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Running to win at cross country district championships

The Walnut Grove Gators took three of six team titles — as well as the overall title — at the Langley district cross-country championships.
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Weston Toppozzini of Aldergrove Secondary School placed in the top 10 at the Langley School District Cross Country Championships last week at Aldergrove Regional Park. His result qualifies Toppozzini for the Provincial Cross Country Championships

The Walnut Grove Gators took three of six team titles — as well as the overall title — at the Langley district cross-country championships.

The race was held on Oct. 7 at Aldergrove Regional Park.

The Gators runners won both the junior boys and senior boys titles as well as the senior girls title.

Brookswood won the junior girls title while R.E. Mountain won the Grade 8 boys title.

There was no title in the Grade 8 girls division.

Up next for the runners is the Fraser Valley championships, which will be held Oct. 23 at Abbotsford’s Clearkbrook Park.

The season will culminate with the B.C. high school provincial championships, which will also be held at Aldergrove Regional Park (Nov. 2).

Top three finishers for each division at districts were:

Grade 8 girls (3.5km)

Brookswood’s Kayla Weltzin crossed the finish line in 14:01, well ahead of the pack.

Finishing second and third were a pair of Abbotsford Christian runners, Heather Saelman (15:05) and Helen Job (15:22).

Grade 8 boys (3.5km)

Mountain’s Jordan Schmidt edged out classmate Zach Wyatt by 10 seconds for top spot.

Schmidt finished in 12:28 while Wyatt crossed at 12:38, which was just ahead of D.W. Poppy’s Ethan Foster (12:40).

Junior girls (4.5km)

Walnut Grove’s Isabella Boccia finished first as her time of 18:34 was 26 seconds ahead of second place. Langley Fundamental’s Adrianna Klassen (19:06) and Brookswood’s Louise Forsyth (19:46) were second and third, respectively.

Junior boys (4.5km)

Langley Secondary’s Dean Ellenwood blew away the field, winning the division by more than a minute with a time of 15:57. A pair of Walnut Grove runners, Paul Buckingham (17:10) and Daniel Stead (17:55) were second and third, respectively.

Senior girls (4.5km)

Abbotsford Christian’s Carissa Berger won the division in a time of 19:24. Two Walnut Grove runners, Chelsey Bone (19:55) and Robyn Buckingham (20:16) rounded out the podium.

Senior boys (6.7km)

Langley Christian’s Nick Colyn (23:45) beat out Brookswood’s Tyler DeJong (24:17) and Walnut Grove’s Richie Torres (25:16).