LONDON, Ont. - Makayla Varallo is three for three.
The Medway High runner from Thorndale won her third consecutive junior girls race of the 2026 cross country season, at the Cowboy-Golden Ghost Invitational meet, Thursday at Bolar Mountain.
Varallo covered the five kilometre race in 22 minutes and 47 seconds (22:47), 13 seconds ahead of John Paul Jaguars Cassidy Richardson.
A week earlier, Varallo placed first in the junior girls race at Springbank Park and also crossed the finish line in first at the Strathroy Invitational last month.
"I definitely feel great. It's nice to see that the hard work I'm putting in is starting to pay off and really show," said Varallo. "I've definitely feel that I've got faster and my lung capacity has grown."
Last November, Varallo placed 11th in the novice girls race at OFSAA, the high school provincial championships.
"I've been really focusing on nutrition and recovery such as ice baths, Epson salt baths, stretching," Varallo said. "Giving myself the proper fuel that is needs."
Varallo led Medway to the junior girls team title, with Kingsley Collins, who finished third, Maelle Burton and Maggie Van Dinther.
"So far at every meet we've been getting first by a landside," Varallo said. "All the girls are great and dedicated runners with the same goal, which is to go to OFSAA."
Varallo and her teammates will be the favourites at both the TVRA Central and WOSSAA championships.
Medway won WOSSAA and was sixth in the OFSAA novice girls standings last year.
Elgin top highlights
St. Joe's Rams Kian Wardle placed second in the novice boys 4K race, in 14:01, behind winner Denny MacDonald from Clinton St. Anne's (13:45).
St. Joe's Shyah Didyk finished ninth in senior girls.
Rams Della Berg just missed a top 10 result, placing 11th, in novice girls.
Parkside Stampeders JadenMansley placed third in the para race.
East Elgin Eagles Matt Charlton was 14th in junior boys, leading the Eagles' team to third place.