Gryphons look to celebrate at 50th anniversary event

OTTAWA (CIS) – The University of Guelph Gryphons will look to resume their domination on Saturday when CIS celebrates 50 years of cross-country running in London, Ont.

Western University hosts the 2012 CIS championships at the Thames Valley Golf Course. 125 athletes from 25 schools are set to compete in the women’s five-kilometre race at noon, while 129 runners from 24 institutions are scheduled to take the start of the 10-kilometre men’s event at 1 p.m.

Saturday will mark the 50th anniversary of the first CIS men’s race. In 1963 in Guelph, Ont., Canadian Olympian Bruce Kidd, then competing for the University of Toronto, claimed the inaugural individual gold medal, while McMaster captured the first team banner.

Female runners would have to wait until 1980 to make their CIS debut, also in Guelph. 

Bob Vigars knows a thing or two about CIS cross country. A member of the 2012 organizing committee, Vigars is in his 45th season as head coach of Western’s men’s team and has been at the helm of the women’s program for 40 years. He has guided the Mustangs to 11 national team titles over the years.

“We’re recognizing the very first CIS champions this weekend, the McMaster team from 1963,” Vigars said. “We have the stats of that team from back then. They’d still be one of the top four or five teams in the country.”

One program the 1963 McMaster squad might have problems keeping up with these days is the Guelph Gryphons.

To say that Guelph has dominated CIS cross country in recent years would be a major understatement. The Gryphons have captured the last seven national titles in women’s competition and have won six consecutive men’s championships, both record streaks. Their male runners have also claimed individual gold at the last four CIS meets, including Andrew Dixon’s triumph a year ago, while on the women’s side, Geneviève Lalonde made it a clean sweep for Guelph in 2011.

The Gryphons are overwhelming favourites to take the team titles once again on Saturday. In individual competition, Guelph swept the men’s podium at the OUA championships two weeks ago, with Nixon taking bronze behind teammates Ross Proudfoot (gold) and Yves Sikubwabo (silver), and placed four runners in the top five in the women’s race, including a gold-medal performance from Lalonde.

“I’m confident in our team. We are extremely fit and sharp and are peaking at exactly the right time. Last night was our final hard session and both teams looked brilliant,” Guelph head coach Dave Scott Thomas said earlier this week. “We’ve got a history of nailing our peak and both teams are stronger than last year, with full intentions of extending our CIS title winning streaks. These are tough, talented athletes in superb shape and we’re ready to fly.”

In the other CIS conferences, St. Francis Xavier swept the 2012 AUS team banners, while the McGill women and Laval men repeated as RSEQ champions.

Individually, UNB’s Frida Aspnaes and StFX’s Connor McGuire claimed AUS gold, while McGill’s Jessica Porfilio and Laval’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot prevailed in Quebec.

“I am extremely proud of both the men’s and women’s teams,” said StFX head coach Bernie Chisholm. “The women dug deep and turned out an outstanding performance for the championship win, and our men’s team ran a tremendous race, running in a pack and staying strong through to the finish.”

“Seven of the top nine finishers, the team and individual titles, it would have been hard to ask for much more. We’re improving with each competition and hopefully we can keep it up at the national championships,” Laval coach Félix-Antoine Lapointe said of his men’s squad. “Our women’s team is very young, we have a lot of first and second-year runners. But like our men, they’re getting better with every race, so I think we can hope for a top-10 finish in London.”

There are no cross country championships in Canada West. Results at the CIS meet determine the conference’s individual and team champions. A year ago, the Victoria Vikes finished second in the CIS women’s standings and third on the men’s side.

CIS CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM CHAMPIONS

Women

2011    Guelph (at Laval)
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

2011    Guelph (at Laval)
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

2011    Geneviève Lalonde, Guelph
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

2011    Andrew Nixon, Guelph
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

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