It was a podium finish for Carlton cross country runner Jacob Klassen.
The Grade 11 runner finished second in the Senior Boys division in the provincial race Saturday at Wapiti Valley Ski Hill with a time of 17 minutes and 12 seconds.
Klassen says winning a medal was special, especially considering the quality of the competition.
“It means a lot. (To have) that much success at this level, showing I can compete with the best and showing what I can do and progressing to the top, feels good.”
Klassen finished with a bronze medal last year as a Grade 10. He says mental fortitude was a key reason for his success.
“It was definitely one of the toughest courses I’ve ever ran in my life. All those hills at Wapiti were definitely a challenge but that’s where the mental side of running comes in. You’ve got to be mentally tough and tell yourself you can keep doing it. It’s something that really helped me get that silver. I had a strong mentality.”
Overall, it was a strong showing for the Carlton Crusader cross country team at Wapiti. Kelly Klassen, a teacher at Carlton says the meet went really well for the Crusaders.
“It went really well. All the kids ran good races. It was a challenging course for them and they did well to finish well in the spots they did.”
It was an extra special weekend for Kelly Klassen, as he got to witness his son Jacob win a provincial medal. He said that he was very proud to see Jacob’s accomplishments.
“It’s awesome. He works so hard for what he wants to achieve. It’s a proud moment to see him achieve what he’s been working so hard to get to. There’s a lot of nerves and excitement, but to finally see him achieve some of the goals he’s been trying to achieve is pretty awesome.”
sports@paherald.sk.ca
