top of a host of top finishes at local and regional meets in 2019.
“They put a lot of work in, so it’s great to see something like this happen for them,” said MJRTC coach Scott Mitchell. “They were both talented kids from a young age and when you combined that talent and hard work, it's almost a no-brainer that they were going to run at the next level.”
Prior to the pandemic, Riak was a double medalist at the 2019 SHSAA track and field provincials in Moose Jaw, winning silver in the midget girls 800 metres and bronze in the 400 metres.
It was a break-out performance, and just a sign of things to come in Mitchell’s eyes.
“I think Akuol can be a champion,” he said matter-of-factly. “I think she is just scratching the surface of what she's capable of, and don't get me wrong, she’s worked incredibly hard. But you can see there’s a lot more there and it’s going to be great to see how she does at the next level. And I think she's gonna have a big spring… the sky's the limit for her, honestly.”
Roney carried a long-distance focus in the 2019 track and field season and dominated the 1,500 metres and 3,000 metres on her way to wins in the city championship and regional levels. She would go on to finish eighth at provincials.
“Brooklyn is going to do really well, too, she has a lot of potential,” Mitchell said. “There’s a super-strong women's team at the U of S right now, there's a ton of great middle-distance runners, the coach is fantastic. I think it’s a great fit for her and she’ll have a chance to really grow as a runner.”
The key now for Roney and Riak is the same as it is for every other competitive runner in the time of COVID-19 -- simply keep training and wait for meets to resume. As one might expect, track and field has been hit hard with cancellations like everything else, making it difficult for everyone involved.
“It's frustrating,” Mitchell said. “At least with these two girls that it doesn't affect them greatly, they're gonna just keep staying with it. But just general motivation, it’s hard to come by when you don’t have competition. The spring will be great when we can get back to hopefully some more regular meets and see how much everyone has improved.”
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