ADHS — a provincial powerhouse
by Pippa Norman
Are you seeking a spark of inspiration to ward off your winter blues? Look no further than the students of Almonte District High School to encourage a little pep back into your step.
The accomplishments of these youth in the past few months have been nothing less than remarkable. Competing at a provincial level has become commonplace for ADHS teams across the board, from cardboard boat racing to Nordic skiing and everything in between.
Let’s kick things off at the Provincial Cardboard Boat Race Championships by Skills Ontario.
This event requires teams who have the ability to design, construct, race, and load a sea-worthy vessel composed of limited cardboard and duct tape resources. Led by design tech teacher Andy Carruthers, ADHS secured a spot amongst the best in the province. In comparison to their qualifying competition, they held 150 lbs more in the weight division and shaved a significant 5 seconds off their time. This junior team finished a respectable 12th of 28, and are already scheming about next year’s strategy.
But not only is ADHS technically talented in the medium that is cardboard, but they are also trained in the trade of house building. A team of four construction students recently competed in Cornwall, against schools from all across the board. Their first-rate framing and sharp sheeting impressed the Skills Ontario judges enough to earn them a first place finish and a trip to Toronto, where they will represent Almonte at the provincial championships in May.
Jumping over to the athletics department of ADHS, you’ll find more than a couple of up-and-coming athletes showing us what they’re made of.
The Nordic Skiing team, coached by teacher Sarah Graham, and senior student Caitlyn Stowe, glided their way into the OFSAA Provincial Championships this past month. ADHS was represented plentifully, as they sent a 6 member team down to Duntroon, Ontario. Over a series of individual races and team relays, notable performances included:
- Caitlyn Stowe finishing 9th place overall
- Aidan Dumont finishing 13th in the high school division
- Senior Girls team placing 10th overall, giving them the title of the top team in Eastern Ontario.
Finally, what does it really take to become the best in the province?
Just ask the Senior Boys Basketball team, coached by Dan and Kevin Hickey, who recently returned from the championships held in London, Ontario. These Thunderbolts had been in training for months, honing their skills and tackling team dynamics, in an attempt to accomplish something that ADHS hasn’t seen since 1987, when some of their fathers were the ones sporting orange and black beneath gold medals.
In a finals game that had fans teetering on the edge of their seats, they outscored the other team 18 to 3 in the last 3 minutes, after being down by 12 points only moments before. This feat is one that many of these boys had been aspiring towards since they began their career as a Thunderbolt four years ago.
This is just the latest from Almonte District High School; a small school of big dreams. So keep your ear to the ground, because you never know what great successes are still to come, as the Drama Club breaks open their scripts and the track team begins sharpening their spikes…
