HAMILTON, ON – The Mohawk Mountaineers cross country program is excited to announce Annie Sterenberg will be returning to the team for the 2023 season, as well as the additions of Sage Sulentic and Yassin Saleh.

Entering his third season as Mountaineers head coach, David Hopton has quickly developed the program to podium relevancy in the OCAA. Mohawk won an OCAA bronze medal in 2021 on the men's side and the women's team just missed a podium finish, placing fourth. Then this past season, the women would claim their spot on the podium with a bronze and the men were just shy of another medal, finishing fifth.

"I think our results of getting on the podium or close to the podium the last two seasons and our track record of keeping athletes healthy, has made this a spot people want to come and want to run for us," Hopton said.

Sterenberg was a runner on the Mountaineers fourth place finishing team two years ago and has made her return to help continue to grow the program. In 2021, the runner from Vineland, ON placed sixth at the OCAA Championship and made the All-Ontario First-Team.

"It is huge having Annie come back and run for us again," said Hopton.

Sulentic is a local from Dundas, ON and has been a successful triathlete at the provincial level. In 2022, he was named Triathlon Ontario's Male Junior Athlete of the Year after winning bronze at the Triathlon Nationals and he represented the province at the Canada Summer Games, where he claimed a bronze and had two fourth place finishes.

Having studied locally at St. Mary's Catholic Secondary, Sulentic placed eighth at the 2021 OFSAA cross country meet and the following year at OFSAA he finished sixth in steeple.

"Sage has been an athlete I have worked with since he was in middle school, so I know him really well," Hopton said. "I know he's ready for this level of competition and he's going to strive."

Saleh is also a local athlete out of Hamilton, where he attended Bernie Custis Secondary. At the 2022 HWDSB cross-country meet, representing Custis, Saleh placed fifth in the senior race.

"He's fairly new to running and so he shows a lot of promise for the future," said Hopton.

Beginning in September, Sterenberg will enroll in the Office Administration program, Sulentic will study Business Administration and Saleh will be in the Home Renovation program.

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