If it wasn't clear before, it is now. Track and field is booming across the region, especially in the Cochrane area.

Travis Cummings and Pamela Moores, who are heading up the Zone 2 track and field team for the Alberta Summer Games, had a wealth of talented athletes seeking a spot on the team and had to make some tough choices.

This week, the 43-member Zone 2 team was named, which includes about 12 athletes from the Cochrane area.

Cummings says there's an abundance of track and field athletes here. Not only did they have plenty competing for spots on this team, several other quality athletes weren't eligible because they'd already competed at a higher level, such as the Canada Summer Games.

"I've never seen athletics this strong before within our community," says Cummings.  "It's really exciting to be a coach."

Another four local athletes were drafted by other zone teams in the province to fill gaps on their team. 

"We try and accommodate them as best as possible because there are some really good athletes that I couldn't have on my Zone 2 team. We're really stacked in distance and sprints. It's exciting."

He expects the number of athletes to climb even higher.

"It's crazy. There's what Esther (Sieben) and her coaching staff did on the weekend, and then Bow Valley's coming along because Coach (Jill) MacEachen is building a big program, and St. Tim's been really good in distance and sprints. We've got club (Cochrane Endurance Project) going now, and then lots of kids are going to the city to work with other clubs, too. There are so many track athletes in and around the Cochrane area."

Cochrane area high school athletes competing for Zone 2 are Samantha Eremenko, Talia Hasiuk, Maeve Maguire, Csenia Irvin, Kayley Torrie, Grace Beach, Caden Jones, Ellie Barlow, Tyler Vidler, Erik Solomon, Harrison Kellock, and Owen Pendlebury.

Exported to other zones were Raimo Sollitt, Zoe Bushrod, Eli Torrie, and Tanner Lyster

Also on the Zone 2 team are strong athletes from Okotoks, Airdrie, Chestermere, Springbank, Canmore, Banff, and other surrounding area communities. 

The Alberta Summer Games is designed as a stepping stone for athletes striving to compete at a higher level. 

Okotoks and Black Diamond are hosting the games from July 20 to 23. Cochrane athletes will be competing in several of the other 13 sports represented at games.