Training starts early for Oak Bay High athletes who tackle tough terrain at high speed. By the time the cross-country team hits the hallways, they’ve spent time gelling as a team with a late-summer camp.
The training and team bonding are quite intentional says Tessa Kubicek, who coaches the team alongside Megan Johnston and Mya Kinnear.
“One thing that is really special about the Oak Bay team is they compete in cross-country as a team,” Kubicek said.
Cross-country is known to be a bit of a gruelling sport, but at Islands, the young athletes tackled a course longer and rougher than they’re accustomed to – on an unusually warm day Oct. 19. Young runners on other teams were burning out on the course.
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“They totally rose to the occasion, as a team they dug deep,” Kubicek said. “It’s a sport where you’re experiencing physical discomfort, so to have the team mentality where you’re going to push through for the team is important.”
The team found success at the Island championships in Port Alberni Oct. 19 with the senior girls, senior boys and junior boys teams each finishing first and the junior girls finishing second.
Team highlights include junior boys runners Charli Mlotshwa finishing in first place overall, and Will Powell in fourth. In the senior boys division Tyler Browne finished first and Owen Lewis was fifth. Isabelle Joiner finished sixth for the senior girls and Sara Campbell placed sixth for the junior girls.
Seven members head for B.C. Championships at Royal Roads University on Saturday, Nov. 5.