St. Michael’s girls’ cross country team finished in first place at Eastern Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association (EOSSAA) championship last Thursday in Brockville.
Novice girls Lauren Byers, Kiarah Alexander, Aubrey Durant, and Maueve Gilbert have punched their ticket to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championships on Monday.
Head Coach Kelly Niedre said it’s been some time since a girl’s team competed at provincials.
“The last Mustang girls’ cross country team to qualify for OFSAA raced fourteen years ago…the year these girls were born!”
Runners combined for an impressive 43 points at the east regional, defeating Kingston Secondary School and Holy Cross.
Niedre is optimistic that the team will find success at the OFSAA championship, which will be held in Sudbury.
“Glebe Collegiate Institute will be the team to beat, but we are hoping to podium. It would be great for all the girls to run personal bests and have fun at their first cross country provincial experience.”
The Mustang runners will also look to continue living up to the team’s motto: “You don’t get stronger by running the easy miles. You get stronger by finding another gear when you think you have nothing left.”
***With files from Vista Radio Sports Reporter Joe Gannon
