On Thursday, October 23, eleven brave GBCS cross-country runners headed to Ariss, near Guelph, to compete in this year’s CWOSSA (Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association) race.
Runners awoke to skies that were teeming with rain. They donned their rain gear and quite literally took the plunge—driving two hours to the race site and crossing their fingers that the skies might clear. Thankfully, the weather improved, allowing the team to set up their tent and stay relatively dry for the rest of the day.
The course zigzagged around the Ariss Valley Golf and Country Club, giving athletes many opportunities to climb and descend a long, challenging hill. The finish was especially demanding, as runners needed to cross a footbridge and then climb a steep 200 metres to reach the line.
All of the GBCS athletes made their coaches proud with their hard work and determination throughout their lengthy races. They faced intense mass starts—some with upwards of 300 runners—and some of Ontario’s best competition, with over 70 schools participating in this division.
Novice girls Chloe Burgess and Olivia Kearns were the first to work their way through the 5km route and they both had notable results, finishing 24th and 26th respectively.
The Novice boys’ team finished an impressive sixth out of 19 teams. The first counter for the team, Nathan Leary, placed fifth overall and earned a spot at the OFSAA championships next week. Ben Barclay, the second counter, also placed well, taking 23rd, followed by Myles Gordon in 50th and Coby Robertson in 96th.
In the Junior boys’ race, Calvin Curtis placed 18th overall in the 5km race, with teammates Bryson Cleland and Harry McLennan finishing 65th and 87th respectively—all within the top half of the field.
The Senior races proved to be the most grueling, with the distance increasing to 6km and the competition including both Grade 11 and 12 students. Grade 11 Senior girl Isabel Spence fought hard to place 38th in this challenging category, while her Grade 11 teammate, Emmett Leary, also ran a determined race, finishing 7th. Emmett kept spectators on edge as he stayed close to the front pack of five qualifiers, but narrowly missed advancing to OFSAA.
All athletes are to be congratulated for their outstanding efforts. It was a pleasure to see your hard work and dedication pay off.
