Guelph looking for remarkable ninth consecutive banner sweep at 2014 CIS cross-country championships

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

Source: CIS