AMHERST – Amherst’s Tyler Landry is surprising himself with each cross country running event he enters.
The Grade 11 Amherst Regional High School cross country runner won bronze at the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation Provincial Championships in late October, and then went on to compete for Team Atlantic at the 2012 Canadian Cross Country Championships in Vancouver, where his team won gold in the Junior Men, Eight-kilometre Division.
“It was nice because I didn’t even think I was going to podium at provincials this year,” said Landry. “It was really nice to get that confidence at provincials and have good enough times to go out to Vancouver with.”
Team Atlantic had two runners from Nova Scotia, three from New Brunswick and one from Newfoundland.
“We had three of the top 10 runners, and won team gold,” said Landry. “I came in 115 out of 193 in our race.”
It rained the whole time Landry was in Vancouver and he felt under the weather.
“I was still pretty jet lagged from the flight, and I was cold and I had body aches, so nothing was really going my way.”
The Canadian championships were held at Jericho Beach in Vancouver.
“The farthest West I’ve ever been was Toronto,” said the 17-year-old. “Vancouver was really nice. There were a lot of cool sites.”
Landry also runs the 1,500 metres, and will soon start the indoor track and field season.
“I haven’t raced yet (this season) but I’m probably in better shape than I’ve ever been before going into the track season, just because I had such an extended, punishing cross-country season,” said Landry. “I’m confident going into the indoor track season, and hopefully that carries over to outdoor track.”
dmathieson@amherstdaily.com
