For the first time in B.C. School Sports history, junior athletes will compete in their own provincial championship in separate event from seniors.
Previously, the B.C. championship was an open meet where high school athletes of all ages competed side by side. Starting this year, racers in grades 8, 9 and 10 will have the option to enter a separate event or race in the senior open if they qualify as one of the fastest from their regional zone.
Thomson Harris, a Grade 10 Kitsilano student who won the fourth and final public city meet Oct. 16 at Langara Park, said the junior championship will boost participation but won’t have the prestige of the all-ages provincial.
“It’s a good option for people who don’t qualify for the open. If I get the option, I’d prefer to race in the open,” he said.
Harris, 15, qualified for provincials two years running. In Grade 8 he finished 117th in the open and improved on those results in Grade 9 when he finished 48th overall.
The junior and open event is scheduled for Nov. 2 in Langley at Aldergrove Lake Park.
