Ingersoll's Katie Rice Wins OCAA Gold

Friday, 4 November 2022 06:29

By Brad Kraemer

Ingersoll’s Katie Rice won gold at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association championships last weekend.

INGERSOLL - After winning her first collegiate cross-country race for Fanshawe, she’s taken gold at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association championships.

Ingersoll’s Katie Rice still can’t believe what she has accomplished.

"It feels kind of overwhelming to be honest. I honestly didn’t think it would ever happen. I never thought I’d be running at all or on a college team."

On Saturday, October 29 in Thunder Bay, Rice crossed the line in first place, leading Fanshawe to the team gold medal as well. Rice has been first or second all year with the same girl, and she said Saturday’s course played to her strengths.

"It was very challenging mentally. It was all hills, so there was not any time to relax and focus on running. You couldn’t start too fast because you had to go up four big hills but then when people are in front of you and they start too fast, you have to realize we haven’t even hit any hills yet. So you have to try not to freak out that people are in front of you."

Rice is also confident in her abilities on hills through her team’s extensive practice on them. She was able to manage her six kilometres better than the rest, finishing in just under 25 minutes. She was also 38 seconds ahead of second place.

The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championships will be the last race of the year, with the country’s best collegiate cross-country athletes battling on another six-kilometre course. Rice says the team is resting up and after last year’s fifth place finish, they’re setting their sights higher this year.

"The team goal is to hopefully get first at nationals. Last year we were fifth, so we want to break that. My goal personally is probably top 20. I don’t really know for sure how it will go though."

Rice says the competition looks very fast, but it’s hard to gauge because every course is different, which can skew the results.

Either way, Rice will look to continue to make Fanshawe College and the Town of Ingersoll proud when she takes on the nation’s best alongside her teammates in Medicine Hat, Alberta on November 12.