Ratttlers Christian Pimagay leads leg 1 of heat 3 of the men’s 4 x 400 relay at the 2025 RDP Open
Achieving a slew of personal and seasonal best times, the MHC Rattlers Indoor Track team returned home on Saturday night after taking part in the ACAC 2 – the RDP Open in Red Deer.
As she’s done all year, third year runner Maddie Scrimger led the way for MHC with a resounding victory in the women’s 3000m. Scrimger recorded a personal best time of 11:07, 18 seconds better than second-place finisher Hannah Pilling of Lethbridge Polytechnic.
Spencer Wilson also managed a top 3 placing in the men’s 3000m for the Rattlers.
All four Rattlers men’s and women’s relay teams in both the 4x 200m and the 4 x 400m races finished in 5th place with seasonal best times.
In the team standings, the Rattlers women ranked fourth, while the MHC men were sixth.
Aki Iwata (380) and Addy Weir (390) prepare to run Heat 1 of the Women’s 600m at the 2025 RDP Open. The Rattlers pair placed first and second in this heat.
The MHC Rattlers Indoor Track team opened its season at ACAC 1 – the Concordia Open in Edmonton
Led by Madison Scrimger’s wins in the 3000 m and 1500m, the MHC Rattlers women posted a fourth place finish at ACAC 1 – The Concordia Open in Edmonton on Saturday. In addition to her two W’s in the longer races, Scrimger also ran a leg on MHC’s 4th place 4 x 400m relay team.
Sprinters Annika Marshall and Adara Both had strong meets posting top 8 finishes in three events each. Marshall lowered her own school record in the 50m to 7.31 in finishing 5th in the short sprint and also contributed relay legs on the 4 x 200m (5th) and 4 x 400m (4th). Both placed 8th in the 50m and anchored MHC in both relay races.
Ellie Barlow recorded a 7th place finish in the 3000m and an 8th place finish in the 1500m.
Red Deer Poly took the top spot in the women’s standings with 67 points, ahead of SAIT Poly (46 points) , Lethbridge Poly (43 points ) and the Rattlers (37 points ).
On the men’s side, MHC’s team finished in 8th place overall. Top performances from the Rattlers included Chibuikem Chukwunyerenwa in the 300m (5th) and 50m (8th), Spencer Wilson 3000m (8th), the 4 x 200m relay team (5th), and the 4 x 400m relay team (7th)..
Wilson (left) anchored his “boyz” to a 5th place finish in Heat 2 of the Men’s 4 x 400m
MHC Rattlers Women at the start of the 2024 CCAA XC Running Chamionships
The MHC Rattlers Women’s Cross Country team ran their best race of the season on Saturday, finishing tenth at the CCAA XC Running Championships in Windsor, ON.
Coming into the championships unranked among the top 15 schools in Canada, the Rattlers women ran tough and consistent race over the rolling 6 km course in Malden Park. The MHC women moved from 12th place at the 3 km mid-point in the race to tenth place by the finish.
Maddie Scrimager (215) placed 17 at the 2024 CCAA XC Running Championships
Individually, team captain Maddie Scrimger (24:26) led the way in 17th place, second-best among all Alberta runners in the race. Ellie Barlow (26:30 – 50th) and Mizuki Iwata (28:23 – 71st) were the next two Rattlers across the line. Aki Iwata (28:46 – 75th), Hannah Ulm (28:50 – 77th), and Addison Weir (31:35 – 94th) were the other MHC finishers.
Quebec teams, led by defending CCAA champions FX Garneau, dominated the race taking five of the first six spots in the team standings. Red Deer Polytechnic (seventh) and Lethbridge Polytechnic (eighth) were the top Alberta schools.
MHC Women at the start of the 2024 ACAC XC Running Championships
It’s been three years in the making, but MHC Rattlers runner Madison Scrimger finally landed on the podium at the ACAC XC Running Championships in Calgary on Saturday.
After finishing 6th in 2022, and 5th in 2023, Scrimger placed 3rd this year over a challenging 6 km course on the St. Mary’s University campus. Scrimger clocked a time of 24:58, 11 seconds behind Hannah Pilling from Lethbridge Polytechnic, and 26 seconds behind winner Cadence Laplante from St. Mary’s.
Scrimger combined with Rattlers’ team mates Ellie Barlow (16th), Mizuki Iwata (28th), Aki Iwata (40th), Hannah Ulm (41st), and Addison Weir (44th) to finish 5th in the women’s team standings.
The MHC men also took part in the championships, and placed 9th in the men’s 8 km race. Spencer Willson led the way in 30th place, one place better than Gage Smith. Askia Tahirou (39th), Claudio Reqena (55th), and Griffin Goodfellow (57th) were the other Rattlers’ finishers.
As Saturday marked the end of the provincial college XC season, the season-long Grand Prix awards were also presented. Scrimger captured first place in this year’s women’s Grand Prix, which was based on an athlete’s best four races during the season. This was the second year in a row that a Rattler’s women’s runner has won this award; Becky Ross was the 2023 winner.
Next up for Rattlers’ runners is the CCAA XC Running Championships in Windsor, ON on November 9.
Maddie Scrimger (111) and Ellie Barlow (109) placed 9th and 10th at the 2024 Augustana Open
The MHC Rattlers Women’s cross country running team equalled its season’s-best finish on Saturday, placing third in ACAC 5 – The Augstana Open in Camrose. Led by two top-ten finishes from captain Maddie Scrimger (9th) and rookie Ellie Barlow (10th), the Rattlers finished a mere 4 points behind the second-place team from Lethbridge Polytechnic. Red Deer Polytechnic won the women’s race.
Other MHC women finishing the race included sisters Mizuki (22nd) and Aki Iwata (32nd), Hannah Ulm (33rd), and Addison Weir (39th).
Gage Smith at the 2024 Augustana Open XC
The MHC men had a rough day finishing 9th overall in the men’s race. Spencer Wilson (26th) and Gage Smith (27th) were the top MHC runners, while Taylor Rumberg (42nd), Claudio Requena (46th), Elijah Lavoie-Pierzchala (47th), and Griffin Goodfellow (48th) also took part in the race.
Next up for the MHC runners is the ACAC Championships in Calgary on October 26th.
Led by captain Maddie Scrimger’s second-place finish, the Rattlers women’s cross-country team ran to a fourth-place team finish at ACAC 4 – St. Mary’s Open in Calgary on Saturday.
Scrimger, and teammates Ellie Barlow (10th), Mizuki Iwata (23rd), Hannah Ulm (31st), Aki Iwata (36th), Addy Weir (38th), and Annika Marshall (50th) completed a hilly 6 km course on the St. Mary’s campus. Eleven ACAC schools took part in the event.
Addy Weir (left) at the 2024 ACAC 4 – The St Mary’s Open
A depleted MHC men’s team struggled in the men’s 8 km race. With only four of the team’s seven runners available, Spencer Wilson (27th), Gage Smith (36th), Elijah Lavoie-Pierzchala (38th), and Griffin Goodfellow (49th), the MHC squad placed tenth.
Griffin Goodfellow finishing the 2024 ACAC 4 – St Mary’s Open
Next up for the Rattlers Runners is the Augustana Campus Open on October 12 in Camrose.
Aki Iwata, Hannah Ulm, Ellie Barlow, and Addison Weir (left to right) took part in the 2024 Run for the Pumpkin in Lethbridge
Rattlers runner Maddie Scrimger won her second consecutive ACAC cross country running race of the season on Saturday, taking top spot in ACAC 3 – The Run for the Pumpkin in Lethbridge.
Scrimger sat back in the early going, passing the 2 km mark in third place, but then rallied in the final 4 km to post a 6 km time of 25:52, 36 seconds ahead of Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Hannah Pilling.
Four other MHC women also took part in the race. Ellie Barlow placed 14th, Aki Iwata finished 18th, Hannah Ulm crossed the line in 23rd, and Addison Weir was 25th.
Collectively, the Rattlers women placed third, behind the Red Deer Polytechnic and Lethbridge Polytechnic respectively.
MHC’s Maddie Scrimger leads the way in the women’s 6 km at the 2024 Run for the Pumpkin in Lethbridge
The men’s 8 km saw the Rattlers men run to one of the their better team finishes in the past few years – fourth place. SAIT won overall, followed by followed by Lethbridge and Red Deer.
Individually, MHC was led by rookie Askia Tahirou in 10th place. Spencer Wilson (21st), Elijah Lavoie-Pierzchala (23rd), Gage Smith (24th), Taylor Rumberg (28th), and Griffin Goodfellow (32nd) were the other Rattler men who finished the race.
Next up for the Rattlers runners is ACAC 4 next weekend in Calgary.
Maddie Scrimger leads the way in 2024 ACAC 1 – Concordia Open
Third-year Rattlers runner Maddie Scrimger recorded her first-ever ACAC Cross Country race win on Saturday in Edmonton. The 19-year old nursing student established an early lead and never looked back, stopping the clock in a time of 25:36 for the 6 km rolling course in Gold Bar Park. Scrimger was 24 seconds ahead of second place finisher Ashlee Walker of the host school Concordia University of Edmonton,
Rattler team mates Ellie Barlow and Addison Wiley also took part in the race. The rookie pair both made their ACAC debuts with Barlow finishing in 8th place and Wiley placing 30th.
Three Rattler men contested the 8 km distance. Rookie Askia Tahirou led the way with a 17th place finish, Gage Smith was 22nd, and Spencer Wilson crossed the line in 25th place.
Next up for the Rattlers runners is the Lethbridge Polytechnic Open on September 21st.
Medicine Hat and area runners occupied the lion’s share of the top placing at the 45th Annual MHC Rattler Run on Saturday.
5 km runners prepare to start the 2024 Rattler Run
MHC Rattlers runners Becky Ross and Maddy Scrimger went 1-2 in the women’s 10 km. Ross stopped the clock at 41:25, 59 seconds ahead of Scrimger. This was Ross’ third consecutive victory in the Rattler Run. Heloise Shrives was third.
The men’s 10 km winner was Coaldale’s Rob Lja. He recorded a time of 39:37. A pair of local half-centurions, Micheal Arequion and Darryl Smith, placed second and third respectively.
Quinn Haldorson of Medicine Hat scorched the 5 km course, posting a time of 15:56, 64 seconds clear of runner up Gideon Rutto of Lethbridge. Keegan Kolody placed third.
The women’s 5 km race was the closest race of the day with less than 20 seconds separating top three runners. Kierra Grant took the victory in a time of 22:02, while Jasmine Salmon and Miriam Wyton were second and third.
The top runners in the 3 km fun run were Finn Pasco for the boys and Blake Perrett for the girls
This year marked the debut of the Mascot Race. It was a hotly contested affair with the Daniel’s Dip Ferry taking the W over the Maverick’s Monty. MHC’s Rowdy hung on for the bronze.
The Dill Ferry prevailed in the Mascot Race at the 2024 Rattler Run
The oldest finisher this year was 90 year’s young Rose Fortier who covered the 3 km course in under 52 minutes.
Rose Fortier (90 year old) completed the 3 km at the 2024 Rattler Run
A total of 463 runners and walkers took part in the races under overcast and cool conditions.
Madison Scrimger contests the 2023 Augustana Open XC Race
Rattlers Running’s Madison Scrimger took the featured prize for female athletes Thursday night at the 52nd Annual MHC Rattlers Athletic Awards night. The second-year nursing student bested fellow MHC Female Athlete of the Year nominees Becky Ross – Cross Country Running and Libby Bourassa – Golf for top honors.
Scrimger excelled in both fall and winter semesters this year. She placed 5th in the ACAC Cross Country Running Championships in October and 14th in the CCAA National Cross Country Running Championship in November. Earlier this month, Scrimger had four podium placements at the ACAC Indoor Track Championships including silver medals in the 3000m and 15000m, a bronze medal in the 1000m, and another bronze medal as part of MHC’s 4 x 200m relay team. She was named to the ACAC All Conference team in both cross-country running and indoor track this year,
The 2023-24 Rattlers Male Athlete of the Year was also awarded on Thursday. Micheal Valk, silver medalist at last October’s CCAA National Golf Championship, took this honour.
The MHC Women’s Hockey Team captured Rattlers Team of Year award.
Other Rattlers Runners nominated for or receiving major awards included:
Academic All Canadian, ACAC All Conference Team – Becky Ross
MHC Male Athlete of Year Nominations – Justin Jager, Shintaro Iwata
MHC Male Rookie of the Year Nomination – Colton Robinson
MHC Female Rookie of the Year Nomination – Mizuki Iwata
Rattlers Running Team Awards were presented to:
MVP Cross Country Running – Becky Ross
Rookie of the Year Cross Country Running – Mizuki Iwata
Rattler Award Cross Country Running – Pyper Gill
MVP Indoor Track – Madison Scrimger
Rookie of the Year Indoor Track – Colton Robinson
Rattler Award Indoor Track – Gage Smith
With the Indoor Track season now complete, Rattlers runners are setting their sights on the 45th Annual Rattler Run on Saturday, April 27 at the MHC campus.. Several Rattlers athletes will take part in both the 5 km and 10 km races.
Rattlers Running 