The Foothills Composite High School’s Grade 12 Athletes of the Year both got a charge out of competing for the Falcons.
Landon Pitcher and Paige Marzinzik, the male and female Athletes of the Year, said beating the Bert Church Chargers in the South Central Zone Senior boys’ and girls’ basketball playoffs was the highlight of the year.
“In all my years that was my first banner – we seemed to be always second,” said Marzinzik after receiving her award during the school’s graduation ceremony June 29 at the Centennial Arena in Okotoks.
Marzinzik played for the Falcons’ Senior girls’ volleyball and basketball teams in 2010-11 and she was also a member of the school’s track team.
She did not participate in sports in her Grade 11 year because of her commitment to dancing with the renowned Young Canadians in the Calgary Stampede Grandstand show.
“It wouldn’t have been fair to tell coaches that I could only play and practice half the time,” Marzinzik said. “So I had to pick and I chose dance last year.”
The rigors for Grade 12 academics were the main reason for giving up dance and returning to sports.
“This was my last year of high school and I was worried about academics – I didn’t want to be worried about spending all that time driving into Calgary for dance,” Marzinzik said. “It was nice to be sticking around town and playing sports with my friends.”
She said her dance helped her with basketball, volleyball and running hurdles.
“I think I am more flexible and I have more balance,” she said.
Marzinzik was a successful gymnast with Mountain Shadows club prior to attending Foothills Composite High School.
“I had to give it up because I got too tall,” she said with a laugh. “But that was good for my volleyball and my basketball.”
She added she was surprised to be selected as the Athlete of the Year, adding the two other nominees, Danielle Berns and Alex Williamson, both participated in several sports at a high level.
Marzinzik will attend the University of British Columbia at Kelowna in the fall where she will study human kinetics.
Pitcher could be seen in the backcourt in both of the sports he participated in with the Falcons. He was the libero (defensive specialist) for the Falcons’ volleyball team and the point guard for the Foothills’ basketball team.
“The highlight for me was beating Bert Church in basketball because they had beat us the year before,” Pitcher said.
He said Foothills Composite is a school in which if a student applies himself or herself, they can do well athletically.
“The football program did well, basketball did well, volleyball did well,” Pitcher said. “We are able to compete in all the sports it seems to me.”
However, before you can step on the hardwood or the gridiron, you have to prove you are also capable in the classroom.
“Sports helps me with time management and with getting good grades,” Pitcher said. “If I don’t get the grades, they won’t let you play here.
“Mr. Gwilliam (Falcons basketball coach Amron Gwilliam) didn’t let some guys play because they weren’t doing well in school.”
That wasn’t the case for Pitcher. He graduated with distinction and will be attending the University of Alberta in the fall. He is taking general studies and may play a bit of pick-up basketball if he has the opportunity.
The other two nominees for the Grade 12 Male Athlete of the Year were Scott Sparrow and Kris Stretton.
