UPEI cross country lands trio of Island’s top runners

By Thomas Becker

When Mike Peterson agreed to return as UPEI's cross country head coach in the summer of 2019, his first order of business was to retain Prince Edward Island's best talent. 

"Ideally, I'd love to build a solid base by giving homegrown runners the opportunity to stay on the Island and have a quality varsity experience," he said in a 2019 interview. 

In his first full year on the job, Peterson stuck by his word and recruited a trio of strong runners from Colonel Gray ahead of the 2021 season: twin sisters Katie and Grace Richard and Maya Abou ElNaja. 

"As a small school, it's crucial for us to keep every good runner here that we can."

Putting together a competitive program takes time and the strategy of securing the best talent the Island has to offer can't be faulted. By building from within, Peterson hopes to eventually pry other quality prospects away from rival schools that also covet them. 

"The AUS has been dominated for a long time by St. FX, Dalhousie and recently UNB, so it's going to take some time to get on the radar, but these three girls will help us get there." 

In recent years, UPEI's cross country program has taken positive strides in a very competitive field and this offseason was no exception. 2017 was a year that saw the men's team emerge as AUS bronze medalists, while 2018 sparked headlines as UPEI hosted hundreds of athletes in its first-ever meet. The addition of the Richard sisters and Abou ElNaja is considered another win in the Panthers' path toward prominence.

Katie and Grace were consistently at or near the top in each race for Colonel Gray — whether it was cross country or long-distance track — often swapping between first and second place. Their unique bond created this competitive to-and-fro where each one tried to outdo the other and in the end Colonel Gray reaped the benefits, as the twins guided the team to four provincial championships, including one in track and field. 

"Having a twin sister who also runs allows me to have a built-in training partner. Because we are both competitive and want to beat one another, it motivates us to keep training and work hard," Grace said.

Katie echoed her sister's sentiments and said she's eager to start this new chapter with two familiar faces by her side.

"Over the years I've developed a true love of running and competing, and I'm excited to join this group of driven student-athletes and welcoming people."  

Although a bit of a late bloomer, Abou ElNaja was also a key contributor to Colonel Gray's dominance in both cross country and track and field. In her first year with The Gray, Abou ElNaja admittedly struggled to get through a 5K race and acknowledged she needed to get faster and stronger. In the following years, she steadily improved and her results reflected that, as she went from eighth in the 2019 PEISAA Provincial Cross Country Championships to third in 2020, seconds behind her teammates.

"I don't give up," Abou ElNaja said. "In order to get better, I knew I needed to run more and train harder. I was fully invested and committed to doing that, and so I did." 

In one fell swoop, Peterson added talent, leadership and resilience in three runners who could change the landscape of UPEI cross country for years to come, and he's excited to see how this story unfolds.

"The addition of these three runners will be a huge step toward program legitimacy. Not only because they are all very strong athletes, but because they will help our current athletes, who have all taken huge steps forward, continue to improve." 

Let's meet the newest Panther runners.

GRACE RICHARD

Age: 18

Hometown: Charlottetown, PE

Last Three Races: 2020 PEISAA Provincial Cross Country Championships (4K): 1st place, 16:43

2019 PEISAA Provincial Cross Country Championships (4K): 1st place, 17:24

2019 Maine Festival of Champions (5K seeded): 24th place, 20:04

Coach's Quote: "Grace has a lot of pure speed for a long-distance runner. In workouts where we do shorter, quicker-than-race-pace repeats, she excels. She has a very strong kick and can use it to run down people at the end of a race. As successful as she's been, she's also just scratching the surface. I predict she will have a very strong rookie year."

Why UPEI?: "I decided to run for UPEI in large part because I've been training with the team's coach and several members of the team for many years now. I think they have a great team and I look forward to contributing to it."

Age: 18

Hometown: Charlottetown, PE

Last Three Races: 2020 PEISAA Provincial Cross Country Championships (4K): 2nd place, 16:46

2019 PEISAA Provincial Cross Country Championships (4K): 2nd place, 17:27

2019 Maine Festival of Champions (5K seeded): 21st place, 19:43

Coach's Quote: "Katie is pure toughness and grit. Over the past four years, there have been times during races where I will look at her and think 'oh my gosh, she's dying,' but she never lets up. She is very driven and likes putting in the work that it takes to be a successful long-distance runner."

Why UPEI?: "I've been training with the coach Peterson and the team for several years and it just seemed like a natural fit. UPEI has a great running program and I'm really excited to officially join of this team."

Age: 17

Hometown: Charlottetown, PE (born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Last Three Races: 2020 PEISAA Provincial Cross Country Championships (4K): 3rd place, 16:58

2019 PEISAA Provincial Cross Country Championships (4K): 8th place, 19:22

2019 Maine Festival of Champions (5K unseeded): 4th place, 22:43

Coach's Quote: "Maya came out of nowhere. When she first came to us at Colonel Gray, she was very new to running, and it showed. However, she has worked harder than any other high school athlete in the province over the past three years and has developed into a truly gifted runner. Her third-place finish at provincials this year, hot on the heels of Grace and Katie, was a special moment."

Why UPEI?: "UPEI has a tight-knit cross country team that, in my opinion, cannot be matched. The teammates are competitive with one another, but away from the running environment, their relationships are strong and unique."

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