M’CHIGEENG – The Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) Mustangs junior girls cross-country running team is the best in the province! This means a new, coveted Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championship banner will soon be unfurled on the school gym’s wall of fame.
“All the members of the girls team ran with heart. They fought for every position in the race. The team finished with a total of 102 points, crushing the second-place team by 83 points,” said MSS coach Gerry Holliday.
The team won their division at the OFSAA championships, held this past Saturday at Lakefield College School, near Peterborough. The team finished with a score of 102 points and their total time was 1:27:39, 4:39.6 better than the second-place team.
Maren Kasunich finished in third place individually in the race, in a time of 19:15.3, with teammate Mackenzie Green placing 17th in a time of 21:48.6. MSS runner Annie Balfe finished 30th overall in a time of 22:39.7 while Morgan Green was 52nd in a time of 23:54.8.
“On the boys’ side of OFSAA, after a slow start, Xavi Mara, in the novice division race, fought his way up through the 161 participants to finish with a very respectable 56th place (in a time of 16:46.5),” said Mr. Holliday. “In the junior division Brodie Pennie ran a very strong race, fading a bit in the middle, but still finished 23rd (in a time of 18:32.9),” said Mr. Holliday.
