CIS cross country preview

2011 CIS cross-country championships
Guelph looking for sixth consecutive sweep

OTTAWA (CIS) – The Guelph Gryphons hope to resume their domination on Saturday when Laval University hosts the Canadian university cross-country running championships in Quebec City.

Close to 250 student-athletes from 25 schools are set to battle for CIS supremacy on the Plains of Abraham, with the women’s five-kilometre race scheduled for 1 p.m., followed by the men’s 10km at 1:40 p.m.

The Gryphons have been untouchable in recent years and are favoured once again to sweep the team titles on Nov. 12 after winning both OUA conference banners for the seventh consecutive season.

The Guelph women are aiming for a seventh straight CIS crown, while the men are looking for their sixth title in as many years. The Gryphons own the all-time record for most overall CIS team championships with 17, four more than Victoria.

“We knew we were coming in with strong teams, and we wanted to use this step for the national championships, said Guelph head coach Dave Scott Thomas after the Ontario league championship meet, where his women’s team placed five runners in the top eight to win the OUA banner by 32 points ahead of McMaster and his men’s squad placed five athletes in the top seven to prevail by 20 points over Windsor.

“We know the competition will be deeper and tougher at the CIS championships. So today we went in with strategies to try and set up that competition and go for some national titles.”

Guelph runners have also enjoyed tremendous individual success on the men’s side in recent years at the CIS meet, with Kyle Boorsma (2010) and Matt Brunsting (2008, 2009) winning the last three gold medals. As if their roster wasn’t deep enough, the Gryphons added prior to the 2010 season Alex Genest, who was crowned in 2007 as a member of the Sherbrooke Vert & Or.

Andrew Nixon and Ross Proudfoot hope to perpetuate the tradition on Saturday following a 1-2 finish at the OUA championships. Genest was fourth at that meet, behind Windsor’s Matt Walters.

The only area where Guelph hasn’t enjoyed the same level of success lately on the national stage is in the women’s individual race. Lindsay Carson, who triumphed in 2007, is the only Gryphon to capture CIS gold in the last six years. 

The trend continued at the Ontario championships as Toronto’s Tamara Jewett crossed the finish line in front of Guelph teammates Geneviève Lalonde and Andrea Secaffien.

In the other CIS conferences this season, Dalhousie (women) and St. Francis Xavier (men) claimed the team banners in the AUS, while McGill (women) and Laval (men) took first place at the RSEQ rendez-vous.

Dalhousie’s Holly Van Gestel and StFX’s Connor McGuire won individual gold in the Atlantic conference, while Laval teammates Catherine Cormier and Jean-Samuel Lapointe were crowned Quebec champs.

“Our goal from the start of the season has been to finish in the top five in Canada on the men’s side. But following our results at the provincial championships, our athletes have started talking about a potential team medal, which would be a first in the history of the Rouge et Or program,” said Félix-Antoine Lapointe, head coach of host Laval.

There are no cross-country championships in the Canada West conference but CWUAA schools are still represented at the CIS meet. The Calgary Dinos finished third in the women’s standings a year ago. Regina’s Kelly Wiebe placed third in the men’s race each of the past two seasons and is set to compete for the Cougars in Quebec City.

CIS CROSS-COUNTRY NOTES: Laval is hosting the CIS championships for the third time in six years... Two former CIS cross-country stars qualified for the 2012 Olympics marathon earlier this fall... Eric Gillis (StFX), the 2003 CIS individual champion and a four-time all-Canadian, and Reid Coolsaet (Guelph), the 2002 CIS bronze medallist and a three-time all-Canadian, will both compete at the London Games... Gillis represented Canada on 10,000 at the 2008 Olympics... Thirty-three former CIS cross-country runners, including 21 men and 12 women, have represented Canada at past Olympics.

CIS CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM CHAMPIONS

Women
2010 Guelph (at Sherbrooke)
2009 Guelph (at Queen’s)
2008 Guelph (at Laval)
2007 Guelph (at Victoria)
2006 Guelph (at Laval)
2005 Guelph (at Dalhousie)
2004 Dalhousie (at Guelph)
2003 Calgary (at Moncton)
2002 Toronto (at Western)
2001 Victoria (at Sherbrooke)
2000 Victoria (at Toronto)
1999 Victoria (at RMC / Queen’s)
1998 Victoria (at Waterloo)
1997 Guelph (at Western)
1996 Waterloo (at McGill)
1995 Windsor (at Western)
1994 Victoria (at Western)
1993 Calgary (at Dalhousie)
1992 Calgary (at McGill)
1991 Toronto (at Victoria)
1990 Western (at Ottawa)
1989 Western (at UBC)
1988 Western (at Laval)
1987 Victoria (at Victoria)
1986 Victoria (at Western)
1985 Victoria (at Sherbrooke)
1984 Western (at Guelph)
1983 Western (at Laurentian)
1982 Western (at Laurentian)
1981 Western (at Lethbridge)
1980 Victoria (at Guelph)

Men
2010 Guelph (at Sherbrooke)
2009 Guelph (at Queen’s)
2008 Guelph (at Laval)
2007 Guelph (at Victoria)
2006 Guelph (at Laval)
2005 Windsor (at Dalhousie)
2004 Windsor (at Guelph)
2003 Windsor (at Moncton)
2002 Guelph (at Western)
2001 Guelph (at Sherbrooke)
2000 Guelph (at Toronto)
1999 Guelph (at RMC / Queen's)        
1998 Windsor (at Waterloo)
1997 Victoria (at Western)
1996 Victoria (at McGill)
1995 Victoria (at Western)
1994 Victoria (at Western)
1993 UBC (at Dalhousie)
1992 Sherbrooke (at McGill)
1991 Toronto (at Victoria)
1990 Ottawa (at Ottawa)
1989 Manitoba (at UBC)
1988 Manitoba (at Laval)
1987 Ottawa (at Victoria)
1986 Ottawa (at Western)
1985 Western (at Sherbrooke)
1984 Queen's (at Guelph)
1983 Queen's (at Laurentian)
1982 Toronto (at Laurentian)
1981 Queen's (at Lethbridge)
1980 Alberta (at Guelph)
1979 Queen's (at Toronto)
1978 Toronto (at Toronto)
1977 Toronto (at Queen's)
1976 Western (at Guelph)
1975 Toronto (at Victoria)
1974 Toronto (at Guelph)
1973 OUAA All-Stars (at RMC / Queen's)
1972 OUAA All-Stars (at RMC)
1971 Western (at UNB)
1970 Western (at UBC)
1969 Guelph (at MacDonald)
1968 Saskatchewan (at Dalhousie)
1967 Toronto (at Guelph)
1966 Toronto (at Guelph)
1965 Toronto (at Guelph)
1964 Manitoba (at Guelph)
1963 McMaster (at Guelph)

CIS CROSS-COUNTRY INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS

Women
2010 Jessica Pearo, McMaster
2009 Megan Brown, Toronto
2008 Megan Brown, Toronto
2007 Lindsay Carson, Guelph
2006 Megan Brown, Toronto
2005 Beth Wightman, Toronto
2004 Kristina Rody, Guelph
2003 Beth Wightman, Queen’s
2002 Sarah Dillabaugh, Ottawa
2001 Beth Wightman, Queen's
2000 Debbie Buhlers, Waterloo
1999 Teresa Duck, Western
1998 Nathalie Côté, Ottawa
1997 Nathalie Côté, Ottawa
1996 Nathalie Côté, Ottawa
1995 Missy McCleary, Windsor
1994 Linda Thyer, McGill
1993 Lisa Harvey, Calgary
1992 Lisa Harvey, Calgary
1991 Anna Gunasekera, Victoria
1990 Anna Gunasekera, Victoria
1989 Lucy Smith, Dalhousie
1988 Lucy Smith, Dalhousie
1987 Brenda Shackleton, Victoria
1986 Brenda Shackleton, Victoria
1985 Brenda Shackleton, Victoria
1984 Jill Purola, Western
1983 Sylvia Ruegger, Guelph
1982 Nancy Rooks, York
1981 Anne-Marie Malone, Queen’s
1980 Sylvia Ruegger, Guelph

Men
2010 Kyle Boorsma, Guelph
2009 Matt Brunsting, Guelph
2008 Matt Brunsting, Guelph
2007 Alex Genest, Sherbrooke
2006 Geoffrey Kerr, Calgary
2005 Cristiano Mauricio, Windsor
2004 Cristiano Mauricio, Windsor
2003 Eric Gillis, StFX
2002 Jamie Epp, Saskatchewan
2001 Jerry Ziak, Victoria
2000 Jamie Epp, Saskatchewan
1999 Graham Cocksedge, Victoria
1998 Jeremy Deere, Calgary
1997 Guy Schultz, Western
1996 Éric Jobin, Sherbrooke
1995 Jeff Schiebler, UBC
1994 Joël Bourgeois, Moncton
1993 Brendan Matthias, Toronto
1992 Graeme Fell, UBC
1991 Brendan Matthias, Toronto
1990 John Halvorsen, Ottawa
1989 Richard Charrette, Ottawa
1988 John Halvorsen, Ottawa
1987 John Halvorsen, Ottawa
1986 John Halvorsen, Ottawa
1985 Bob Rice, Ottawa
1984 Paul McCloy, Memorial
1983 Paul McCloy, Memorial
1982 Brian Rhodes, Alberta
1981 Paul McCloy, Memorial
1980 Paul Williams, Toronto
1979 Peter Butler, Calgary
1978 Paul Williams, Toronto
1977 Paul Williams, Guelph
1976 Brian Stride, Brock
1975 Joe Sax, Western
1974 John Sharp, Toronto
1973 John Sharp, Toronto
1972 Rick Munro, Dalhousie
1971 Grant McLaren, Western
1970 Dave Smith, York
1969 Grant McLaren, Guelph
1968 Dave Smith, York
1967 David Bailey, Toronto
1966 David Bailey, Toronto
1965 Jerome Drayton, Toronto
1964 Chris Williamson, UNB
1963 Bruce Kidd, Toronto