Julian Luoma has a protegee - well, sort of.

Luoma, a talented junior star with the Lo-Ellen Park Knights cross-country team, took top spot in his category at the 2025 SDSSAA Championships Wednesday at Kivi Park - albeit by just a two second margin as Maxime Belzile (Macdonald-Cartier) gave him quite a run for his money.

Beyond that, however, Luoma could take perhaps a little extra credit in helping Lo-Ellen novice sensation Dax Hester to victory, the latter earning more than an 80 second triumph over teammate Lincoln Elliott in the novice boys race.

“He (Luoma) keeps me pushing it, gives me a lot of advice; when I should warm up and what pace I should maintain throughout the race,” said Hester, post-race. And if he is lucky, the 14 year-old grade nine talent might even squeeze in a workout alongside his role model just one year older.

“I think he slows down when I go out with him,” said Hester with a laugh. “I can’t keep up with him.”

Truth be told, there are many a Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club athlete who can relate to that feeling.

Recently selected to Swimming Canada’s National Development Program ID team, Dax Hester has established himself as one of the top young swimmers in his age group in the province, leaving many a training partner in his dust.

Where racing in the pool is now second nature to the multi-sport sensation, Hester is still getting his bearings a little when it comes to race strategy on the colourful fall trails in the Sudbury south end.

“I wish I had paced it (the race) better,” he stated. “I kind of went out too hard and died off at the end.”

Along with a very strong SDSSAA contingent, Hester will head to St Joseph Island this week, site of the NOSSA Cross-Country Championships. “I would like to know where it’s smart to push and where it’s smart to almost go a bit easier,” said Hester, discussing the course information that he would like to access from senior Knights as they tackle the Mountainview XC Ski Trails and Walking Trails.

As was expected, coach Colin Ward and the Lo-Ellen squad were front and centre throughout the day as teammates

Lia Paille and Ewa Breckon finished 1-2 in the junior girls’ dash. “Cross-country is definitely my forte,” noted Paille, who also runs track and field competitively and participates in volleyball at a high-school level only.

“It really challenges me.”

Part of that challenge comes from the pure logistical differences for runners when one heads out across the lovely backwoods trails at Kivi Park versus simply circling the track time after time in the spring and summer.

“Mentally, in cross-country, it’s difficult to know your pace,” said Paille. “In track, you just look at the clock. It’s also hard to compare yourself to other events because every course is different.”

And for as much as the Kivi Trails may have seemed a bit daunting into the moments leading up to the big race, the 15 grade ten runner year-old conquered it like a pro. “Before the race, we jogged the first lap,” said Paille. “I was a little scared because I saw a bunch of hills. But as soon as I got in there and got comfortable and in stride, all of the stress went away.”

“It was a lot of fun. I had a really good time.”

In the end, Paille would find herself 65 seconds ahead of Breckon, she herself enjoying a 51 second gap ahead of Makenzie Moore of Lasalle. “Before the halfway mark, I knew that I wanted to be near first,” said Paille. “That’s where I had positioned myself in a previous race and I had a really good race that time.”

“Also, I relied on the boys,” noted Paille, alluding to the fact that the junior boys and girls all left the start line at exactly the same time. “I used the boys to push myself. I am so grateful for them.”

In her first ever SDSSAA Championships in just her second year of pursuing running more seriously, Bishop Alexander Carter freshman Mila Drozdowski also had plenty to be grateful for as she etched out a 26 second win over multi-sport talent Ella Sabourin of E.S.C l’Horizon.

“I think my favourite thing about cross-country running is the feeling I get when I am actually running,” said Drozdowski in an email exchange this week. “I enjoy how it clears my mind and also helps my focus. When I am running, I feel a sense of peace - and I really enjoy that feeling.”

Still, in spite of the relaxation her pursuit would bring, Drozdowski still found time to formulate a plan of action based on how the preliminary races had played out earlier this fall. “My game plan entering the race was to start off at a good pace and try and get towards the middle or front of the crowd, then slowly make my way up and pass people.”

“I had previously noted the girls who were faster in some races and ones that were behind me so that I could watch out for them. During the race, I picked out specific runners who I knew were quick and kept at an even pace behind them before passing them. I made sure to go on the inside corners and go hard up hills - and I gave my final kick around the last 300 to 500 metres, pushing hard and not slowing down.”

Rounding out the race winners were the senior tandem of Lily Bignucolo (Lo-Ellen) and Raphael Belzile (Macdonald-Cartier) as well as para champions Dante Ricketts (Lasalle), Sophia Carlson (Marymount) and Summer Boyer (Lasalle).

Following are the top five finishers in each of the six main categories that were contested on Wednesday:

Novice Girls - 4.1 km
1st - Mila Drozdowski (BAC) - 17:43
2nd - Ella Sabourin (HOR) - 18:09
3rd - Julia D'Angelo (STB) - 18:22
4th - Sofia Kalviainen (LEP) - 18:29
5th - Kallie Smith (STB) - 19:05

Novice Boys - 4.1 km
1st - Dax Hester (LEP) - 15:33
2nd - Lincoln Elliott (LEP) - 16:42
3rd - Zidan Eldahhan (LEP) - 16:53
4th - Max Barros (SCC) - 16:56
5th - Carter Montgomery (STB) - 17:20

Junior Girls - 5.5 km
1st - Lia Paille (LEP) - 23:12
2nd - Ewa Breckon (LEP) - 24:17
3rd - Makenzie Moore (LAS) - 25:08
4th - Mackenzie Roy (SCC) - 25:53
5th - Amelie Gervais (CND) - 25:55

Junior Boys - 5.5 km
1st - Julian Luoma (LEP) - 18:58
2nd - Maxime Belzile (ESMC) - 19:00
3rd - Lex Gorval (CVDCS) - 21:04
4th - Eden Abols (LCS) - 21:13
5th - Logan Anderson (LCS) - 21:22

Senior Girls - 6.1 km
1st - Lily Bignucolo (LEP) - 24:18
2nd - Megan Pineau (LEP) - 26:36
3rd - Misaki Diavolitsis (LCS) - 27:22
4th - Lea Maki (LEP) - 27:29
5th - Leticia Da Silva (LEP) - 27:38

Senior Boys - 6.1 km
1st - Raphael Belzile (ESMC) - 21:39
2nd - Jack Ellis (SSS) - 21:51
3rd - Isaac Longston (LCS) - 22:09
4th - Carson Jewitt (LEP) - 22:34
5th - Idris Bouhedda (LAS) - 22:44