Correlieu and QJS runners were out on the shores of Ten Mile Lake last weekend.
The runners are in the final stretch of their season, with zones coming up towards the end of the month.
“We were really pleased with the event,” Pat Marsh, the Correlieu coach, said.
New rules for junior high school boys, which put the boy in competition with the older boys, made for a difficult race for the QJS runners. The grade eight and nine boys were bumped up to the six kilometre race, from the four kilometres they used to run, in order to qualify for zones.
Scott Trueman, the QJS coach, was impressed with how his runners stepped up to the challenge of both running the longer race and competing against the older, senior high school boys.
“It’s pretty much boys versus men,” he said.
This being the first such race for the QJS boys, it proved to be a difficult one.
The rule change put the QJS boys in the same category as the Correlieu boys. Between the two schools, Quesnel students took a string of positions from fifth to eighth.
Konrad Teetzen, a grade ten student from Correlieu, took fifth in the long race, finishing in 25:17. Dylan Cathcart, a grade nine student from QJS, was seven seconds behind him in sixth with a finishing time of 25:24. Right behind in seventh, Brennan Schwartz, another QJS student, finished in 25:47. Josiah McCart, a grade 11 student from Correlieu, rounded out the run of Quesnel students in eighth at 26:47.
Some of the QJS boys chose to take part in the shorter, four kilometre race. Grade eight student, Shaymus Christy took sixth in bantam boys, finishing in 27:19. Dawson Dillman, a grade nine student, took seventh in juvenile boys, finishing at 27:30. Danny Brickell, from Correlieu, finished in 11, with a time of 38:11.
The girls, running their familiar four kilometre race, took a couple of golds, along with a scattering of strong placements.
Laura Dunn, a grade 11 student from Correlieu, placed fifth amongst the senior girls and tenth overall.
Grace McTaggart, a grade eight student from QJS, was the fastest bantam girl, finishing the four kilometres in 21:33, which was good for sixth overall.
Kyra Teetzen, a QJS grade nine student, took the gold in juvenile girls and eighth overall.
Trueman is happy with the results from the year and is hoping to continue to build on the victories of this year.
“These kids have an awful lot of talent for such a young age,” Trueman said.
“If they continue with it they’ll have some good runs ahead of them.”
Neither team is able to field a full girls or boys teams due to low numbers, sending students to provincials individually instead, as which it is harder to qualify. Both Trueman and Marsh hope the future will increase their numbers as they start to get a handle on the switch from two highschools to junior and senior highschools.
With zones happening in Prince George this year, Trueman encourages elementary school runners who are interested in pursuing running into junior high to come to Prince George Oct. 20 and watch the competition.
The teams will be compete next in Vanderhoof on Oct. 13. Zone Championships follow the next week.