2016 CIS Cross Country Championship Preview
For the first time since 2006, the record-setting Guelph Gryphons enter the CIS Cross Country Championship without both the men’s and women’s title to their name.
2016 CIS cross country championships:
Guelph looking to reclaim banner sweep on the Plains of Abraham
TORONTO (U Sports) – For the first time since 2006, the record-setting Guelph Gryphons enter the CIS Cross Country Championship without both the men's and women's title to their name.
Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/xc/index
The Gryphons, who won only the women's title last year at home, will be looking to win back a pair of team banners on Saturday on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, after conceding the men's championship to Victoria. Laval, which is hosting the national race for the first time since 2011 and fourth time in the last decade, overtook the men's No.1 ranking from Guelph the entire campaign, the first time the Gryphons men hadn't been ranked on top of the country since Oct. 27, 2009.
The Rouge et or will be challenged by the reigning champion Vikes, who head into the national meet after steadily climbing to the No.2 ranking in the final poll of the season with a win at the B.C. Provincial Championships two weeks ago.
A total of 190 athletes from 33 schools are set to compete at 1:00 p.m. in the women's six-kilometre race (up from 167 a year ago), while 193 runners from 32 institutions are scheduled to be at the starting line at 1:40 p.m. for the 10 km men's event (up from 178). The races will be streamed live on SportsCanada.tv.
START LISTS & LIVE RESULTS: CLICK HERE
To say that Guelph has dominated CIS cross country for the past decade would be a major understatement. The Gryphons have claimed the team banners nine of the last 10 seasons and are riding a 11-year championship streak in women's action.
In individual competition, Guelph athletes have captured seven of the last eight men's gold medals and three of the last five women's titles.
However, this year's OUA championship held two weeks ago also signaled a changing of the guard. While the Gryphons earned their 13th straight women's provincial gold medal, Guelph came up short in their bid for a sweep, finishing in third behind Western and Windsor in the men's race after 11 straight banners.
"Our women are hoping to extend their national title streak to 12 years and seem in good shape to do so. We have a veteran team with lots of experience up front and good depth," said Guelph head coach Dave Scott-Thomas. "Leading us will be former CIS bronze medalist Kate Ayers, who just finished 4th at the OUA championships in one of the closest front-end battles in conference history. Heather Petrick, former OUA cross country champion, has been neck and neck all season. Former CIS 4th place finisher Katrina Allison also plays a significant role in the team performance."
Athletes from other OUA schools to keep an eye on this weekend include Clair Sumner and Julie-Anne Staehli of Queen's, along with Lucia Stafford – sister of 2016 Olympian Gabriela Stafford - of Toronto who made up the women's podium at the conference championships, as well as male medallists Corey Bellemore of Windsor, Kevin Tree of Lakehead and Jack Sheffar of Western. Staehli won CIS gold in 2013 and silver in 2014.
In the other conferences, the Dalhousie women and StFX men repeated as champion in the AUS, while in the RSEQ, McGill claimed the women's banner while Laval captured their sixth straight men's championship
Individually, Dalhousie's Colleen Wilson and StFX's Calvin DeWolfe finished atop the podium in the Maritimes, while Mélanie Myrand of McGill and Yves Sikubwabo of Laval triumphed in Quebec.
"Our student-athletes and myself as a coach have gained a lot of experience in the last couple of years," said Laval head coach Félix-Antoine Lapointe, who was a member of the coaching staff at the Rio Paralympics in September. "What is interesting is that the current generation that will run on the Plains of Abraham was, for the most part, on the national podium in the four previous seasons and have learned a lot from these championships. This year, unlike other years, we are viewed as favorites. We must assume it and deliver and I'll say that as a group, since the beginning of autumn, we act as if we are the favorites. A No.1 (ranking) in the U Sports Top 10 is flattering, but what is most important is how we see ourselves as a team. We see ourselves as the best team in Canada and we are preparing like it during training sessions. We want to be ready to deliver a good performance on November 12."
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 Vikes men's team championship marked their first in nearly two decades, since winning four in row from 1994 to 1997. Fifth-year Vikes runner Shoayb Bascal had a strong showing at the B.C. provincial championships, finishing in fourth place. The veteran crossed the finish line in 11th last November in Victoria's upset victory. On the women's side, Trinity Western (silver) and Calgary (bronze) women both reached the national podium last year.
U SPORTS TEAM CHAMPIONS
Women
2015 Guelph (at Guelph)
2014 Guelph (at Memorial)
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
2015 Victoria (at Guelph)
2014 Guelph (at Memorial)
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)
U SPORTS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
Women
2015 Sarah Inglis, Trinity Western
2014 Carise Thompson, Guelph
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
2015 Aaron Hendrikx, Guelph
2014 Ross Proudfoot, Guelph
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