2014 CIS cross-country championships
Guelph looking for remarkable ninth 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 St. John's for the 2014 CIS championships.
Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/xc/index
Memorial University of Newfoundland hosts the competition at Pippy Park. A total of 149 athletes from 26 schools are set to compete at noon in the women's six-kilometre race, while 139 runners from 24 institutions are scheduled to be at the starting line for the 10 km men's event at 1 p.m.
The races will be streamed live on www.CIS-SIC.tv.
To say that Guelph has dominated CIS cross country in recent years would be a major understatement.
The Gryphons have swept the women's and men's team banners each of the past eight seasons and are riding a nine-year championship streak in women's action.
In individual competition, Aaron Hendrikx became the fifth Gryphon in six campaigns to win the men's gold medal a year ago in London, with teammate Tristan Woodfine crossing the finish line right behind him.
Hendrikx and Woodfine will both be at the start line on Saturday. At the OUA championships two weeks ago, they placed fourth and second, respectively, while Guelph teammates Ross Proudfoot and Yves Sikubwabo claimed the gold and bronze medals.
On the women's side, the CIS gold medal eluded Guelph runners for the first time in three years last fall when Queen's Julie-Anne Staehli edged Carise Thompson of the Gryphons for first place.
Staehli, who is in St. John's to defend her CIS title, settled for bronze at the recent OUA championships, where a Gryphon – Heather Petrick – was crowned.
The Gryphons are the overwhelming favourites to take the CIS team banners once again on Saturday following a dominating performance at the OUA races, where they swept the team titles for the 10th straight year, the men prevailing by a 49-point margin and the women with a 48-point cushion.
In the other CIS conferences, the Dalhousie women and St. Francis Xavier men were crowned AUS champions, while the Laval women and men dominated the RSEQ championships.
Individually, Dalhousie's Ellen Chappell and StFX's Scott Donald claimed AUS gold, while Jullien Flynn of McGill and Charles Philibert-Thiboutot of Laval 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, Trinity Western was the top Canada West finisher in the CIS women's standings (fourth), while Victoria had the best result in men's competition (sixth).
"Our season has been going well," says StFX coach Bernie Chisholm. "The hard work the guys put in since last year is paying off. I feel that if everyone runs to what they are capable of we should be able to crack the top 10."
Laval coach Félix-Antoine Lapointe saw his men's team reach the CIS podium each of the past two seasons, including a second-place finish in 2012 and bronze a year ago. While he's all but conceding the 2014 banner to Guelph, he is optimistic about his troops' chances for silver or bronze.
"We will compete with the usual suspects: Windsor, McMaster, Victoria. Charles (Philibert-Thiboutot) is in great shape this year and his performance will be key," Lapointe said. "On the women's side, our results have exceeded our expectations this fall. Keeping in mind we've never finished higher than sixth at the national championship, I'd be happy with a top eight. Anything better would be a bonus."
Victoria coach Brent Fougner likes what he sees from his athletes heading into the weekend.
"The women are ready to do something big. Notably, Kendra Pomfret in her last year of eligibility is in the best shape of her life. On the men's side, they're running very well tactically as a team, which is exactly what we need for success at the CIS championships."
CIS CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM CHAMPIONS
Women
2013 Guelph (at Western)
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
2013 Guelph (at Western)
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
2013 Julie-Anne Staehli, Queen's
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
2013 Aaron Hendrikx, Guelph
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