What you need to know about the 2017 OFSAA XC Championships

The town of Petawawa, Ont. is the site of one of North America’s largest high school cross-country meets on Saturday.

The Ontario high school championships (OFSAA) feature races including midget (Grade 9), junior (Grade 10) and senior (Grade 11 and up). This year’s championships, which athletes qualify for either as individuals or as part of a team at the regional level, are being held at Petawawa Golf Club, approximately two hours northwest of Ottawa.

Boys and girls race the same distances at the high school level in Ontario. Midgets race 4K, juniors 5K and seniors 6K.

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Both senior winners from 2016 – Andrew Alexander and Martha MacDonald – graduated opening the door for a new senior champion in 2017. Last year’s junior champions Nick Mota and Cameron Ormond are now in the senior ranks as first-year Grade 11s. Ormond won OFSAA cross-country as a midget (Grade 9) and remains undefeated at the OFSAA XC level.

1st team in line at the @OFSAA XC Championships @Nike tent in Petawawa. @StMarcellinusXC has arrived. #ofsaaxc #marcyxc #petawawa #views pic.twitter.com/Xtydgr1jIn

— St. Marcellinus XC (@StMarcellinusXC) November 3, 2017

RELATED: Canadian Running‘s coverage of the 2016 OFSAA XC Championships.

There are 1,784 athletes listed on the entry page, according to Windsor Timing with approximately 300 athletes in each of the midget, junior and senior ranks.

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2016 champions

Midget: Joe Fast, Haley Davis
Junior: Nick Mota, Cameron Ormond
Senior: Andrew Alexander, Martha MacDonald
(Past boys champions and past girls champions)

Nov. 4 schedule (all local times)

8 a.m. – Site opens
9 a.m – 4:00 p.m. – Athletes’ Village
10 a.m. – Midget Girls
10:45 a.m. – Para Race
11:30 a.m. – Midget Boys
12:15 p.m. – Junior Girls
1 p.m. – Junior Boys
1:45 p.m. – Senior Girls
2:30 p.m. – Senior Boys
3:15 p.m. – Awards

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbCsfZwFb2O/?tagged=ofsaa

Results (when available)

Runnerspace will be live streaming the event on Saturday. Click here for details.