Guelph sweeps team titles at CIS cross country championships for 9th straight year

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CIS) – The University of Guelph claimed both the women's and men's titles at the 2014 CIS cross-country running championships, marking the ninth consecutive year the Gryphons have captured both banners. The races were held at St. John's Pippy Park golf course for the first time in the event's history, Saturday.

The weather provided a serious challenge for both races with winds peaking near 110 km per hour, accompanied by rain and sometimes hail-like conditions.

It was the 10th consecutive banner performance for the Guelph women and the ninth straight for the men's squad, extending their own CIS records. The Gryphons have now racked up 25 team titles in their prestigious history, also a CIS mark, 12 more than Victoria.

"The weather was an interesting variable today which tends to compress the field," said head coach Dave Scott Thomas. "Last night at our team meeting we re-jigged our strategies, and today they executed them perfectly. From a technical and emotional standpoint the team was ten out of ten."

In individual competition, Guelph's Carise Thompson, coming off second-place finishes each of the past two years, captured the women's gold medal in the six-kilometre event thanks to a time of 22 minutes and 42.2 seconds. The fifth-year senior had also placed fourth in her sophomore season, in 2011.

Teammate Ross Proudfoot (33:47.2) took top spot in the men's 10-kilometre race. The former CIS rookie of the year, also a fifth-year veteran competing in his last university event, had claimed CIS silver in 2012.

It marked the third individual gold in four years by a Guelph woman and the sixth in seven seasons – and second straight – by a Gryphon male runner.

The Gryphons had not swept all four CIS titles – individual and team – since 2011.

In the women's race, the Gryphons placed six runners in the top 18, including gold and bronze medal performances, their five scorers giving them 34 points for a comfortable lead over Trinity Western (105) and Queen's (132) in the team standings.

Queen's best individual effort came from last year's national champion, Julie-Anne Staehli (22:50.3), who was the second competitor to cross the line. The Gryphons Katelyn Ayers (22:55.4) joined Staehli and Thompson on the podium.

"I think that everything came together for me today," said Thompson. "I have been working really hard and the weather conditions were absolutely brutal but mental and physical toughness were key.

"I've had my heart set on winning CIS gold the past three years, I came second the last two, and this year everything came into place."

On the men's side, Guelph claimed gold and placed five runners in the top 13 to finish with 27 points. Tristan Woodfine (33:54.8) chased his teammate Proudfoot down the home stretch and took second place in front of Laval's Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (34:04.2). Woodfine and Philibert-Thiboutot had also placed second and third a year ago.

Philibert-Thiboutot's effort helped his Rouge et Or to third place in the team standings with 131 points, just behind the University of Victoria (103), whose top finisher was Ryan Cassidy (34:10.0), in seventh.

The men's and women's coach of the year award went to Dave Scott Thomas, who led the Gryphons to a first place finish on both sides. This was his ninth consecutive award in men's competition and his ninth in 10 years for the women.

Complete results: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/xc/2014/files/sched_results

WOMEN'S RESULTS (6 km)
 
Team standings
1. Guelph, 34 points
2. Trinity Western, 105
3. Queen's, 132
4. Toronto, 159
5. Western, 163
6. Victoria, 164
7. Laval, 185
8. Dalhousie, 189
9. Ottawa, 244
10. Alberta, 258
11. Laurentian, 276
12. McMaster, 302
13. Calgary, 303
14. MacEwan, 353
15. Waterloo, 368
16. Regina, 385
17. Manitoba, 437
18. Memorial, 557
19. Thompson Rivers, 577
 
Individual honours
Athlete of the year: Carise Thompson, Guelph
Rookie of the year: Katie Phillips, Ottawa
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Kendra Pomfret, Victoria
Coach of the year: Dave Scott Thomas, Guelph
 
First All-Canadians (top 7 finishers)
1. Carise Thompson, Guelph, 22:42.2
2. Julie-Anne Staehli, Queens, 22:50.3
3. Katelyn Ayers, Guelph, 22:55.4
4. Katrina Allison, Guelph, 22:57.1
5. Sarah Inglis, Trinity Western, 22:58.3
6. Claire Sumner, Queens, 23:01.5
7. Alison Jackson, Trinity Western, 23:04.6

Second All-Canadians (finishers 8-14)
8. Emma Cook-Clarke, Calgary, 23:10.0
9. Amanda Truelove, Western, 23:12.7
10. Fiona Benson, Trinity Western, 23:16.8
11. Gabriela Stafford, Toronto, 23:30.4
12. Heather Petrick, Guelph, 23:41.4
13. Vanessa Trofimenkoff, MacEwan, 23:49.1
14. Madeline Yungblut, Guelph, 23:53.5
 
MEN'S RESULTS (10 km)
 
Team standings
1. Guelph, 27 points
2. Victoria, 103
3. Laval, 131
4. McMaster, 144
5. Windsor, 148
6. Lakehead, 153
7. Trinity Western, 178
8. Calgary, 186
9. StFX, 220
10. Queen's, 229
11. Dalhousie, 284
12. Regina, 305
13. Western, 328
14. Manitoba, 343
15. Saskatchewan, 430
16. Memorial, 471
17. Thompson Rivers, 538

Individual honours
Athlete of the year: Ross Proudfoot, Guelph
Rookie of the year: Russell Pennock, Calgary
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Mihai Prajea, Trinity Western
Coach of the year: Dave Scott Thomas, Guelph
 
First All-Canadians (top 7 finishers)
1. Ross Proudfoot, Guelph, 33:47.2
2. Tristan Woodfine, Guelph, 33:54.8
3. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, Laval, 34:04.2
4. Dlyan Brown, Lakehead, 34:06.8
5. Yves Sikubwabo, Guelph 34:06.9
6. Aaron Hendrikx, Guelph, 34:08.8
7. Ryan Cassidy, Victoria, 34:10.0
 
Second All-Canadians (finishers 8-14)
8. Matt Johnson, Regina, 34:19.1
9. Joel Deshiffart, Trinity Western, 34:25.8
10. Alex Wilkie, Queen's, 34:29.4
11. Olivier Collin, Victoria, 34:30.7
12. Matt McNeil, Dalhousie, 34:32.3
13. Christian Gravel, Guelph, 34:57.2
14. Alexandre Ricard, Laval, 35:02.4

ALL-TIME TEAM CHAMPIONS

Women

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

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)

ALL-TIME INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS

Women

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

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

Source: CIS