Alpha Academy track programme gains ground with Express Canteen support

Convent of Mercy Alpha Academy is continuing to strengthen its track and field programme, with head coach Kirk King pointing to steady improvement over the past five years and support from Express Canteen as key parts of the team’s progress.

King said the programme was rebuilt from a small base after the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning with 13 girls and gradually moving up the local rankings. According to him, Alpha advanced from 31st place to 25th, then 15th, before placing 12th last year. This year, the team finished seventh, just six points outside the top five.

The school recently received $500,000 from Express Canteen to help fund its trip to the Penn Relays. At the meet, Alpha competed across several events, including the 4x800 metres for the first time in the team’s history. The squad placed 10th in its heat in that event.

Alpha also entered the 4x400 metres, where the team won its heat for the first time and collected a plaque and gold medals. In the 4x100 metres, the athletes reached the international final and finished second, earning silver. Sachieka Shaw also competed individually in the open shot put, placing sixth.

King said the partnership has gone beyond travel assistance, with Express Canteen also helping to provide lunches for athletes during training. He said the period in which the girls began receiving meals after training coincided with some of the programme’s biggest gains.

He added that building a successful athletics programme requires attention to several areas, including athletes’ motivation and their mindset heading into training.

Principal Collie McMorris said Alpha’s wider mission, shaped by the Sisters of Mercy, is to help young women become change makers, vision makers and enablers. She said the school aims to equip students to imagine their futures and seek the resources and opportunities needed for their growth.