Rattlers runner Becky Ross capped off a stellar ACAC season with a second-place finish at the ACAC Cross Country Running Championships in Lethbridge on Saturday. The 4th year nursing student covered the rolling 6 km course in 23:59, a time only bettered by two-time defending CCAA XC Running Champion Makenna Fitzgerald from SAIT, who captured her third consecutive ACAC title.

Maddy Scrimger also ran a strong race f or Rattlers finishing 5th, one spot better than her 2022 ACAC Championships placing. Based on their top 7 finishes, both she and Ross were named to the 2023 ACAC All Conference team.

Mizuki Iwata (21st), Pyper Gill (29th), Annika Marshall (39th), and Kabri Stickel (44th) were the other MHC women finishing the race.

Collectively, the MHC ladies placed 4th, a mere 3 points behind the bronze medal team from St. Mary’s University. SAIT prevailed over Red Deer Polytechnic by single point for team championship.

The MHC men placed 6th in their 8 km race. Shintaro Iwata (25th) and Spencer Wilson (29th) led the way for the Rattlers. Gage Smith (36th), Justin Jager (38th), Tristan Scrimger (44th), Jaiden Romanuik (56th), and Jon McKinley (58th) were the other MHC finishers.

SAIT completed the team sweep by winning the men’s championship; Red Deer Polytechnic was second.

Also on Saturday, the ACAC Grand Prix awards were presented to the Conference’s top runners based on their collective season’s results. Ross won the overall 2023 Grand Prix women’s title, and Maddy Scrimger placed third.

Ross, Maddy Scrimger, Mizuki Iwata, and Gill will now travel to Truro, Nova Scotia on November 11 to take part in the 2023 CCAA XC Running Championships.

Full results of Saturday’s race can be found at the RacePro.ca website.