West Point Grey Academy swept the girls competition in the first two private school meets of the fall cross-country season, putting them on solid footing to contend for their fourth B.C. championship in five years.
Impressively, the same runners finished in the top five but none came in the same place both races. Dante Sali, Leiah Kirsh and Sarah Diamond were on the podium in the first meet, held Sept. 22 at Jericho Park. Kirsh, Diamond and Sali, in that order, finished the second meet, this time at St. George’s secondary Oct. 1. Emily Kasa and Kennedy Randall finished fourth and fifth and then fifth and fourth at the two meets.
Head coach Sean Dawson said the team is looking very strong.
The next meet is Oct. 8 at the WPGA campus.
In the city’s public school competition, Killarney’s Enid Au followed a strong spring track and field season by winning the first cross-country meet of the fall, held at Quilchena Park on Sept. 30.
The Grade 12 student finished the 3.5-kilometre course in 13 minutes, 51.59 seconds. She was 16 seconds ahead of Grade 11 Lord Byng harrier Calli Charlton.
The pair exchanged wins through the 2013 season, with Charlton winning the zone title more than 30 seconds ahead of Au.
Simeo Pont, a Grade 11 student at Jules Verne secondary, won the boys’ 4.5 km race in 15:12.78. He was closely followed by Lord Byng’s Kieran Lumb (15:13.78) and Brodie Marshall, also of Jules Verne (16:00.17).
The second meet returns to Quilchena Park on Oct. 7.
