Third annual PREP challenge a success for Sheridan
Participants from Sheridan, Mohawk, Centennial, Niagara, and Georgian lined up for a photo after the third annual PREP challenge.
STORY BY FILIPE DOS SANTOS
Sheridan’s Megan Wong showed fellow students and police recruiters alike that she is prepped for the rigours of law enforcement as Davis Campus played host to the third annual Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police (PREP) test on Thursday.
Sheridan, Mohawk, Niagara, Georgian and Centennial colleges sent their best male and female students to compete for the fastest time in the PREP test. Recruiters attended the competition from a variety of police organizations, including the RCMP.
Among the women, Sheridan’s Wong annihilated the competition with a time of 1:59, finishing eight seconds ahead of second place Tonian Pencil, also from Sheridan.
“I’m really pumped. I came here with 2:08 being my fastest time, and posting 1:59 was really surprising,” said Wong, who was approached by police recruiters after the test and is also involved with Sheridan’s Iron Joan program.
She originally took Police Foundations seeking a quick degree.
“It’s really turned into a passion of mine, I love it here it’s great,” she said.
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Centennial College’s Clayton Hubble was declared the winner among the men following an unexpected tiebreaker run against Frasier Kaney of Georgian after both recorded a time of 1:25.
“I expected the competition to be stiff, but having a tie for first and having five times under 1:30 made it really competitive. I did not expect that,” said Hubble.
Sheridan’s Alexander Dukovski placed third with a time of 1:26.
The test itself consisted of a single course that had contestants run up and down a set of stairs, jumping a fence while making contact with one foot, a push exercise and a 40-foot dummy drag.
“It’s a good opportunity for our students, and the students from the various colleges, going into a career in policing, to network and find out what that organization is all about,” said Jessica McLean, Police Foundations professor and PREP founder and organizer.
For McLean, the inspiration behind the test was being able to get colleges together and promoting fitness among Police Foundations students.
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- Niagara’s Dorian Reid vaults over the makeshift PREP fence.
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- Sheridan’s Alexander Dukovski powers through the PREP test’s push exercise.
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- Megan Wong powers through the push component of the PREP test
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- Sheridan’s Vince Brincat celebrates after his first PREP run.
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- Sheridan’s Vince Brincat drags a dummy for 40 feet.
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- Top three men and women’s finishers From left to right: Alexander Dukovski, Frasier Kaney, Clayton Hubble, Megan Wong, Tonian Pencil, Greeta Beals.
“Fitness is an important part of policing, so it is important that we are out supporting these students that want to be police officers,” said Const. Chauntel Inman, a recruitment officer with the RCMP. “Everybody has a chance [of joining the RCMP], as long as they meet the basic requirements.”
Mountie recruits must be Canadian citizens over eighteen years of age, be mature, have “diverse life experiences”, be proficient in English or French and willing to relocate anywhere in Canada.
“I think it’s really good for Sheridan,” said Charles Lawrence, co-ordinator for the Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies. “We’re trying to prepare our students to get good careers. Part of that is just getting hired.”
It also provides an opportunity to showcase the talent of students who, according to Lawrence, would be “medal-calibre athletes” in any sport.
