Walnut Grove’s Joel Harrison took top spot, crossing the finish line nearly 16 seconds ahead of the second-place runner at the Fraser Valley cross-country championships.
Harrison completed the 3.3-km run in the boys’ Grade 8 division on Oct. 24 at Aldergrove Lake Park in 11:38.55.
The Gators also won the team title with 30 points, two better than the MEI Eagles, who had 32.
In cross-country, each team’s top four runners are awarded points based on their finish (among those involved in the team portion) and the squad with the lowest aggregate number wins.
Walnut Grove won in large part because they placed four runners within the top dozen.
By comparison, MEI had runners finish third, seventh, ninth and 13th.
That meant Brock Hertz (18th overall) and Brendan Bone (20th overall) earned the Gators 11 and 12 points, respectively, and played a huge role in the team victory as they crossed ahead of MEI’s Tre Pankratz (24th overall). Had Pankratz finished ahead of them, then MEI would have won the title.
Walnut Grove’s Liam Smithson earned six points for his 12th place finish.
Complete Langley results:
1. Joel Harrison (WG) 11:38.55; 12. Liam Smithson (WG) 13:02.23; 18. Brock Hertz (WG) 13:28.44; 20. Brendan Bone (WG) 13:34.05; 23. Brady Sahly (DWP) 13:50.44; 25. Tanner Wick (WG) 13:54.23; 28. Sammy Vankevich (LFS) 14:03.24; Evan Durrant (LCS) 15:03.41; 43. Calum Dyke (BG) 15:18.76; Josh Kungl (REM) 15:37.40; Brandon Daudelin (BG) 15:45.52; Kyle Davies (WG) 15:51.27; Will Park (WG) 16:13.00; Andrew Cook (DWP) 17:11.46; Trevor O’Neill (REM) 17:18.23.
In the Grade 8 girls’ race, Langley Fundamental’s Megan Champoux finished second.
Champoux completed the 3.3-km race in 12:42.63, a dozen seconds behind Elgin Park’s Danielle Steer.
Walnut Grove’s Sammy Lundquist just missed the top 10, placing 11th with a time of 13:56.57.
Lundquist did help the Gators finish fourth as a team.
Complete Langley results:
2. Megan Champoux (LFS) 12:42.63; 11. Sammy Lundquist (WG) 13:56.57; 22. Morgan Drewitt (WG) 15:05.52; 23. Jade Nemeth (WG) 15:07.99; 24. Kayla Chamberlain (REM) 15:08.24; 34. Lindsey Solmes (WG) 16:10.00; 42. Chloe Redlin (BG) 17:01.42.
In the junior boys’ race, it was a one-two finish for local runners.
Langley Christian’s Nick Colyn blew away the field, finishing the 5.4-km race in 18:26.13. 
Langley Secondary’s Dean Ellenwood was second in 19:40.00.
Brookswood’s Michael Pratt also cracked the top 10, placing sixth in a time of 20:55.67.
As a team, Walnut Grove placed fourth.
Complete Langley results:
1. Nick Colyn (LCS) 18:26.13; 2. Dean Ellenwood (LSS) 19:40.00; 6. Michael Pratt (BKS) 20:55.67; 16. Brennen Gardner (LCS) 21:30.86; 23. Weston Toppozini (ACS); 31. Daniel Pavlic (REM) 22:42.95; 35. Jason Kimoto (WG) 23:07.49; 37. John Macadam (LCS) 23:16.06; 38. Ben Van den Boogaard (BKS) 23:18.08; 48. Ryan Marno (DWP) 23:58.34; 49. Brandon McLeod (BKS) 24:06.09; 54. Alex Matson (WG) 24:28.52; 55. Mathew Yee (WG) 24:35.86; 59. Jordan Redlin (ACS) 25:01.38; 64. Dante Mercer (WG) 25:14.38; 65. Tony Lima (REM) 25:17.39; 67. Max Lowry (DWP) 25:26.72; Tal Kasakov (WG) 26:14.81; 88. Malachi Harrison (REM) 26:58.70; 102. Jamal Ingimudson (LSS) 30:21.73; Parker Ross (WG) 30:35.05; Dean Qawasmeh (WG) 30:54.01; Chris Girard (DWP) 31:57.01.
Langley Christian’s Breanne DeJong was the top local finisher in the junior girls’ race, placing eighth in the 4.5-km race.
Complete Langley results:
8. Breanne DeJong (LCS) 19:24.18; 16. Kiana Bekar (LCS) 20:24.17; Gina Choi (REM) 23:19.99; Hanna Jackson (DWP) 23:46.75; Jessica Phan (DWP) 24:21.49; Grace Tyne (DWP) 24:47.83; 75. Miranda MacLeod (REM) 26:49.26; 78. Kayley Boutcher (DWP) 27:22.51; 85. Alisha Sidhu (DWP) 27:42.55; 86. Megan Yakabuski (DWP) 27:46.55; Chelsi Goertzen (REM) 29:43.07.
Isabella Boccia placed sixth individually and helped the Walnut Grove finish second as a team in the senior girls’ 4.5-km race.
Complete Langley results:
6. Isabella Boccia (WG) 17:48.48; 20. Dallas Tilley (WG); 18:59.10; 23. Chelsea Bone (WG) 19:09.51; 25. Robyn Buckingham (WG) 19:13.53; 41. Keara Graham (WG) 20:05.31; 46. Julie Matson (WG) 20:13.27; 52. Lara Oppenlander (WG) 20:33.88; 58. Taylor Gillis (WG) 20:42.25; 64. Emma Smithson (WG) 20:51.71; 82. Cyrena Timmins (WG) 21:40.05; 83. Emma Harrison (WG) 21:41.99; 86. Jenelle Giesbrecht (BKS) 21:50.59; 88. Chloe Hetherington (DWP) 21:57.17; 89. Katie Ussher (WG) 21:57.74; 96. Kristen Chamberland (DWP) 22:25.94; 99. Anna Demian (WG) 22:27.87; 100. Meghan Connorton (DWP) 22:34.05; 101. Abby Fortin (WG) 22:35.39; 103. Mira Foster (DWP) 22:38.51; 108. Ina Na (REM) 22:51.14; 115. Svitlana Nikolenko (REM) 23:09.99; 120. Claire Cook (DWP) 23:10.08; 122. Sarah Ussher (WG) 23:12.42; 123. Yumi Kim (WG) 23:14.52; 133. Sarah Ferguson (WG) 23:43.97; 140. Carly Postlewaite (BKS) 24:14.98; 169. Anexis Corneja (BKS) 26:56.85.
In the senior boys’ 6.5-km race, Brookswood’s Adam Marshall was eighth to finish as the top Langley runner while the Walnut Grove Gators placed third as a team.
Complete Langley results:
8. Adam Marshall (BKS) 22:30.22; 14. Max Proske (WG) 23:17.83; 25. Brandon Drake (WG) 24:05.43; 27. James Lam 24:08.45; 33. Grant Nataros (LFS) 24:18.89; 35. Richard Torres (WG) 24:30.20; 39. Ethan Wilkinson (WG) 24:48.24; 42. Ben Demian (WG) 24:54.27; 45. Jim Harradine (WG) 25:07.24; 46. Malavan Subramaniam (WG) 25:07.24; 57. Erick Chmelyk (WG) 25:40.60; 58. Daniel Stead (WG) 25:42.28; 64. Mitchell Osbourne (WG) 25:54.40; 72. Chris Curran (WG) 26:04.87; 109. Joseph Lucero (WG) 27:30.22; 115. Brian Portner (REM) 28:00.51; 121. Elliot Carlson (WG) 28:24.42; 136. Justin Gloanec (BKS) 29:06.45; 137. Kentaro Fujita (BKS) 29:07.44; 151. Cody Drake (WG) 30:02.67; 164. Trevor Gauthier (BKS) 31:08.02.
