Lo-Ellen takes top 4 spots at NOSSA event

The Lo-Ellen Park Knights junior girls missed by just two points recording a perfect race at the 2017 SDSSAA Cross-Country Championships last week in Sudbury.

Taking another crack at the elusive goal at the NOSSA race in Mattawa on Wednesday, the quartet of Meredith Kusnierczyk, Fiona Symington, Dylann Mazzuchin and Delaney Bourget nailed it, sweeping the top four spots and separated, top to bottom, by just 31 seconds.

The accomplishment was just one of several to celebrate for local runners, led by the Knights powerhouse which secured the NOSSA banner with first place finishes in all three of the girls division, adding a pair of seconds (midget and senior boys) and placing no worse than third (junior boys), as a team, in any age bracket.

The day provided a mix of dramatic endings and impressive victories, with SDSSAA athletes right in the middle of the action on both fronts. The senior girls showdown would see Nathalie Marks de Chabris bounce back from a bronze medal performance in Sudbury, climbing two more rungs of the ladder in showing the way with a five second win over teammate Sydney Tarini.

Twin sibling Augustin Marks de Chabris was on the opposite side of the battle for top spot, crossing the line just two seconds behind senior boys champion Keon Wallingford from Widdifield.

Wallingford covered the 6-km distance in 23:27, as both he and Marks de Chabris established a 30-second gap between themselves and the field. After dominating the local competition, Calum Passi (Lasalle Lancers) proved equally as invisible on a larger stage one week earlier, posting a 1:22 victory in the midget boys race over Ethan Scott of Widdifield.

Kendyn Mashinter of Lo-Ellen was nearly as assertive in his triumph, crossing the line 51 seconds ahead of André Larocque of Collège Notre-Dame in the junior boys race.

Finally, the Manitoulin Mustangs were also returning to the island in a cheerful mood as midget girl Amber Wiwchar cruised in comfortably ahead of Laura Campbell (St Joseph Scollard Hall) over the 4-km course.

All of the top finishers, both individually and teams, are off to Petawawa for the 2017 OFSAA Cross Country Championships next Saturday. Following is a breakdown of the top three finishers in all six age brackets, the top team, as well as any SDSSAA athletes who cracked the top 10:

Midget Girls

1st - Amber Wiwchar (Manitoulin) - 17:32

2nd - Laura Campbell (Scollard Hall) - 17:55

3rd - Ophélie Bruneau (Notre-Dame) - 18:21

5th - Kalia Bachiu (Lo-Ellen) - 18:37

6th - Emily Binks (Lockerby) - 18:49

7th - Kristen Mrozewski (Lo-Ellen) - 19:01

8th - Chandyn Bachiu (Lo-Ellen) - 19:02

TEAM CHAMPS: Lo-Ellen Park Secondary

Midget Boys

1st - Calum Passi (Lasalle) - 14:34

2nd - Ethan Scott (Widdifield) - 15:56