Local Runners Qualify for OFSAA Cross Country Championships

By Jeff Gard/Today’s Northumberland

Wednesday was a great day for local athletes at the Central Ontario Secondary School Athletics cross country running championships in Port Hope.

Convened by Cobourg Collegiate Institute in their neighbouring community, the COSSA meet qualified runners for the Saturday, Nov. 5 provincial high school championships at Dagmar Ski Resort in Uxbridge.

Advancing to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) meet were the top two teams and five fastest individuals not on a qualifying team in each division. For teams, the places of the top four runners are accumulated as they aim for the lowest score possible.

Host CCI qualified 12 athletes for OFSAA, including two teams and two individuals.

In novice girls, Lindsay’s I.E. Weldon was the top team with 27 points, including winner Kyla Farr in 16 minutes 11.72 seconds, followed by CCI with 60 as Sofia Jones placed 11^th (17:46.39), Lena Smyth 12^th (17:50.65), Audrina Harris 14^th (18:12.32) and Adelyn Hegarty 23^rd (19:13.48) as teammate Zara Khosla-Vucko placed 48^th in 21:27.83.

CCI’s novice boys team also placed second in its respective division as Brighton’s East Northumberland Secondary captured the title with 31 points.

Owen McDougall of ENSS won the race with a course record of 14:32.13 with teammates Noah Groeneveld 6^th (15:04.68), Chase Eddy 8^th (15:14.13), Nate Boomhouwer 16^th (16:00) completing the top four. Orion Kovacs was 25^th (17:03.48) and Jon Trescher was 43^rd (20:27.32).

With 45 points in novice boys for CCI, David Cullen led the way in seventh (15:11.78) followed by Adrian Linton 9th (15:14.13) followed by Ty Tomlinson 12^th (15:42.23) and Jack Duncan 17^th (16:11.81). Teammate Marcos Garcia Baquero Cano was 47^th in 24:04.85.

Tyler Calvert, of Cobourg’s St. Mary Catholic Secondary School, qualified for OFSAA as the fourth fastest individual runner. He placed 5^th in 14:59.96.

Qualifying as individuals for CCI were senior girls champion Maria Linton and William Urbach, who placed third in junior boys.

Linton won the senior girls race in 23:18.67 as her CCI team placed fourth.

Urbach qualified as the third fastest individual in the junior boys race. The top two teams were from St. Peter Catholic Secondary School with 35 points and ENSS with 62. Leading ENSS was Jacob Wamboldt in 12^th (19:19.06) with teammates Carter Christian 14^th (19:38.68), Braeden Lay 15^th (20:02.31) and Logan Rivard 21^st (21:03.42) not far behind. Dium Decoste was 22^nd, Michael Warner 30^th and Aiden Guitar 37^th.

Belleville’s Nicholson Catholic College won the junior girls race with 39 points. ENSS came second with 52 points, including Cadence Tait in seventh, Abby Clitherow 12^th, Claire McDonald 14^th and Kaite Hazelwood 19^th.

St. Mary’s Emily Goodall had a strong race, placing ninth overall and was the sixth fastest individual.

ENSS, which was also the top overall school at the COSSA meet, qualified 24 runners for the OFSAA provincial championships, including the senior boy champions. The top four runners were Dominic Noreau in 10^th, Aidan Molenhuis 11^th, Carter Geens 14^th and Owen Turner 21^st to capture the division title.

Full results from the COSSA meet in Port Hope are available at taptiming.ca