Cross Country Season Opens with Invitational

The Peacock and Central rivalry was on display again during the Moose Jaw Cross Country Invitational on Tuesday in Wakamow Valley.

Peacock’s Ashton Woodley and Central’s Kal McGillis battled back-and-forth throughout the four-kilometre high school boys race. Woodley found an extra gear during the final stretch towards the finish line and pulled out the win in the season-opening meet.

“Going through the race it was definitely tough, he was right on me the entire time and I just knew when to go,” said Woodley. “It was a fight to the finish line, he passed me on the third lap up in the hills, but when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go and I felt like I had that kick to spread it out.”

Woodley finished first in the senior boys division with McGillis right behind in second place. Peacock’s Shawn Campbell came in third, while Peacock’s Andrew Abbott was fourth after running the entire final lap with just one shoe.

“I wish I won, but districts is when I want to win,” said McGillis after the race.

The Invitational featured 222 high school and elementary runners taking part in the race under overcast skies. The elementary students went first followed by the boys and girls high school races.

Vanier grade 11 Allison Grajczyk-Jelinski cruised to the win in the high school girls race, pulling away from Peacock’s Katherine McDougall during the final lap for the win.

“I just had a lot of energy left for that last lap, so I was just able to get ahead,” she said.

Grajczyk-Jelinski and McDougall were neck-and-neck over the first two laps of the three-kilometre race, but the Vanier runner found another gear on the final lap to pull away for the win.

She credited the strong performance in the opening race on the training that she’s done to get ready for the season.

“Halfway through the last lap I had some extra energy left over,” she said. “Over the summer and now during the first couple weeks of school I’ve been running quite a bit.

“This gives me some more confidence going into the city meet and I’ll be training hard over the next week.”

Peacock’s Skylar Ackerman was third in the senior girls division.

The midget girls division was won by Peacock’s Miheret Cridland, while Swift Current’s Jenna Sabine was second and Peacock’s Anna Maelde came in third.

Peacock swept the podium in the junior girls division with Caitlyn Johnson winning, Camryn Gillies coming in second and Olivia Mowchenko placed third.

On the boys side, Gravelboug’s Julien Gauthier won the midget division with Glentworth’s Dylan Harden in second and Swift Current’s Zander Rommelaere placing third.

Vanier’s Samuel Moyse won the junior boys division, while Peacock’s Joseph Amor came in second and Swift Current’s Rueben Kuzma was third.

Woodley said he’s happy with his win and excited to see where it leads him in his final high school cross country season.

“Last year, so I’ve got to give it my all and see what I can do,” said Woodley.

The high school cross country season will continue next week with the district championship.