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Okkerse OFSAA novice boys X-C champ
The Parkside Stampeder caps phenomenal season cruising to a 11-second victory
while Varallo and Hallman finish in the top 20
November 3, 2025
By Rob J. Ross
BRAMPTON, Ont. - Nash Okkerse is an OFSAA cross country champion with an undefeated season.
Okkerse cruised to victory, taking the novice boys four kilometre race by 11 seconds Saturday at OFSAA cross country at Heart Lake Conservation Area.
"I didn't expect the race to go that well. I had no idea what to expect really," said Okkerse. "I was going to try to stay with the top people as long as I can.
Maybe pass a few. Do my best to kick at the end."
Around the first kilometre mark, during a stretch where the course goes down a steep hill and then back up a second hill, Okkerse made a move.
"I felt good going down the hill, so I took it and kept going and got a bit of a lead. I then just tried to keep the lead, Okkerse said. "It was close for the first two, two and half (kilometres). At about three kilometres, I started to pull ahead."
Okkerse, an 800 and 1500 metre runner during track and field season, never had to kick over the final hundred metres, with no one in his rear view mirror, let alone on his shoulder.
"I'm really surprised. I didn't expect that," Okkerse said. "I was thinking top 10. I was thinking of how I do at some provincials races for track, but I had no clue had it would transfer over to here."
The Grade nine Parkside Stampeder won each of his seven races this season, including Tri-County and WOSSAA. OFSAA featured 264 runners.
To think, Okkerse had little interest in keeping with cross country a year ago after winning the open boys race, at the Thames Valley Elementary final meet.
The graduate of Kettle Creek school in Port Stanley, even missed a few early practices at Parkside.
"I've been training the last two to thee months to develop my cross country," said Okkerse, crediting coach Harry Stantsos of St. Thomas Legion Club, along with Okkerse's cousin, Mason Basson, a 800-metre specialist with the Guelph Gryphons and former X-C runner at Parkside.
Okkerse tops St. Joseph's Lexi Wilson's novice girls silver medal in 2006, for Elgin County's all-time best result.
Top 20 results
Makayla Varallo of Thorndale, finished 11th in the novice girls four kilometre race, leading her school, Medway High, to a top 10 result.
"I had a really good race because there are 250 girls and I got 11th in all Ontario. It's amazing, so I'm proud of that, Varallo said. "I didn't know what to expect. I knew that there are so many girls here that are the same skill set, or a lot faster so I'm really gald of the place that I got."
A quick start was important, to not get caught up in the pack over the opening 500 metres.
"I didn't really have a strategy. Just put it all out there," Varallo said. "I knew I was going to start strong because if I didn't all of these girls would cut in. It was an intense race and it was hard, because there was no gap between me and the person behind me or in front of me. If I didn't keep going, they were going to pass me."
Medway, the WOSSAA champs, placed sixth as a team
at OFSAA. Following Varallo; Kingsley Collins (17:35.71) 68th, Noelle Chalmers
(17:57.66) 101st, Marg Van Dinther, 154th (19:04.81), Isla Fraser, 171st
(19:16.69).
Dorchester Beavers Kirk Hallman placed 17th in the senior boys six kilometre race
of 280 runners.
"The goal going in was to be back in the top 10, so I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to achieve that," Hallman said. "But at the end of the day, OFSAA is packed with really solid runners, so I'm still happy with placing 17th."
Hallman finished ninth at OFSAA in his novice year, eighth as a junior and 29th a year ago, as a first year senior.
"The race was really challenging," Hallman said. "I found that if you didn't get right to the front at the start, you got boxed in for most of the race. It was a fun course with some great views and surfaces."
The Thorndale resident list his first OFSAA, as the favourite.
"It was super fun because of the novelty of competing at the provincial level for he first time. I really liked the course."
Memories that stand out from four years of cross, is training with teammates and coaches.
"I'd say the biggest thing that stands out is the importance and value of great teammates and coaches," Hallman said. "It takes so much time and effort every season to train for cross country, but having a fun group of guys to work with makes it fun rather than work. I couldn't have made it to OFSAA without them putting in the time every week."
St. Joseph's Rams Armani Moniz was 113th in junior boys.
The Rams' senior girls team placed 27th, led by Abi Faris finishing 90th in the race.
It wasn't the day the Rams hoped for, after fourth place results as novices and juniors.
For WOSSAA, St. Marys DCVI, a single-A school, took the senior boys team title, while their novice boys were fourth.
Finishing in the top 10 from WOSSAA: Autumn Vandermeer, London Gabriel-Dumont, fifth, junior girls; Ryker Slusarczyk, Woodstock Huron Park, 10th, novice boys; Tyler Gravis, Woodstock CI, 12th, novice boys; Thomas Mott, Stratford St. Mike's, seventh, junior boys.
In 2026, OFSAA X-C returns to Sudbury, the 2019
host.
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