Cait Whittard Wins Cross Country Event
Cait Whittard made the most of her first appearance at a high school cross country running event.
The Grade 12 student at Denis Morris was first across the finish line in the senior girls race at the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association cross country meet Wednesday at Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls. Cait Whittard
“I am really busy with my rowing schedule so I wasn’t able to play basketball and I can kind of mix the two with my training for rowing,” Whittard said. “I do runs as my cross training and I just wanted to stay involved with the school.”
The 17-year-old had no expectations for the race Wednesday.
“I just wanted to go out and run. I don’t know pacing so I just kept up with the lead group and then I felt I had more so I went off on my own for the last lap.”
It was a winning but painful strategy.
“I don’t really do hard running workouts, more rowing workouts and I hadn’t done a 6k race before. At the end, it really hurt.”
She has no goal for the running season.
“I am just going to run for fun. I have a friend (Macy Hellwig) on the team and we like to do it together. We can’t see each other because she trains for soccer so this is a chance for us to hang out,” Whittard said.
She trains in the morning at the Ontario Rowing Academy in Welland, goes to Denis Morris for schooling and then goes back to the academy in the afternoon.
Whittard has narrowed down her NCAA Division 1 university rowing destination and she is waiting until she signs to let people know her final choice.
“It really helps,” she said. “Now I can relax and apply to the school in early November.”
Senior girls individual: 1. Cait Whittard, Denis Morris (26:47.9); 2. Adeline Steiger, Saint Francis; 3. Laura Pogoda, BT; 4.Avery Watson, Saint Michael; 5. Henlee Mahoney, Saint Michael.
Senior girls team: 1. Blessed Trinity: (3. Pogoda; 6. Stella Pesut; 8. Sarah Haynes; 9. Jackie Scott; 14. Rachel Bowman).