Surrey runners laced up and finished the high-school cross-country running season on a positive note last week, clocking good times at provincial championships at Abbotsford’s Clearbrook Park.
In the senior boys race – a five-km circuit made up of a single one-km lap and two two-km loops – Fleetwood Park’s Jaiveer Tiwana was the first to cross the finish line, clocking a time of 15 minutes, 44 seconds. The Grade 12 runner – who was noted on the event’s website as ‘one to watch’ prior to Saturday’s race – was 14 seconds faster than the second place runner, Brentwood College’s Keaton Heisterman.
Tiwana wasn’t the only runner with Surrey ties to put in a good showing in Abbotsford, either. Earl Marriott Secondary Grade 12 runner Jeremiah Mackie was ninth, crossing the finish line in 16:29 while Semiahmoo’s Michael Miller was 13th, in 16:49, where he tied with Lord Tweedsmuir’s Tyler Wilson. Finishing one spot ahead of Miller and Wilson was former South Delta Secondary student – and former member of South Surrey-based Ocean Athletics track club – Jacob Bonikowsky, who now lives in Nelson and runs for L.V. Rogers Secondary.
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Bonikowsky’s sister, Madelyn – also a former Ocean Athletics runner – had a strong showing, too, winning the five-km senior girls race in 17:39, which was more than 22 seconds faster than anyone else in the field.
In sixth in the senior girls race was Southridge’s Maya Kobylanski, who clocked a time of 18:31. The South Surrey Grader 12 runner was coming off a first-place finish at South Fraser championships, which were held last month at Crescent Park. Holy Cross runner Madison Stoochnoff was ninth in the senior girls race, rounding out the top-20 finishes from Surrey competitors.
In the four-km junior girls run, Elgin Park Secondary’s Maella Hodgson – who won silver at South Frasers last month – was the top South Surrey competitor, finishing in fifth place in a time of 14:52, while other Surrey runners included Semiahmoo’s Mackenzie Hack, who finished 10th, and Fleetwood Park’s Viviani Li, who was 11th.
The quickest Surrey junior boys runner was SAIL Academy’s Caiden Lee, who placed fifth with a time of 13:13, which put him just 10 seconds off the podium pace; J.L. Crowe Secondary’s Jaxon Kuchar won bronze in 13:03.
Other top Surrey runners were Elgin Park’s Isaac Baker, who placed 11th; Pacific Academy’s Max Holmes, in 12th; and Elgin’s Kaelem Dumont, who was 17th.
