Fall means cross country season for runners in local elementary and secondary schools. While high school athletes recently shone at provincial championships, elementary runners proved their mettle at the Nanaimo and District Elementary Schools’ Cross-Country Championships.
Approximately 500 young athletes took part in the annual event, held Oct. 29 at Rotary Bowl stadium. Weather conditions were the best in recent history for the meet, which was coordinated by Larry Dean and made possible by the efforts of volunteers.
In the tyke (born 2004-05) girls’ race, 1.5 kilometres in length, Bailey Rossnagel from Hammond Bay captured first place. Nyah De Pol from Seaview was the runner-up, with Victoria Dauphney of North Cedar Intermediate taking third. Others in the top 10 were Mountain View teammates Isabella Ouellette and Madie Ranger, Sebryn Wear from Cinnabar Valley, McGirr’s Tallia Rogers, Sophia Leddingham and Grace Jones from Pauline Haarer and Alexa Berg representing McGirr.
The tyke boys’ title went to Marcus Saywell of Mountain View, who finished ahead of Jayden Watson from Cinnabar Valley and Cilaire’s Luke Lavery. Just behind them were Gus Johnson of Mountain View, Nate Paris from Hammond Bay and Connor Dewit from Forest Park. Next came Mountain View runner Brady Doyle, William Merrill from McGirr, Quarterway’s Griffin Senday-Neilsen and Colton Welgan of McGirr.
Completing a 2.0km course, first to finish in the peewee (born 2002-03) girls’ race was Erin Jensen from Cilaire. In second place came Karly Dickinson from Rock City, followed by Jazmine Wilkinson from Cilaire. Hammond Bay runner Katie Perry was next, then Chantelle Lee of Quarterway and Seaview’s Olivia Lundman. Rounding out the top 10 were Quarterway’s Kate Cameron, Alexis Barudin from Uplands Park, Sierra Schuler of Hammond Bay and Cilia Leaf from Mountain View.
Rutherford competitor Ethan Hart was fastest in the peewee boys’ race, beating out Alex Mclauchlan of Randerson Ridge and Mountain View’s Mitchell Finner. Gage Zanette of Cinnabar Valley was next, then Hammond Bay’s Luke Hoefer and Kai Louie from Uplands Park. Also in the top 10 were Tayden De Pol from Seaview, Cole Latiff of Hammond Bay, Cinnabar’s Ethan Katzberg and Kaleb Harker of Park Avenue.
In the 2.5km bantam (born 2001-02) girls’ race, Evelynne Pollard from Hammond Bay took first place. Seaview’s Delaney O’Toole was second and Elise Coates from Rock City third. Then came Ava Johnson of Mountain View and Rock City runner Chelsea Stansfield. Other runners in the top 10 of the race were Danielle Norman from Mountain View, Jade Bodner of Cilaire, Jill Jeffrey from Uplands Park, Chase River’s Taylor Walker and Kaitlyn Watson representing Cinnabar Valley.
The bantam boys’ race resulted in a district title for Nate Seaman from Rock City, who finished ahead of McGirr’s Brendan Rogers. Rutherford runners Ethan Jones and Christien Harris were third and fourth respectively, with Moritz Plendl from Departure Bay fifth. Also in the top 10 were Hammond Bay’s Matthew Brown, Seger Marsh from Gabriola, Ian Grabher of Hammond Bay, Zach Taylor from McGirr and Hammond Bay’s Thomas Fridricksson.
Mountain View Elementary and Cilaire Elementary won in team competition.
Whatever your sport, a reminder in closing to play your hardest, play fair and show good sportsmanship.
Ian Thorpe writes about sports Thursdays.
