Photo credit Guelph Athletics
HAMILTON, Ont. - The 96th running of the OUA Men's Cross Country Championships and 33rd running of the OUA Women's Cross Country Championships promise to be the closest races in recent years.
The University of Guelph is set to host the OUA Cross Country Championships this Saturday, October 30. Championship action will begin at 12:00 p.m. with the women's five kilometer race followed at 12:45 p.m. by the men's 10 kilometer race.
The host Guelph Gryphons, who have dominated the championships in recent history with the women having won a record six consecutive titles and the men's streak sitting at five, will face their stiffest competition in recent memory.
On the women's side the Gryphons boast five of the top six returners from 2009, led by bronze medalist Rachel Cliff (Vancouver). Cliff, last year's OUA rookie of the year Genevieve Lalonde (Moncton, N.B.), and Courtney Laurie (York, Ont.) could all wind up on the podium.
Looking to spoil the Gryphons' parade will be the quickly-improving McMaster Marauders. The Marauders have jumped from fifth in 2007, to third in 2008, to runners up last year. Early this season, they up-ended the Gryphons at the Western International and have been ranked as the top team in the CIS for the entire season until this week when they were overtaken by the Gryphons.
The Marauders will be led by Jessica Pearo (Richmond Hill, Ont.), who is undefeated this season and was instrumental in Canada's bronze medal finish at last year's World University Cross Country Championships. After the lead two teams there is a gap to the Western Mustangs and Queen's Gaels who are expected to battle it out for the bronze. The Mustangs and Gaels are led by two coaches at opposite ends of their careers: the legendary Bob Vigars, completing his 43rd season at the helm guides the Mustangs while the Gaels are directed by first year head coach Steve Boyd. The rookie of the year battle is expected to be between Emily Driedger (Georgetown, Ont.) of the Gryphons, Ontario High School Champion, Toronto's Colleen Hennessy (Oakville, Ont.), and Waterloo's Kristen Flanagan (Kitchener, Ont.).
Other teams competing at the championships include a number of teams around OUA. Last year's hosts the Brock Badgers finished 12th in 2009, the Lakehead Thunderwolves are currently ranked No. 10 in the CIS and the Ottawa Gee-Gees finished a respectable eighth last season. The Windsor Lancers, often shadowed by a strong men's squad could be an upset as they finished 4th last season. Nipissing, RMC, Laurier, Trent and York will also compete.
The men's race promises to add another chapter to the epic rivalry between the host Gryphons and the Windsor Lancers. Arguably the best rivalry in Canadian university sport, the Gryphons and Lancers have accounted for the past 15 OUA team championships and the past 12 CIS titles.
Last year, the Gryphons captured the title handily setting an OUA scoring record in the process, but, like any great champion, the Lancers have reloaded with several talented newcomers and are poised to take a run at the Gryphons on their home turf. Individual two time defending Champion Allan Brett (Ottawa) will be looking to become only the second athlete ever to win three consecutive OUA titles. He will be challenged by Gryphon teammates Kyle Boorsma (Guelph, Ont.), the OUA Champion in 2007 and transfer Alex Genest (Sherbrooke, Que.), the 2007 CIS Champion while running for Sherbrooke.
The Lancers will counter with Dave Weston, the only athlete to break up the Gryphons top five runners last year, All-Canadian Adam Kellar (Hampton, N.B.), and transfer Anthony Berkis (Oshawa, Ont.). Looking to disrupt the Gryphon and Lancer dominance up front will be Queen's Matt Hulse (Hartington, Ont.) and a pair of Western Mustangs Ryan Armstrong (St. Thomas, Ont.) and Kyle O'Neill (Aylmer, Ont.). Hulse was the OUA MVP in track and field last year while Armstrong and O'Neill were both first team All-Stars in the past.
The Gaels and Mustangs will once again likely be battling for the bronze, with the McMaster Marauders and Toronto Varsity Blues also looking to sneak into the top three. The favourite for rookie of the year honours is Ross Proudfoot (Sudbury, Ont.) of the Gryphons. Earlier this year Proudfoot became the first rookie to ever win the Western International. Challenging Proudfoot will be Paul Janikowski (LaSalle, Ont.) of the Lancers and Steven Hosier (Lindsay, Ont.) of the Ryerson Rams, who will become the first Ryerson athlete to ever compete at the OUA Cross Country Championships.
Also competing for the men's championship title includes Brock, Lakehead, Nipissing, RMC, Toronto, Trent, Waterloo, Laurier and York. Ottawa, who finished tenth last season will be there and will host the 2011 OUA Championships.
Championship action will begin at 12:00 pm with the women's 5 kilometer race followed at 12:45 pm by the men's 10 kilometer race. The race will be preceded by a series of community events including a trail half marathon to raise funds for Lesotho, a 5 kilometer Devil's Run, and Free Children's 1k fun run.
The races will be contested in the Guelph Arboretum on the course that hosted the past three Canadian Cross Country Championships.
For more information visit http://guelphrunning.ca/events.php?id=35 . Notes courtesy of the Guelph Gryphons.
Women's Team Participants
Brock Badgers
Guelph Gryphons
Lakehead Thunderwolves
McMaster Marauders
Nipissing Lakers
Ottawa Gee Gees
Queen's Gaels
Royal Military College
Toronto Varsity Blues
Trent Excalibur
Waterloo Warriors
Western Mustangs
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Windsor Lancers
York Lions
Men's Team Participants
Brock Badgers
Guelph Gryphons
Lakehead Thunderwolves
McMaster Marauders
Nipissing Lakers
Ottawa Gee Gees
Queen's Gaels
Royal Military College
Ryerson Rams
Toronto Varsity Blues
Trent Excalibur
Waterloo Warriors
Western Mustangs
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Windsor Lancers
York Lions
Source:
OUA