While some kids were complaining about running a loop run in gym class last Wednesday, Walnut Grove’s cross country team was dominating at The Fraser Valley Championships!
The Fraser Valley Championships were an all-day event and were held at Crescent Park on October 28. It hosted schools from all over the Fraser Valley from Centennial Secondary in Coquitlam, to Unity Christian in Chilliwack. Almost 700 athletes participated over the course of five races with Walnut Grove faring well in all divisions.
The grade 8 girls won their category becoming Fraser Valley champions by crushing their competition with a 25 point difference. They now have the chance to be the only grade 8s from the Fraser Valley to compete at Provincials which are held on November 7th at Jericho Beach Park. However, there is no Grade 8 category at Provincials so the girls will have to run as junior girls which includes a longer race. They will have to beat out some of the junior girls’ times if they want a chance to compete which will not be easy; the junior girls are also Fraser Valley champions. The junior girls took first place and the banner, beating out Sullivan Heights by eight points. The grade 8 and junior boys also ran well last Wednesday. The grade 8 boys were one man short of having a team, but all did well individually and placed in the top twenty. The junior boys did not qualify as a team to run at Provincials with their 8th place finish but, team member Marcel Pala qualified individually finishing in 16th place. The senior girls also finished well as a team in third place which guarantees them a run at Provincials. Joining them are the senior boys who just missed bringing home a banner with their team finishing in second place.
These finishes would have been impressive on their own but running through a torrent of rain and gooey mud shows how determined these athletes are. But, you know what they say: Gators love the water!
