On Sunday, October 26, the Minor Track Association held its annual Cross-Country Provincial Championship in Pickering at Alex Robertson Park. Nineteen Coyotes made the trek to compete, proudly representing our club and community with enthusiasm and strong performances.
The morning was crisp, with frost-covered grass creating slippery conditions. Fortunately, the sun warmed things up later in the day—an advantage for the older age groups.
Mite girl Eleanor Cleland was the first to race among the province’s best. With her experience, she lined up strategically near the front and led several sections of the course. In the final 400m, she was passed by Saje Grossi of Newmarket but held strong to finish second—16 seconds ahead of third place.
The Mite boys’ team, Edison Scholl, Max McCague, Marshall McCague, and Scott Recoskie were next to toe the line with thirty competitors. They were very eager to get going and took off like a shot at the beginning, chasing down the ‘rabbit’ who was leading the racers. They may have spent more energy at the start than they should have, but they settled in well and all had strong finishes. Edison had to fight hard to out-sprint two other competitors in the finishing stretch and he did just that, crossing in second place. Max was the second Coyote to finish, taking sixth. All four boys raced so well that their team score left them in second place overall.
Evelyn Scholl was the lone Tyke girl competing in the 1.5km race. She faced a larger pack of over fifty racers, and despite this, Evelyn remained calm and collected from start to finish. She paced herself well from the start and crossed in twelfth.
The Atom girls’ team—Mila Dolan, Madelyn Moores, Iris Herman, Avery McPhatter, and Eve Tudor—took on a 2km course with over 100 competitors. The pace was fierce, with the winner finishing in just over seven minutes. Mila led the Coyotes in 35th, and was followed closely by Madelyn (41st), Iris (47th), Avery (54th), and Eve (63rd).
Caleb Cleland and Casey Mothersell were next to race, taking part in the Atom boy’s race. Both boys are the younger of the two-year age group and found the bigger bodies and elbows a bit challenging in this group of 58 runners. Caleb started out hard but got boxed in a few times while Casey had a bit slower start and worked hard to make some strong passes throughout. The teammates came down the finishing stretch together in an all-out sprint. Casey took 21st place and Caleb claimed 22nd.
The Senior boys’ team—Richard Saunders, Nathan Leary, Myles Gordon, James Yaromich, Ian Matthews, and Coby Robertson—closed out the day. These fun-loving young men were happy to be outside and enjoying each other’s company for the day. They toed the line against some very fast competitors, and they worked well together throughout the race. Richard Saunders fought hard to stay near the lead pack and earned himself an 11th-place finish with Nathan just behind in 15th. Myles Gordon rounded the final curve and put forth a beautiful finishing kick to pass a competitor in the last 100m. Ian Matthews also had a strong push at the end, making for a photo finish. Together, this team placed fifth.
All in all, the Coyotes had an excellent day, capping off their cross-country season with pride at the MTA Provincial Championships. The club will now regroup and prepare for the first indoor track meet of the season in November.
For more information about the team, please visit www.georgianbaycoyotes.com.
