Three schools in Williams Lake converged on the trail at the Cariboo Fire Centre near the Williams Lake Airport this past Thursday, Sept. 26 for the fourth annual Independent School Cross Country Run.
Fifty athletes grades 3-7 from Sacred Heart Catholic School, Maranatha Christian School and Cariboo Adventist Academy laced up their running shoes for a day of trail running, camaraderie and fun at the event, which saw participants compete in seven separate divisions ranging in distance from 1.1-kilometre to 2.3-kilometre courses.
“The kids absolutely loved it,” said organizer Tara Sherlock of SHCS. “We started training at the beginning of September and our kids were training every day. Our runners trained hard as soon as school started.”
READ MORE: Independent schools gather for third annual cross-country run
One highlight of the meet came in the form of a new course record set by Jaxson Styran of MCS in the 10-year-old division.
Styran ran the 2.3-kilometre course in 10 minutes and 24 seconds to set the record.
Boys aged eight and nine ran the 1.1-kilometre course, while the 10, 11 and 12 year olds tackled the 2.3-kilometre loop.
And when the dust settled, it was SHCS racing away with the overall, aggregate title for the top school at the meet.
“The trail was great, and one of the benefits of doing it a bit early is the weather was fantastic,” Sherlock said.
Sherlock said student athletes are now shifting their focus to volleyball as, on Nov. 28, all three schools, plus Quesnel’s St. Ann’s Catholic School and North Cariboo Christian School, will be at Scared Heart for a day-long volleyball tournament.
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