By Larry Moko
Anna Ptaszek of the St. Mary Crusaders led the way among Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board finishers at the 2024 OFSAA cross-country championships.
A Grade 11 student with two previous years of provincial high school experience, Ptaszek raced to a 16th-place showing in the senior girls' event Monday. Her time on the 6K Ottawa course was 23 minutes, 53.44 seconds.
At her first two OFSAA cross-country meets, Ptaszek placed 32nd as a novice (in Uxbridge) and fourth last year as a junior (in Etobicoke).
One other St. Mary entrant cracked the top 20. In the para 4K field of 75 participants, Andrew Bunkowsky came 19th in 20:08.53.
This year's senior girls' race again included the St. Thomas More Knights team, which finished 29th overall. Individual More placings were: Lidia Iannarelli, 130th, 26:59.83; Kianna Reppington, 145th, 27:21.19; Callea Mule, 211th, 29:43.63; Lyliana Jones, 224th, 30:18.44; Alysia Mule, 240th, 30:50.43.
Two other teams represented the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic association. In novice boys', St. Mary came 28th over the 4K route -- Simon Castelli, 80th, 15:13.66; Jude Heinrichs, 181st, 16:23.57; Pharoah Opoku-Warner, 215th; 16:57.06; Luke Settimi, 244th, 17:52.37; Finn Kybartas, 262nd, 19:39.84.
At the 6K senior boys' level, the Cathedral Gaels placed 23rd as a group. Natnael Mulugeta paced the Gaels with a 55th-place finish in 21:13.35. He was followed by: Jeremy Pinho, 107th, 22:11.17; Terrance Kersteins, 215th, 24:22.60; Frederik Dreise, 232nd, 24:49.05; Ali Oumar Haggar, 262nd, 27:26.16.
Sophie Dobbin of the St. Jean de Brébeuf Braves ended up 57th in junior girls. Her clocking for the 5K distance was 21:21.90.
And in the junior boys' 5K race, three individuals represented Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic. Coby King of the Bishop Ryan Celtics finished 80th in 18:50.60, Alex Gray of Brébeuf was 102nd (19:14.22) and Renton Leighton of the Bishop Tonnos Titans ended up 109th (19:20.19).
