Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2009 39 New competition, same result for Trinity runner Bronzovich wins sixth straight regional cross-country gold By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF HERB GARBUTT / OAKVILLE BEAVER Holy Trinity student Rachel Bronzovich looks towards the finish line during the Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference cross country championships Tuesday in Dundas. DUNDAS -- Rachel Bronzovich may not have much to say, but that's okay. Her results speak for themselves. The Holy Trinity Grade 9 student continued an impressive streak Tuesday at the Christie Conservation Area when she won the midget girls' title at the Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference cross country championships. It was the sixth consecutive year Bronzovich has claimed a regional championship, having won the Halton Catholic District School Board title in each of her five years of elementary school competition. Competing against runners from two school boards she would not have faced in elementary school, Bronzovich still came out on top, completing the three-kilometre course in 11 minutes and 17 seconds to finish five seconds ahead of Bishop Tonnos student Marissa Codispodi. "She's quiet, but she's got a lot of intensity," said Holy Trinity coach Audrius Stonkus. "Once the gun goes off, she's a different person." Bronzovich's win and an eighth-place finish by Kylie Hendricks helped Holy Trinity's midget girls' team qualify for OFSAA. They'll be joined by Amy Hill, Natalie Bilokrely and Celeste Mazzotta. Bronzovich has never run with a club outside of school. She trains with her dad and cross country helps her build endurance for soccer, where she plays with the Erin Mills B rep team. She sums up her success concisely. "I just like to run." Bronzovich's victory in the first race of the day proved to be the closest of the six events. Spikes help Watson set the pace Given the chance to dig in, David Watson ran away with the GHAC title. "It was my first race wearing spikes," said Watson, after winning the midget boys race by a wide margin. "I felt some good bursts of speed during the race. It felt pretty good." Watson crossed the finish line 50 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Shane MacDonald of E.C. Drury in Milton. The victory was the third of the year for the Abbey Park Grade 9 student, who had already won the Abbey Park Invitational and the Marauders meet. Watson wasted no time in going to the front of the pack, and his challengers were unable to reel him in. Watson was the only runner to break the 18-minute mark on the five-kilometre Christie Conservation Area course, finishing in 17 minutes and 30 seconds. "That was a strong run from him," said Abbey Park coach Greg Dailey. "(Setting the pace) was the smart thing for him to do today but he will probably have to play it a little differently at OFSAA." The provincial high school championship will be held Saturday, Nov. 7 in Woodbridge. Watson finished ninth at a pre-OFSAA meet on the same course. Watson and Bronzovich will be joined by five other individual qualifiers as well as five Oakville teams. Former OFSAA medalists return St. Thomas Aquinas will send the sister team of Colleen and Kelly Hennessy. Colleen, an OFSAA champion in 2007, was second in the senior girls' race, finishing behind only Georgetown's Emily Driedger. Kelly placed third in the junior girls' race. Another former OFSAA medalist, Dan Mathie, is also returning to provincials. The Abbey Park student, a bronze medalist at OFSAA last year, finished second in the senior boys' race. He'll be joined by Holy Trinity's Eric Labelle, who placed third. Connor Ladly-Fredeen of Oakville Trafalgar qualified with a fourth-place fin See Wildcats page 39 MILTON HEIGHTS RACING CLUB HUGE SKI & SNOWBOARD SWAP NOVEMBER 6, 7 & 8 Fri 6-10, Sat 9-5, Sun 9-3 Location: Country Heritage Park (Gambrel Barn) off of Tremaine Rd., Milton ... just north of Glen Eden FREE ADMISSION & PARKING Discover the Difference... The Oakville Golf Club is now offering a limited number of Social and Winter Social Memberships for those wishing to discover the private club difference. For more information on our new Social Membership Opportunities please contact Amazing Deals on New & Used Equipment! bonus for 2009: Glen eden `buy one - get one free' lift ticket coupon with $250 merchandise... buy more... get more! *See website for details THOUSANDS OF ITEMS! Check out www.miltonheights.com for more details 905-690-1202 Sharon Fraser @ 905.845.8321 ext. 32 or sharonf@oakvillegolfclub.com www.icesports.com 905-845-6989