JD Provincial X-Country Championships Results

I would like to congratulate all of the JD athletes who competed at the Alberta Provincial Cross-Country Championships in Wetaskiwin yesterday. Everyone who competed should have received a medal just for surviving the conditions. The gale force winds and cold made running a wee bit of a challenge, but the JD athletes and their younger siblings rose to the occasion and competed very well. It was an excellent way to end the cross-country season.

I would like to congratulate peewees Anika Vogelgesang, Alison Martin (both Cheetahs and younger siblings of Max and Emma), Heather and Mia, whose 5^th, 9^th, 16^th and 19^th place finishes earned them enough points to finish 2^nd in the peewee girls’ team competition. Well done girls! In that same race, Rhea and Julia Martin, younger sibling of Emma and Alison, also ran very well, finishing 24^th and 29^th respectively.

Chase ran an outstanding race in the bantam girls competition, finishing 2^nd of 21 athletes and winning a provincial silver medal. In that same race, Emma was 6^th, despite being a first-year midget and having to run against older athletes. New athlete Emily also looked very strong in her first race and placed 15^th.

In the peewees boys’ competition, Ben ran an outstanding race, just missing the medals and finishing 4^th of 26 athletes. Dawson O’Brien and Beck Vogelgesang, both Cheetah athletes and younger siblings of Chase andMax, proved that good cross-country genes run in the family by finishing 6^th and 11^th in that same race.

In the bantam boys’ competition, first year bantams Max and Patrick finished very well considering that, likeEmma, they were up against older athletes. Max finished 7^th of 17 athletes while Patrick placed 13^th. In that same race, Eric ran a very determined race, finishing 16^th.

In the midget women’s race, first-year midget Katie looked very strong and finished 15^th of 20 athletes. In the midget men’s race, Brent had an outstanding race, finishing 16^th of 27 athletes in a very strong field of midget boys. Charlie and Matthew, who are also first-year midgets, also ran very well, finishing not far behind Brent in 20^th and 24^th place.

Well done athletes! You have all worked very hard and earned those great results. I was impressed with the maturity of such a young group of athletes. You all warmed up well and didn’t allow the challenging conditions to interfere with your performance. The success of our first-year athletes bodes well for the team competition next year. Congratulations to you all!

-Robin