BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
It didn?t take long for Annie Robitaille to jump for joy when she began her second year at College Boreal.
On the first day back, Robitaille found out the college would be participating in cross-country running events at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) level.
For an avid, dedicated cross-country runner like herself, the news couldn?t have been better.
?When I found out about the race team, I was thrilled,? said Robitaille. ?It was the best news I have ever got.?
From that first day, the news just kept getting better for Robitaille and the school.
Eventually, after many solid efforts, Robitaille raced across the finish line at the OCAA championship and the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) championship and became part of history at College Boreal.
Robitaille, 20, turned in an outstanding effort at the OCAA championship to earn a silver medal in the five-kilometre run.
This earned her the opportunity to race against the best runners from colleges across Canada. At the CCAA Championship, Robitaille raced her way to a fourth-place finish, competing against 59 competitors.
Both performances set new records at College Boreal.
?It was one of the all-time great performances by a Boreal athlete,? said Dan Landry, athletics director and cross-country running coach. ?It was Boreal?s first single medal since we started our sports program in 1996.
?As individual performances go, it was the best result we have ever seen.?
Robitaille?s achievements have created a solid foundation for a stronger cross-country running team in the future
and improved the state of varsity sports at the college.
Robitaille is proud of her accomplishments.
?I was happy with my results this year,? said Robitaille. ?I had no idea how I was going to do. I didn?t set my goals too high because I didn?t want to be discouraged, but it worked out pretty well.?
Robitaille is glad her performances have helped put College Boreal on the athletic map.
?I am proud to be able to help the college out in that way,? said Robitaille. ?I used to go to meets and people had
no idea where College Boreal was. They do now.?
This is the first year for the cross-country running program at Boreal.
?If I would have known I had a runner of that calibre in the hallways, I would have started the team last year,? said a laughing Landry. Certainly, anytime you can get an athlete that has tremendous success, you can build the
program up and make it stronger.?
Landry believes College Boreal will reap the benefits of what Robitaille has accomplished.
?It certainly gets the college recognized,? said Landry. ?It?s great for the program and the college as a whole. When
you?re in the top five in the country, people want to know where the school is and what it?s all about.?
Landry sees Robitaille as a total package when it comes to her athletic ability.
?Annie is committed to the sport and that?s why she?s successful,? said Landry. ?Her competitive nature, diet, training and nutrition adds up to a great package. She just got better as the year went on.?
Commitment is Robitaille?s way of getting a leg up on the competition. During the running season, she trains seven days a week.
?I don?t like to take a day off,? said Robitaille. ?I am addicted to running. If I take a day off, I feel lazy.?
Robitaille is enrolled in the massage therapy program at the college. She came to Sudbury and College Boreal from
her hometown of Elliot Lake.