Nearly 1,000 high school athletes from across the province flocked to Colwood’s Royal Roads University on Saturday (Nov. 5) for a chance to take home gold at the B.C. High School Cross Country Championships.
The event has not been held on Vancouver Island since 2014, and in honour of its long-awaited return, a special course was set up on the grounds of Hatley Castle to allow the athletes and the coaches, family, and friends cheering them on, to compete with a spectacular backdrop.
“This may be the most stunning setting ever for a B.C. championships, with the vistas of the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountain range and the beauty of Hatley Castle,” said course designer Jeff Hunt in a news release. “This will also be one of the most spectator-friendly courses as spectators will be able to cheer the athletes on over two creek jumps, multiple challenging corners, steep climbs, and a long straightaway for exciting finishes.”
Throughout the morning and early afternoon, thousands of spectators lined the course for races in the para athlete, junior girls, junior boys, senior girls and senior boys categories.
As the racers entered the home stretch set against the backdrop of the Esquimalt Lagoon, their fans would rush across the field to meet them at the finish line.
Ronan Weins of J. L. Jackson Secondary School in Salmon Arm took home gold in the para athlete category, Oak Bay High School’s Charli Mlotshwa won the junior boys race, Alexa Dow of Frances Kelsey Secondary School in Mill Bay won the junior girls race, while Tyler Browne of Oak Bay High School won the senior boys, and Ruby Broadbent of North Saanich’s Parkland Secondary School took home gold for the senior girls.
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B.C. high school cross-country championships set to run Saturday at Royal Roads
If the more than 900 runners need any inspiration today in the B.C.
If the more than 900 runners need any inspiration today in the B.C. high school cross-country championships at Royal Roads University, they only need look up at the presenters during the awards ceremony, as the medals will be handed out by two-time Olympic medallist triathlete Simon Whitfield and two-time Olympic 1,500-metre runner Hilary Stellingwerff.
The senior girls’ favourite, Ruby Broadbent of Parkland Secondary who took to running to stay fit for soccer during the pandemic, will be looking to defend her title from last year and has international-career dreams of her own as the Canadian U-18 champion will have several NCAA and U Sports teams recruiting her. Broadbent, with a gifted stride, routinely ran in the senior boys’ races during the Lower Island season and won.
Broadbent’s biggest challenge today will come from another Island athlete – Ella Ballard of Royal Bay, who was third last year in the provincials at Jericho Beach in Vancouver. On the senior girls’ team side, Oak Bay and Dover Bay come into provincials after finishing 1-2 in the Island championships held last month in Port Alberni.
Tyler Brown is the senior boys’ Island champion and leads a deep Oak Bay team. Also vying for the boys’ team championship will be a thorough squad from Nanaimo District Secondary, which placed a close second to Oak Bay at the Island championships.
“We have some of the best runners in Canada competing this weekend,” said race director Jeff Hunt, who coaches the St. Michaels University School team, and designed the course, as the provincial championships return to the Island for the first time since 2014.
“This may be the most stunning setting ever for a B.C. championships, with the vistas of the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountain range and the beauty of Hatley Castle, and we are excited to have the best high school runners in the province here to experience it,” added Hunt, in a statement.
Hunt described the course as spectator accommodating with easy access for supporters along a course that will feature tricky corners, steep inclines, two creek jumps and a long straightaway to the finish line.
The Para athletes will cover a 2K course, the junior boys and girls will run a 4Kcourse and the senior boys and girls will each race 5K. The Para race starts at 9:15 a.m. with the junior girls off at 10 a.m., junior boys at 10:45 a.m., senior girls at 11:30 a.m. and senior boys at 12:15 p.m. followed by the awards ceremony at 1 p.m.
It could be Canada’s Team Tommorow on display this morning at Royals Roads.
“Some of the previous winners of Ontario’s and B.C.’s high school championships have gone on to become Olympians and Canadian record holders. A majority of these champions will be recruited by NCAA and U Sports programs for cross-country and track,” wrote Canadian Running Magazine, following last year’s provincials at Jericho Beach.
It should be no different today among this year’s champions at Royal Roads.
Vincent Massey Secondary School (@caught_inn_motion)
Northern Secondary School, SWOSSAA
Thousand Island Secondary School, EOSSAA
Immaculata High School,NCSSAA
London Central Secondary School (@caught_inn_motion)
Mohanad Kuhail (3004), @SJHS_RAMS , is the @OFSAAXC Para Ambulatory male champion. Jackson Tomassen (3005) (3093), 4th, in the division. Diego Alban-Gasca, 7th
