Every few years a surprise team shows up as a major contender in the Island high school cross country series.

This year it was the Reynolds secondary boys team, taking the at Beaver Lake on Oct. 24. Reynolds beat out perennial powerhouses Oak Bay High, which came second, and NanaimoB次元官网网址檚 Dover Bay secondary, in third.

B次元官网网址淭he (Reynolds) boys lost their minds a bit just because it was so unexpected,B次元官网网址� said Reynolds coach Brad Cunningham. B次元官网网址淲e knew we had a deep team, but Oak Bay and Dover Bay are so strong, and (fourth-place) Mount Douglas too.B次元官网网址�

Ben Weir of Glenlyon Norfolk School as the top male, completing the 6.7-kilometre course in 20 minutes, 42 seconds, three seconds ahead of Liam Kennel of Oak Bay High. Thomas Getty of Mount Doug took third, 30 seconds later, a sweep by the trio of teammates who train together at the cityB次元官网网址檚 elite high school track and field program.

Pacing the second group of male runners (Weir and Kennel were the lead pack) at Beaver Lake was ReynoldsB次元官网网址� Seamus Maguire, as usual. Maguire is the reigning B.C. high school 800-metre champion and a B次元官网网址渇rontrunnerB次元官网网址� who likes to lead out. Close behind Maguire was Erik Evans, among the pack of Weir, Kennel and Getty. Evans overtook Maguire as they finished fourth and sixth, respectively. Key to the ReynoldsB次元官网网址� win was getting five runners in the top 25, a feat that will prove challenging against the rest of the province this weekend. Taylor Lyman, a Grade 9 student, finished an impressive race at 16th overall, with teammates Thomas Thierbach in 19th and Jon McKay in 23rd.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been fifth the last few years so itB次元官网网址檚 great we finally get to go to provincials,B次元官网网址� Cunningham said.

The top four teams qualfiy for provincials in Prince George on Saturday (Nov. 3). Reynolds will be sending the maximum seven runners, same as with Oak Bay, Dover Bay and Mount Doug. Reynolds had three girls on the team, Elizabeth Underhill, Solene Berthelot and Klara Hlavon.

Only Hlavon (Grade 11) will make the trip to Prince George. She finished 21st overall.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not a traditional cross country school, so this is a special year and itB次元官网网址檚 one thatB次元官网网址檚 been four years in the making,B次元官网网址� said Cunningham, a former competitive triathlete. B次元官网网址淲hen Maguire and Evans came together four years ago I thought, B次元官网网址榟uh, we have something here.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Reynolds is a B次元官网网址渞agtag groupB次元官网网址� of exceptional athletes, Cunningham explained, as most of them have another sport that is their main focus.

Evans is a triathlete who trains under local youth coach Kelly Guest. Maguire is a Saanich junior Braves hockey player hoping to crack the B.C. Hockey League.

Thierbach is a competitive curler and McKay spends most of his time in the pool as an aspiring swimmer.

B次元官网网址淚n a way, they are good runners and had the races of their lives. They committed to this team even though theyB次元官网网址檙e specialized in other disciplines.B次元官网网址�

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