Lancers Race to New Heights at Fort Henry 5K
The Loyalist Lancers cross-country team began their 2024 season at the Fort Henry 5K in Kingston, ON on Saturday, September 21. Eight Lancer athletes participated in the open, non-OCAA event, where both men and women ran the same distance in near-perfect weather conditions. Several athletes posted notable performances, with some achieving top 10 finishes on the school's all-time list for this course.
Age group medals were awarded to the top three runners in ten-year categories. The following Lancers placed in their divisions:
- Cassandra Elliott: 23:06, 2nd in age group, #1 all-time Lancer women
- Roya Shafai: 25:50, 3rd in age group
- Robert Leybourne: 19:25, 1st in age group, #4 all-time Lancer men
- Jessie Shaw: 19:54 (PB), 2nd in age group
- Alexander Rettegi: 21:25
- Soroush Danesh: 22:25
- Christopher Robson: 22:44, 3rd in age group,
- Mustafa Alali: 26:25
In the 4-person team competition, composed of two male and two female runners, Loyalist's team of Cassandra Elliott, Roya Shafai, Jessie Shaw, and Robert Leybourne placed first overall with a combined score of 100 points.
Head Coach Kevin Beatty expressed satisfaction with the team's performance. "Today was an important developmental step for our team. For some, it was their first race; for others, it was a good opportunity to shake off the rust. Regardless, everyone gained valuable race experience ahead of the OCAA events."
The Lancers begin the OCAA season on Friday, September 27, at the Seneca Invitational in King City, which will also host the OCAA Championships in October.