X-Men cross country win AUS championship

The X-Men cross country team claimed the 2011 AUS championship banner Saturday afternoon in Fredericton at Odell Park as UNB hosted the year-end meet. The X-Men were led by overall individual race winner Connor McGuire.

StFX earned 21 points for the first place victory, bettering second place Dalhousie (53) and third place Memorial (95). The standings wrapped up with UNB (111), Saint Mary’s (124), St. Thomas (178) and Moncton (184).
The championship marked their fourth AUS title in team history for the X-Men as they previously won in 2009, 2008 and 2006. They went undefeated in league competition this year, winning every meet.

McGuire finished the 10k race in a time of 32:23. His teammate Riley Johnston took second place at 32:26. The X-Men had six runners in the top ten as Aaron Doucette (32:39) placed fourth, followed by teammates Dennis Kayumba (32:54) in fifth, Bryden Tate (33:08) in ninth and Zach MacDonald (33:13) in tenth. Steven Deering rounded out the X runners in 14th spot with a time of 33:53.

StFX head coach Bernie Chisholm says the push for the AUS championship began last season in November. “After last year when we finished second, we knew most of the runners were going to be back and they trained all winter long and carried that into the summer.”

“Starting in September they were in very good shape and they were very eager to get going. They continued to work hard and were rewarded for it,” comments the 26 year veteran coach. “I’m excited with this team because there are no seniors on this team so this team is intact for another year.”

Coach Chisholm was honored later in the evening at the championship banquet as the AUS men’s cross country coach of the year. McGuire was named the AUS Male Athlete of the Year for his performance as AUS champion. Johnston picked up the AUS Rookie of the Year award and Zach MacDonald was named the Student-Athlete Community Service award winner as the X-Men swept the AUS major awards.

McGuire, Johnston, Doucette and Kayumba were all named to the AUS all-star team, along with Dalhousie’s Matthew McNeil, Moncton’s  Jérémie Pellerin and Jordan Fewer from Memorial.

With the championship win, the X-Men also received the Labatt Award of Excellence, a cheque in the amount of $1000.

StFX will now travel to the CIS championship which takes place on November 12th at Laval University.