They wanted a good result and they got a great one. The girls cross-country team from West Point Grey Academy reclaimed the top spot on the podium at the provincial championship at Aldergrove Regional Park Nov. 2.
Three runners finished in the top 20 and their five fastest all finished in the top 40. On the 4.3-kilometre course, Audrey Warner came sixth overall in 16 minutes, 30.78 seconds and Sophie Dodd was 14th overall in 16:59.60. Leiah Kirsh was 16th, Kennedy Randall 29th and Sarah Diamond 36th.
WPGA finished with an outstanding 42 points. Oak Bay came second with 90 team points. The private school has cracked the top four since 2007; they came second in 2008 and ’09 to Oak Bay and then won back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011. They were out-stepped last year by Semiahmoo and reclaimed the title this year.
Two other Vancouver girls teams cracked the top 10. Killarney finished ninth and their fastest runner, Enid Au, came 22nd overall in 18:03.90. Kitsilano placed 10th, with their top finisher Annika Austin coming 29th overall in 18:31.39.
On the boys side, St. George’s finished ninth in the team event. Kieran Halliday raced to 19th overall in 21:50.53 on the 6.3 km course.
In individual results, William Hoy finished 13th overall for Vancouver College.
And, in a remarkable race, Lord Byng’s Calli Charlton reached the podium in the senior girls championship. The Grade 10 student won bronze in 16:17.65, four seconds off the pace of the winner from Salmon Arm.
“It was a clutch run for Calli,” said one of the school’s coaches, Byron Jack. “This is possibly the best finish ever by a Lord Byng girl at the B.C.s. She was the lone runner for Lord Byng in the senior girls’ race. They braved nasty cold, driving rain, a couple of ridiculous hills and a soggy, muddy course.”
Charton placed sixth in 2012 as a Grade 9 student.
