CIS Cross Country championship preview

Gryphons look to extend record streak
By Queen’s University sports information office

KINGSTON, Ont. – The University of Guelph Gryphons aim to continue their dominance as they look for their fourth consecutive sweep of the CIS cross country championship. This year’s event – hosted by Queen’s University – will take place Saturday, November 14, at historic Fort Henry Hill in Kingston, Ont.

Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/xc/index

Guelph comes into the event having captured four consecutive women’s team titles and three straight men’s banners. The Gryphons are currently tied with the University of Victoria for most CIS cross country banners captured by a single school with 13. Victoria has collected nine women’s titles and four men’s while Guelph has obtained eight men’s and five women’s.

A victory on the women’s side will also earn the Gryphons a place in the history books  as they would become the first team in CIS cross country to earn five straight championship banners in either the men’s or women’s competition.  Guelph is already in a class of its own having been the only team to earn multiple back-to-back titles in both genders.

Guelph swept the team titles at the 2009 OUA championships held in St. Catharines, Ont., and last season were men and women provincial champions on the same course which will be used Saturday.

Other conference team champions this fall were the St. Francis Xavier X-Men and X-Women in the AUS, and the Laval Rouge et Or women and Sherbrooke Vert et Or men in the QSSF. All four teams successfully defended their titles from last season.

While Canada West runners and teams compete at the CIS meet, the CWUAA doesn’t hold conference championships in cross country.

Top contenders to watch in Kingston in the women’s event are Toronto’s Megan Brown of Guelph, Ont., Laval’s Catherine Cormier of Maria, Que., and Saint Mary’s Ashley Ryer of Seabright, N.S. – all three conference gold medallists in 2009.  Brown is aiming for her third CIS individual title and is the reigning individual champion from last year’s event hosted by Laval in Quebec City. 

Also in the hunt will be Tamara Jewett of Toronto, the 2008 CIS rookie of the year from the U of T, and Guelph’s Lindsay Carson of Cambridge, Ont., who was the CIS gold medallist in 2007.

On the men’s side, Guelph’s Matt Brunsting of Stirling, Ont., will look to defend his 2008 individual title.  He will receive competition from Gryphon teammate Allen Brett of Ottawa, Sherbrooke’s Rachem Baghdad of Oran, Algeria, and Dalhousie’s Russell Christie of Petrolia, Ont. – all reigning champions from their respective conferences this season.

Host Queen’s will take aim at their fifth men’s Canadian title having earned four banners from 1979 to 1984. Entering into the competition both the Gaels men’s and women’s teams are ranked sixth in the nation.

Kingston’s Matt Hulse will anchor the Gaels men’s squad on a course which he is highly familiar.

“It’s an honour to have an opportunity to race for a national championship on my home course,” said Hulse, a fourth-year kinesiology student.  “Fort Henry Hill is one of the most demanding courses I have ever run.  Coupled with the unpredictable weather, it makes for a perfect venue to host a national cross country championship… I’m looking forward to it.”

This year’s event will see 25 schools compete, featuring 323 student-athletes from across Canada.  Athletes will vie for individual titles in both men’s and women’s disciplines along with overall team banners in both genders.

Queen’s University last hosted the CIS meet in 1999, co-hosting with Royal Military College at Fort Henry Hill. That year Guelph captured the men’s team title, while Victoria earned the women’s title.  Victoria’s Graham Cocksedge triumphed in the men’s race while Western’s Teresa Duck won the women’s event.

The Fort Henry Hill course overlooks the St. Lawrence River and Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada, which was originally built during the War of 1812. Due to its elevation, spectators are able to view most of the course from one vantage point and take in an impressive view of downtown Kingston.

The course is also the site of the 2010 FISU world university cross country championships to be held April 11 (www.xc2010.com).

The five-kilometre CIS women’s race will get under way at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with the 10-km men’s event following at 1:45 p.m. Tickets for the event are $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for students and youth.

CIS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM CHAMPIONS

Women
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
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 GOLD MEDALLISTS

Women
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
2008 Mat 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