2013 CIS cross country championship preview
The Guelph Gryphons will look to resume their domination on Saturday when the top university cross-country runners in the country gather in London, Ont., for the 2013 CIS championships.
Guelph looking for remarkable eighth consecutive banner sweep
OTTAWA (CIS) – The Guelph Gryphons will look to resume their domination on Saturday when the top university cross-country runners in the country gather in London, Ont., for the 2013 CIS championships.
Western University hosts the competition for the second straight year at the Thames Valley Golf Course. A total of 141 athletes from 27 schools are set to compete at noon in the women's six-kilometre race (increased by 1 km this season), while 131 runners from 23 institutions are scheduled to be at the starting line for the 10 km men's event at 1 p.m.
To say that Guelph has dominated CIS cross country in recent years would be a major understatement.
The Gryphons have swept the national team banners each of the past seven seasons and are riding an eight-year championship streak in the women's race, all CIS records.
In individual competition, their female runners have captured the last two gold medals, including Andrea Seccafien a year ago and Geneviève Lalonde in 2011, while on the men's side, Guelph had claimed four straight titles before Regina's Kelly Wiebe put an end to that streak 12 months ago, when the Gryphons had to "settle" for four finishers in the top seven, including the silver and bronze medals.
Guelph is the overwhelming favourite to take the team banners once again on Saturday following a dominating performance at the OUA conference championships held on Oct. 26 in Hamilton, where the Gryphons swept the women's and men's titles for the ninth straight campaign, placing five female runners in the top seven and monopolizing the men's podium.
"We feel good. Racing at Thames Valley is always meaningful, it being the most established course in CIS with many memorable battles fought on its rolling hills," said Guelph head coach Dave Scott Thomas. "This year's meet is even more poignant as it is the last go round for Bob Vigars, the Western Mustangs coach and a legend in CIS.
"These are the two strongest teams we've put on the line. Every one of our athletes is in prime fitness physically and mentally, and needs to be as they square off against the best harriers in the country, all gunning for precious team points. Our expectations are simple: attempt to extend our winning streak of national titles for both women and men, and beyond that, to fill as many of the all-Canadian spots with Gryphons as possible."
In the other CIS conferences, the Dalhousie women and St. Francis Xavier men were crowned AUS champions, while the McGill women and Laval men once again prevailed in the RSEQ.
Individually, StFX's Melissa Hardy and Saint Mary's John Kuto claimed AUS gold, while UQTR's Sarah Bergeron-Larouche and Laval's Charles Philibert-Thiboutot triumphed in Quebec.
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 fourth in both the CIS women's and men's standings.
"The team to date has been running very well, they all worked hard over the summer and the results reflect that," said StFX head coach Bernie Chisholm. "We are hoping to improve on last year's performance and cracking the top 10 is a realistic goal for this team."
"The key for us this year is that both our conference championship and the CIS nationals have been extended from a five-kilometre distance to a six-kilometre race," said McGill coach Dennis Barrett. "Our girls are not necessarily that speedy over 5k but we feel that they are stronger and can maintain a good pace over a longer distance and it showed in the two 6k races that we ran this year."
Laval finished second in the men's standings at last year's CIS championships and head coach Félix-Antoine Lapointe is confident his troops can deliver again on Saturday.
"Our men had a great season and we hope to resume our success this weekend in London. The CIS competition has been our main goal all season and everyone is ready to go. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot is undefeated this fall is the RSEQ and he should be among the top contenders on Saturday."
CIS CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM CHAMPIONS
Women
2012 Guelph (at Western)
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
2012 Guelph (at Western)
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
2012 Andrea Seccafien, Guelph
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
2012 Kelly Wiebe, Regina
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