CIS athletes of the week (#10): Cross country champs Seccafien, Wiebe honoured

OTTAWA (CIS) – Cross-country runners Andrea Seccafien from the University of Guelph and Kelly Wiebe from the University of Regina are the CIS female and male athletes of the week for the period ending Nov. 11, 2012.

Seccafien, a fourth-year student from Guelph, Ont., won the individual gold medal at the CIS championships and helped the Gryphon women extend their CIS-record streak with an eighth consecutive team banner, Saturday in London, Ont. The 5-foot-1 senior came from behind to finish the five-kilometre race in 17 minutes and 23.4 seconds, a full seven seconds ahead of teammate Carise Thompson. Guelph placed five runners in the top eight to score only 21 points and claim the women’s team title by a commanding 41-point margin.

Acadia basketball player Kristy Moore, Montreal swimmer Gabrielle Soucisse and Trinity Western soccer player Jennifer Castillo were also nominated for the women’s award.

Wiebe, a fifth-year engineering and applied science student from Swift Current, Sask., led the men’s 10-kilometre event from wire-to-wire on his way to a remarkable 44-second victory over Guelph’s Ross Proudfoot. The 6-foot-1 veteran crossed the finish line in a course-record time of 30:21.4, easily shattering the previous Thames Valley Golf Course mark of 30:57.0 set by Western’s Guy Schultz in 1997. Wiebe, who had won bronze medals in 2009 and 2010, became the first member of the Cougars – male or female – to capture individual gold at the CIS meet.

UPEI basketball player Geoff Doane, UQTR soccer player Guillaume Surot and Guelph cross-country runner Ross Proudfoot were the other male nominees.

Female nominees:
AUS: Kristy Moore, basketball, Acadia
RSEQ: Gabrielle Soucisse, swimming, Montreal
OUA: Andrea Seccafien, cross country, Guelph (recipient)
CWUAA: Jennifer Castillo, soccer, Trinity Western

Male nominees:
AUS: Geoff Doane, basketball, UPEI
RSEQ: Guillaume Surot, soccer, UQTR
OUA: Ross Proudfoot, cross country, Guelph
CWUAA: Kelly Wiebe, cross country, Regina (recipient)

-CIS-