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Student voice: cross-country runners are off and… well, running

A new column by two Correlieu students outlines what’s going on in school sports
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Quesnel Junior School students Lucy Pontius (front), Joshua Tilsner and Kyle Eggert. Contributed photo

Abby Fisher

Observer Contributor

I am finding writing this week to be quite challenging; not because of writer’s block, but because typing while clapping enthusiastically has proven difficult. On Saturday Sept. 23, Quesnel’s very own Correlieu and Quesnel Junior School (QJS) cross-country team competed in the Prince George Cottonwood Island Race; the results were nothing short of outstanding.

Let’s start with the young ones, shall we? Racing in the Grade 8 devision: Kyle Eggert claimed 4th and Joshua Tilsner took 6th. Lucas Arnold was just behind Joshua in 7th, and Liam MacDonald came in 8th. Not forgetting our girls, we have: Ruby Nicholas, who claimed a very admirable 1st place with the fastest female time of the day, and Reece Jacobsen who came in 6th. In Grade 9, Alex Beawuilier took home the boys 9th place. Megan Strand came in 3rd, and Lucy Pontius took 7th place for the girls.

Every Correlieu athlete represented Quesnel with the kind of endurance that makes me jealous simply writing about it. For Grade 10 boys, Christopher Henderson came in 5th, and Adam Nicholas took a very respectable 8th place. Nadia Mansour finished in 2nd, Hannah Vaughan-Ferrell claimed 3rd, and Emma Pontius took 6th place for the girls. In our seniors devision (grade 11 and 12), Scott Sargent took 6th place for the men, and Aleesha Bautista came in 2nd for the women’s.

All racers had an amazing time at their first race. Cheery Mr. Christopher Henderson, the very soul and spirit of our team, and the contagiously optimistic Amber Proudfoot, have a similar outlook on cross country running. They both claimed: “Running is really fun. You feel like dying, but in the end it might just be worth it.” The pair never fail to put a smile on your face; even when plagued with, “our gorgeous, red, athletic glow.” The young Ruby Nicholas, as inspiring as she is fast; tells us: “You just feel so rewarded.”

The following weekend, they were back at it again, only this time with not quite so many racers. A couple runners were tripped up before the start line by an aggressive competitor known as Influenza. Those who escaped his nasty trick won for everyone on our team, only if to shove it back at the sickness. Racing in Vanderhoof on Saturday Sept. 30, we had our athletes once again remind all 115 runners, plus every spectator, where exactly they come from.

Grade 8 student Linden Spencer claimed 3rd place, Lucas Arnold came 5th, and Isaac Woollends, Kyle Eggert, Liam MacDonald and Joshua Tilsner took places 7 through 10 for the Bantam Boys devision. Our Bantam Girl, Reese Jacobsen, took a very nice 3rd place.

In Grade 9, Evan Fisher – and I am sneaking in a proud big sister moment – took an awesome 5th place, with what I know to be one of his better times of the year. Speed increases, shedding off seconds at a time, as strength progresses with the season. In the same age group, our girls made us just as proud. Lucy Pontius came in 7th place, and Abby Trout behind her in 9th.

Our Correlieu competitors’ placings made me squirm to get to a race of my own. Christopher Henderson took home the junior boys 6th place, with Adam Nicholas close behind in 10th. And – ready for a proud friend moment? – junior girls was dominated by Hannah Vaughan Ferrell taking 1st, Amber Proudfoot in 2nd, and Emma Pontius in 5th.

The senior boys were once again pushed by Bazil Spencer and Scott Sargent, who took 4th and 5th placings.

On a slightly personal racing level, I am, in fact, an athlete on the Correlieu cross-country team; my little brother Evan is on the QJS team. Both of our persons were missing from the first race of the season, simply because we were busy crawling up a mountain. I write that with every bit of professionalism I can offer you at 1:19 in the morning. My family had taken a trip down to Kamloops, B.C. to race in the 2017 Sun Peaks Spartan Race Sprint. Evan and I ran it together, finishing in 01:36:09. Evan (doing a sister proud once again) finished in 2nd for ages 10-14, and 39th out of all the men. I finished 1st for ages 15-18, and came 13th in all the women, although I’m feeling quite uncomfortable tooting my own horn. Evan and I have decided that we “tied” for 63rd place, out of 580 contestants. For anyone unfamiliar with the Spartan Race, be scared, then Google it.

Now! It’s your turn to give these young adults some true recognition. Come on out to West Fraser Timber Park on Saturday Oct. 14 to show some of what we all know Quesnel spirit looks like. Before hockey season kicks into full swing, take that crowd roar you’ve had tucked away all summer and unleash it upon another sort of sport! The race begins at 11 a.m. Overall it’s been a sprinting start to the season, and we expect to see more.

This is a new series written jointly by Abby Fisher and Katherine Osmond, both Correlieu students. Abby and Katherine both have a passion for writing and hope to learn and improve our skills over the course of this year.

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Grade 8 student Ruby Nicholas during her cross-country race on Saturday. Contributed photo