The Carman Collegiate varsity girls returned home with the 2023 MHSAA Cross Country Championship banner from the Asessippi Ski Resort on Oct. 1.
Both the Carman Collegiate’s boys and girls varsity teams qualified for the championship event, and sunny skies and expansive views of fall foliage in the valley were not the only highlights as both teams ended up on the podium.
Carman’s varsity girls’ team was hopeful going into the race as they had previously captured the Zone IV title in St. Malo. When the dust settled in Asessippi, the Carman girls were provincial champions.
Jessica Anderson led the team with her fifth-place finish overall, while Sara Gross, Hana Lysiuk, Milcah Ziso, and Megan Gross secured the necessary placements to capture gold.
The team was especially elated with the victory as it has been 32 years since the Carman varsity girls had brought home the Manitoba High School Provincial Cross Country title.
Carman’s varsity boys’ team was thrilled with their bronze medal finish, given that they travelled with only four athletes, which was the minimum number to qualify as a team. And that meant that every runner’s score counted, and all must finish the race.
Nate Phillips led the team with his third-place finish, followed by Nathan Dyck in sixth place.
“Looking around at the 900 competitors and coaches, there were many familiar faces for us Zone IV coaches,” said Carman’s cross country coach, Larisa Ens. “The steadfast commitment of those teacher-coaches over the years to their students and the sport shows as Zone 4 literally ran away with over half of the A-AAA titles.”
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