The following is being distributed at the request of Sport Newfoundland and Labrador:

School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador holding provincial cross country skiing championships this weekend

School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador will sponsor the provincial high school cross-country skiing championships this coming weekend. Regina High School in Corner Brook will host the event at the Blow Me Down Ski Club.

Team and individual champions will be declared in four divisions - junior boys, junior girls, senior boys and senior girls. Each team will consist of four skiers with the first three finishers from each team scoring points. Individual races will be raced in the freestyle, while the relay races will be raced using the classic style. The junior boys individual race will be on a five kilometre course; junior girls, a two and a half kilometre course; senior girls, a five kilometre course and senior boys, a seven and a half kilometre course. The relay race distances will be one kilometre for each skier in the senior boys, senior girls and junior boys, and half a kilometre for junior girls.

The following schools will be represented at the event: Canon Richards High (Flowers Cove), Viking Trail Academy (Plum Point), Regina High (Corner Brook), Herdman Collegiate (Corner Brook), Pasadena Academy (Pasadena), Presentation Junior High (Corner Brook), Harriot Curtis Collegiate (St. Anthony) and Stephenville High.

The two top teams will be rewarded with gold and silver medals, as well the top team will receive the championship banner. The individual winners will be awarded gold, silver and bronze medals.

All the School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador tournaments are sponsored by School Milk Foundation/Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Crime Stoppers Newfoundland and Labrador.

Media contact: Karen Richard, (709) 729-2795

Convenor: Gord Casey, (709) 639-7986 or (709) 789-2761

2004 02 26                                       4:25 p.m.