Medicine Hat, AB, Sept 10, 2022

               On a beautiful September afternoon, the Medicine Hat College Rattlers played host to the first ACAC Running Room Cross Country Grand Prix of the 2022-23 season.  On the course that will be used for the 2022 CCAA Cross Country National Championships, 30 women and 31 men completed the race.  A 2km and 4km community run got the afternoon started off with a bang with men and women, from elementary school on up, having a chance to race on an ACAC course.  At 1pm the ladies lined up to start their 6km race.  Mackenna Fitzgerald, from the SAIT Trojans, quickly took the lead and maintained her advantage throughout finishing first in a time of 22 minutes, 59 seconds.  Maddy Scrimger from the host Rattlers had a great race finishing second in a time of 24 minutes and 12 seconds.  Jenica Swartz from the Red Deer Queens finished third, crossing the line in 24 minutes and 22 seconds.  In the team event, the MHC Rattlers finished first with 38 points, followed by Red Deer (40 points) and SAIT (46 points).

               As 2pm rolled around, the men lined up for the start of their 8km race.  In what was an extremely tight and exciting race, Leonard Cheeso from the Concordia University Thunder narrowly beat Moktar Said from the SAIT Trojans.  Cheeso crossed the line in 26 minutes and 8 seconds followed immediately by Said in 26 minutes and 9 seconds.  The Trojans Tofik Said came third in a time of 26 minutes and 28 seconds.  A slight directional error near the finish line showed off a level of exceptional sportsmanship from Moktar Said.  Realizing the Cheeso had veered off course, he helped his fellow runner get back on the correct path which led to an extremely exciting kick down the stretch.  This level of sportsmanship should be respected and appreciated.  In the men's team event, the SAIT Trojans came first with 14 points, followed by Red Deer (40 point) and Lethbridge (46 points).  The event was a great start to the 2022 Cross Country season.