Gibsons commuters may have noticed an enthusiastic group of early morning runners on the roads over the past few months. These athletes, grades 8 to 12, belong to the Elphinstone Cross Country running team. Elphinstone and Chatelech runners have been travelling weekly to compete in Vancouver for the High School North Shore Cross Country races. They are coached by PaceSetter Athletic’s Larry Nightingale, BC Cross Country champion and former member of the Varsity UBC Cross Country and Track team, who gets himself out of bed from his home in Halfmoon Bay five mornings a week for practices before school at Elphinstone and Chatelech.
Last Wednesday, Oct. 24, Elphinstone was a force to be reckoned with at the provincial qualifier and zone championship meet in Squamish. The four member Senior Girls Cross Country Team (Sacha Stipec, Mari Nielsen, Eilis Mackenzie and Kallalei Ryden) placed fourth as a team, competing against several Vancouver teams with seven runners. They qualified for the BC Provincial Championships in Nanaimo.
This coming weekend, all four girls, along with Sierra Ryden, who qualified in the Junior Boys division individually, and Piper Goerzen, who also qualified individually, will be trekking to Nanaimo with coach Nightingale. Go, Elphinstone, go!
– Submitted by Sacha Stipec and Kallalei Ryden
