High school trail runners from across the region will lace up today at Crescent Park for the Fraser Valley Cross-Country Championships, and many of them got a sneak peek at the popular circuit last week, when South Surrey schools hosted a pre-Fraser Valley meet.
And if last week’s pre-Valley event – which Fraser Valley zone co-ordinator and Elgin Park coach Greg Worsley told Peace Arch News previously was held because “it’s a good chance for everyone to come check out the course” – was any indication, Surrey runners should fare well this week at the real zone championship.
Last week, the Grade 12 boys tune-up race was won by Earl Marriott Secondary’s Jaxon Mackie, who finished the 5.1-km race in 15 minutes, 28 seconds, which was 20 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, Tate Wyatt of Langley’s R.E. Mountain Secondary. Local runners peppered the top-10 rankings, too, as Holy Cross Crusaders’ Riley and Aiden Miller were fifth and sixth, respectively, Marriott’s Sajjan Sarai was seventh, and Tamanawis runner Tyson Baker was 10th.
Princess Margaret’s Baneet Bains took top spot in the 5.1-km senior girls race, in 18:32, while Seaquam’s Hannah Milic, in fifth, and White Rock Christian Academy’s Elizabeth Gin, in 12th, were the next-highest local runners.
In the junior girls division – a four-km route – Southridge’s Maya Kobylanski was the fleetest afoot, defeating second-place Holy Cross runner Madison Stoochnoff by 32 seconds to take the blue ribbon. Elgin Park’s Emma Cobban and Lord Tweedsmuir’s Emma Kearns were 11th and 13th, respectively.
At the end of the four-km junior boys race, Fleetwood Park’s Jaiveer Tiwana finished tied for first place with Walnut Grove Secondary runner Cam Calbrick, while Semiahmoo’s Michael Miller was next in line, just five seconds off the pace. Holy Cross runner Owen Pinto was fourth.
The two Grade 8 races – both 2.8-km – also featured a handful of top-10 marks. In the girls race, Earl Marriott’s Julia Mackie was third, Tweedsmuir’s Emily St. Denis was eighth, and another EMS runner, Sierra Plummer, placed ninth. Kwantlen Park’s Katie Eitzen finished 10th overall.
Among Grade 8 boys, Elgin Park’s Isaac Baker placed second, Semiahmoo’s Pavel Potashov was fifth, Elgin Park’s Kaelem Dumont sixth and Southridge’s Liam Kobylanski was 10th overall.
After Wednesday’s Fraser Valley championships, the final event on the cross-country calendar is provincial champisonhips, which are set for Nov. 4 at Vancouver’s Jericho Beach.