On Oct. 11, 2023, at 12:00 p.m., most students sat snuggly in their third-period classes, but not all. Four hours away at the Asessippi Ski Resort, the Crusader Cross Country team was faced with traversing mountainous multi-kilometre courses to defend their provincial titles. 

The St. Paul‘s Cross Country Team is perhaps the most dominant high school sports dynasty in Manitoba history. The Junior Varsity team alone has won 19 of the last 21 provincial championships and the Varsity squad has won just as many, if not more.

The Crusaders headed into 2023 as championship favourites. However, the season would not be without its obstacles. For the first time in several decades, the Cru would be without the guidance of coaches Jeff McMillan and Karl Sproll. This left the team in the hands of Coach Steve Chipman ’69. Chipman was by no means a newcomer though. Having 14 years of experience coaching the team, he was supported by moderator Ms. Jackson, first-year St. Paul’s teacher, Mr. Richardson, team managers Luc St. Laurent ’25 and Baljot Rai ’24, as well as recent graduates Max Preston’22 and Duncan Smart ’22.

At the first West Winnipeg Athletic Conference (WWAC) three-kilometre race   at La Barrière Park, the Cru showed why they were the favourites. The Varsity Team put up a score of just 11 points (lowest score wins in cross country) with Adam Smith taking first place. JV dominated the competition as well, scoring just 17 points as Callum Brownlee placed second in his Crusader debut.

The second WWAC race, on Sept. 21, and the Milk Run on Sept. 27 were just as successful as the first. Commanding Crusaders win with Varsity covering 5 km and JV tackling a 4 km course. Sean Ehmann won both races for Varsity while Callum Brownlee, from JV, earned two runner up finishes, with several teammates following close behind. The Crusaders displayed their depth in the third WWAC race, clinching the WWAC titles, despite numerous absences due to sickness, injury, and work.

Throughout the season, the Crusaders trained with their eyes on provincials in Assessippi. They pushed through early morning runs before school, and workouts at Garbage Hill, fueled by the image of hoisting provincial banners. The importance of the Garbage Hill sessions became evident when the Crusaders arrived on scene in Assessipi on Oct. 10^, the eve of provincials. The course was characterized by constant changes in elevation, with steep climbs and descents atthroughout the entire race.

On race day, the starting line was a sea of Maroon as the Cru contingent was comprised of over 40 runners. Before the race, Coach Chipman encouraged the team with just two simple words: “confidence and calm,” and boy did the team take those words to heart.  The Crusaders ran with confidence and calm, claiming two provincial banners. Varsity was led by Adam Smith in second, Sean Ehmann in fourth, Julian Brennan in 17^th, and Mitch Pollack in 20^th. JV was led by Demetre Alevizos in fifth, Callum Brownlee in seventh, Hayden Bowman in tenth, and Seth Morrison in eleventh.

With Coach Chipman at the helm, a strong contingent of grade 10s moving up to Varsity, as well as a promising group of fresh Crusaders entering the team in the fall, the Crusaders are surely favoured for another double banner in 2024, provided they retain their confident and calm composures.