Runners prep for provincials

Nearly 600 of the province’s top runners will lace up and compete at Crescent Park Saturday, host site of the B.C. High School Cross Country Championships.

And if all goes according to plan, there very well could be a strong Peninsula presence atop the podium by the end of the day.

The Semiahmoo Totems, Earl Marriott Mariners, Elgin Park Orcas and White Rock Christian Academy Warriors will all be represented at the meet.

With a talented group of senior girls, Semiahmoo has a good chance to win the girls overall title.

Led by Allison Williams, Rachel Cho, Meghan Palesch, Vanessa Sjoberg and Cassidy Scott, the Totems are the reigning Fraser Valley champions.

Overall, the Totems are ranked third in the province. The top team is Vancouver’s West Point Grey Academy.

“I don’t put too much stock in rankings, but we’re right up there, so we’ll see what happens,” said Semiahmoo coach Maureen de St. Croix.

“We have a lot of good runners, and I’d expect our girls to finish right up there. We’ll be there at the end with a shot at it, I hope.”

Elgin Park’s team will be one of the youngest at the event – the senior boys squad has no Grade 12 runners, and one in Grade 8.

Elgin Park head coach Greg Worsley said his team may well finish “in the middle of the pack” but that Grade 11 star Jake Bruchet has a strong chance to finish in the top 10 in the boys’ race, which is 6.5 km.

The girls’ race is 4.4 km.

Elgin only has one girl racing Saturday, Grade 11 runner Alex Stasiuk, who won the first race of the year, at Crescent Park in late September.

The senior girls’ race begins at 11 a.m, and the boys go at noon.

In addition to the 279 girls and 284 boys registered for provincials, nearly 200 junior-aged runners will take part in an invitational meet at 9 a.m.

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