Under the Arizona skies, where desert sunsets melt into warm starry nights, one of the most anticipated high school cross country events in the USA took place - the 18th Annual Desert Twilight Cross Country Meet. Held on September 27, 2024, this unique night race welcomed over 200 high school teams from across the U.S., all eager to compete under the event's bright lights. Among the mass of American schools stood one determined team from Canada, who traded in West Coast rain for a bit of heat - West Point Grey Academy (WPGA) from British Columbia - ready to take on the best in the U.S.
WPGA's athletes competed in multiple races and demonstrated their skill on the 5km course. Let's get into it.
Girls' Performances:
Small Schools Varsity 2 Race: Senior Mary Neill led the Wolves, finishing 13th with a time of 20:39.00 in a field of 184 runners. Close behind was Rachel Milau in 17th, clocking 20:55.10, followed by Lucy Finlayson in 29th with 21:50.80. Agnes Allvin placed 51st and Willow Bourbonnais 62nd. The girls secured 3rd place in the team standings with 122 points and an average team time of 21:50.
Large Schools Open 2 Race: In this competitive race, Grade 9 athlete Sophie Campbell placed an outstanding 5th against older competitors and seniors with a time of 21:52.50. Rachel Hardy was 7th, Juju Woolfenden 10th, and Sophie Dawe 22nd. Teammates Lily Howard, Coco Campbell, Ava Anderson, and Sienna Lalari finished consecutively in 33rd through 36th. The team took home the race title by just three points with a total score of 56 and an average time of 22:34.
Boys' Performances:
Small Schools Varsity 2 Race: Andrew Neill earned 3rd place with an impressive time of 16:21.70 in a field of 250 competitors. He was followed by Cole Timko in 16th with a time of 17:18.60 and Spencer Blomerus in 19th with 17:30.90. Ben Campbell placed 29th, and Kevin George 33rd. With an average team time of 17:21, the boys claimed the team title.
Small Schools Open 2 Race: Jonah Moon led the team with a 38th-place finish, crossing the line in 20:43.70.
Many other athletes from West Point Grey Academy also competed throughout the night, contributing to the school's remarkable presence at the meet. CLICK FOR FULL RESULTS