Another for the win column, Frances Kelsey Secondary SchoolB次元官网网址檚 Alexa Dow won the senior AAA girls 5 km race at the B.C. High School Cross Country Championships at Crescent Park in Surrey on Nov. 4 despite being relatively new to the distance.
B次元官网网址淚 havenB次元官网网址檛 raced 5 km before this year as the distances for junior girls and the U16 category were shorter,B次元官网网址� Dow explained.
The B.C. club provincials on Oct. 14 in Surrey provided the track athlete some time to prepare for the new length, even though she ran in the U18 category as a 16 year old.
B次元官网网址淢y first 5 km at the club provincials this year was a good chance for me to see what I could do over that distance and to try some strategies,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 was happy to win the silver in my first year in the U18 category, but I learned what I needed to change when I faced the same competitors again at the B.C. High Schools race.B次元官网网址�
At the high school provincials Dow was able to pass her competition with just under one kilometre to go and she didnB次元官网网址檛 look back, running to a first place time of 17:23.30, 25 seconds faster than the second place finisher.
This is the second year in a row sheB次元官网网址檚 won the B.C. High School Cross Country Championships after finishing first at Royal Roads last year in the junior girls (4 km) category.
B次元官网网址淐ross country provides a good change for me from track season,B次元官网网址� Dow noted. B次元官网网址淥n the track IB次元官网网址檓 always racing against the clock trying to lower my times, but in cross country the courses are always so different and so while you want to run a fast time, youB次元官网网址檙e also racing for the win each time. I like the strategic part of that.B次元官网网址�
After the Canadian National Cross Country Championships, Dow will turn her focus to her training for track and field season which begins in April. She plans on opening her season by racing at the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a big year for the young racer.
B次元官网网址淕rade 11 is a really important year for college recruiting,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淢y dream is to run D1 in the NCAA and so IB次元官网网址檒l be working hard to be able to do that once I graduate.B次元官网网址�
Along with Dow, several other Cowichan Valley runners also took part in the B.C. High School Cross Country Championships on Nov. 4.
DowB次元官网网址檚 Frances Kelsey teammate Charlotte Gough placed 50th of 230 in the junior girls 4km race while Queen MargaretB次元官网网址檚 School runner Layla Walker was 58th.
Meanwhile, Brentwood College SchoolB次元官网网址檚 Veronika Lam crossed the senior AA girls 5 km finish line in 37th place while teammate Layla Reynolds placed 70th.
In the senior boys AA 5 km race, Shawnigan Lake SchoolB次元官网网址檚 Christian Lamotte placed 30th while Brentwood College SchoolB次元官网网址檚 Hamish Gullison was 83rd.
QMS athletes Mike Chen and Sean Wu placed 32nd and 41st of 62 runners in the senior A boys 5 km race respectively.
