Students Go the Distance at LCSAC Cross-Country Meet

It was a sunny and brisk fall morning at Canatara Park on Saturday, Oct. 17 for the annual Lambton Catholic Schools Athletic Council cross-country meet.

More than 500 student-athletes participated in the girls’ and boys’ junior (Grades 3-4), intermediate (Grades 5-6) and senior (Grades 7-8) divisions. While runners showed their competitive spirit, the morning was also about trying something new and having fun.

“For a lot of them, it’s their first real sports event, especially in the junior division,” said convener Allan Symeonakis. “You have kids in Grades 3 and 4 who have never been on a sports team, so this gives them a chance to come out and run with their team. We have over 120 junior girls and boys. It’s a massive draw for those kids. It gets them out in nature and gives them a chance to challenge themselves. The race is over 2.3 kilometres, so it’s a great first challenge.”

One of those runners who enjoyed the challenge was Grade 3 student Maddox Mellor from St. Anne’s, who finished second place in the Junior Boys division.

“I liked that it was a big competition, because if it’s too easy it’s not fun,” said Mellor. “My strategy was to wait until everybody else was tired and then go hard.”