November 5, 2021
Banner Season: Gryphons looking to run their way to top-ranked results at competitive cross country finale
Burlington, Ont. - Entering as the defending champions on the men's side and perennial powerhouses across the board, the Guelph Gryphons will be among the racers that 15 other conference contenders are chasing when the banner season action turns to the Thames Valley Golf Course on Saturday, November 6 for the 2021 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Cross Country Championships.
2021 OUA Cross Country Championships | Fan Guide
Guelph is no stranger to cross county success, as evidenced by their combined 38 banners in program history, and they enter this OUA season finale intending to come away with two more titles in hand.
To do so on the men's side and come away with their 14th championship in the last 16 years, they can trustily turn to fifth-year senior Mitchell Ubene (Tecumseh, Ont.), who knows exactly what it takes to find success on the championship stage for the Gryphons. The defending individual champion, who checked in with a time of 31:00.6 in 2019, is back to lead the No. 2 ranked team to continued success in this pressure-packed event.
Their fellow Gryphons on the women's side will similarly turn to a veteran presence to power them one spot up the podium, following a silver-medal result in 2019. Kiana Gibson (Ottawa, Ont.), who managed to crack the top-10 in that 2019 endeavor and come away with second team all-star honours in the process, is back for another chance at individual and team success at the OUA championships. She is poised to not only be among the leaders for the top-seeded Gryphons, but the conference as a whole when the 8km trek comes to a conclusion down the home stretch.
Another school bringing a pair of top-five nationally ranked teams to the OUA finale is the host Western Mustangs, who are hoping to make waves on their home course.
The women's team, currently ranked third in the country, are known for their depth, and will rely on that to challenge the Gryphons and company for the top spot. "The is one of the best teams in the country and they intend to prove that as they peak for championship season," said Mustangs assistant coach Scott MacDonald. "Nobody in the OUA can match our depth, with eight or more Mustangs that could be in the top five at any other school."
Featured within their deep lineup is Anna Carruthers, a second-year runner from Creemore, Ont., who placed 30th at the 2019 event. She has been one to watch for Western in their tune up races, crossing the line first for the London squad at both the Salter Vigars Invitational and Don Mills Invitational, and will be racing to maintain that trend for the purple and white.
Ranked fifth in the country, meanwhile, the Western men's team will similarly be looking to defend their home turf against a talent-laden field, doing so with a trio of top performers at the forefront. Marcel Scheele, who was a second team OUA all-star in 2019 as well as the U SPORTS rookie of the year, was the Mustangs' top finisher at the recent Bayfront Open, and he will be joined by Mitch Delange (Thonton, Ont.), Ethan Loucks (Craighurst, Ont.), and a solid group of veterans behind them in their quest to take home some hardware this weekend.
Despite taking home the OUA title in 2019, the Queen's Gaels are entering the 2021 edition with a young women's team focused on gaining experience and building for continued success in the future. Despite this forward-thinking approach, the defending champions certainly have what it takes to find success this weekend as well thanks to their impressive crop of newcomers. Epitomizing this potential is rookie standout Charlotte Langley (Halifax, N.S.), who has emerged from a non-roster athlete to an all-Canadian candidate.
The Gaels men also feature a young group, albeit one that will head to the championship festivities alongside a savvy veteran contingent. Mitchell Kirby is among those who have several years of experience for Queen's, as the fourth-year Harrowsmith, Ont. native looks to close out his university career with a top result at both the provincial and national level.
With a pair of top-five finishes in tow from the 2019 championships, the McMaster Marauders are looking to produce a pair of podium results this time around. No stranger to that standing are the men's runners, who are coming off an OUA title in 2018 and a silver-medal showing in their last outing, and they'll turn to veteran Alex Drover (Kingston, Ont.) to keep that impressive stretch going.
Placing sixth at last year's finale, the fourth-year runner is poised for a podium finish and will be among those to watch for the individual title come race day. Drover most recently placed first at the Bayfront Open a couple weeks ago, while also kicking off his season with a third-place finish at the Western Invitational back in September on the same course he'll run on this weekend.
The women's group will feature Erin Mahwinney to anchor their podium aspirations, and despite being more of a track athlete, the Hamilton, Ont. native has come into fine form on the cross country course in her final year of eligibility to become the first Marauder crossing the finish line in each of the races she's competed in this season.
Seeing their women's team finish third a year ago, it will be returning runner Jazz Shukla that will bring her experience to the Toronto Varsity Blues' efforts this season. The fifth-year senior has finished in the top-20 in three previous OUA championships and has followed that up with strong results this season. Among those impressive finishes are an 11th-place showing at the Vigars & Salter Western Invitational and a silver-medal placing at the recent McMaster Bayfront Open.
While Shukla has a bevy of banner season experience, it will be a newcomer to the championship scene that will be among those to watch for Toronto's men's group. Ben Shore (Thornhill, Ont.) finished 16th at the Western-hosted event earlier in the year and has his sights set on an improved showing in his debut at the OUA finale.
A young core will take to the starting line for Waterloo as well, as six out of seven men and women are in the first year of cross country for the Warriors. Despite the youthful contingent, the black and gold have seen some stellar contributions from their new faces, including those from Natalie Tsang and Adam Huras.
The former has been a major contributor to the team, improving every race along the journey to the OUA championships. The Vancouver, B.C., native led the Warriors at the Don Mills Invitational, as well as the Bayfront Open, much like Huras, who accomplished the same feat in a pair of races on the men's side. The first-year runner from New Hamburg, Ont. will look to continue that trend for his team as they battle with several of the province's top teams, while Tsang, along with the likes of Kathleen Schaef (Calgary, Alta.) and Megan Richer (Dundas, Ont.) hope to each play integral roles in a top-five finish for the Waterloo women.
Not far down the road from Waterloo, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks are set to soar into this season's finale with a focus on improved results. The men's team has produced a great season so far, with Ian Young (London, Ont.)and Joseph Hardy (Talbotville, Ont.) leading the team. The latter has been one of the team captains for the past two seasons and has led the team in training and most races, working hard to get the entire group ready to compete at their highest level on Saturday.
The Hawks' women's team are fighting for a top-eight showing at the championships, and are hoping that, despite a season wherein they've battled a wide variety of unique injuries, everyone can put in their best effort when it counts the most. Looking to do just that is Laurentian-transfer Elizabeth Drake, who has been a breath of fresh air thanks to her attitude and work ethic. The Stratford, Ont. native has been a great role model for the young women's team and has also demonstrated her skill on the course as the top performer across the board for Laurier in their previous races this season.
From current Golden Hawks to a former one, Sydney Pattison (Rockwood, Ont.) has made her way to the Windsor Lancers after an all-star tenure with Laurier. The senior placed 13th overall at last season's festivities, and will be relied upon as an anchor for what is one of the strongest women's teams in Lancers' history.
It will be a mix of new and old on the men's side, meanwhile, as Windsor blends together some of their returning fifth-place finishers from 2019 with a strong core of new Lancers. Among the returning group is team captain Josh Zilles, who had a breakout season in 2019. The Kitchener, Ont. native was selected for the Canadian FISU team that season and continues to show steady progress throughout his career.
"The team has shown a lot of resiliency this season and continues to make great strides," said Windsor coach Colin Inglis. "They look to be ready at their highest level this weekend at the provincial championships."
The Laurentian Voyageurs will also look to bring their most potent performances to this weekend's races and will do so with a young crop of runners representing them. Five of the six competitors on their women's team are in their first or second year of eligibility, including Kristen Mrozewski. The nursing student from Sudbury, Ont. has made the transition from being primarily a track runner (long hurdles) to a cross country athlete this season, and in doing so, has led her team at three of their four competitions.
Keon Wallingford (North Bay, Ont.) will spearhead Laurentian's men's delegation, epitomizing the upstart team's consistent improvement throughout the fall. After finishing sixth in 2019, the Voyageurs are hoping their upward trajectory carries them into a top-five result this time around. A championship result from Wallingford like the ones he has produced in his previous races this season - including his recent 24th-place showing at the Bayfront Open - will go a long way toward achieving that goal.
Much like Laurentian, the Brock Badgers men's team has seen consistent improvement throughout the season, which they are hoping to parlay into a strong showing in London. One person looking forward to that opportunity is Joseph Dick (Guelph, Ont.), who has worked hard to bounce back from an injury in the offseason and is ready to cap off his upwardly trending performances with his best one yet this season. Joining him will be Elliot Lake, Ont. native Jacques Tiessen, who switched it up during the preseason to work on non-specialty race distances to round out his form. With a successful campaign under his belt so far, the third-year Badger has his sights set on a personal-best finish this weekend.
Coming off their best finish as a program, the Nipissing Lakers continue to break through against the bigger schools on the course and will be looking to build on their pair of top-10 finishes from 2019. Alexander Maycock (Orangeville, Ont.), who is also the Lakers top Nordic skier on the men's side, will be one to watch even without his skis, while Kaitlyn L'Abbe (Huntsville, Ont.) will bring a 13th-place finish at the Don Mills to this weekend's finale.
The lone representative for the Algoma Thunderbirds this season will be Avery Litke, who heads back to the championship stage for her second appearance. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. native placed 90th in her first banner season race in a time of 45:10, but will look to put that previous experience to good use in her quest to rise the leaderboard in her encore outing.
Similar to Algoma, the York Lions will focus on individual performances on the women's side, with Laura Peters at the forefront of those efforts. The first-year runner from Etobicoke, Ont. has produced a strong rookie season for the Lions, which featured a 37th-place showing at the Bayfront Open.
The men's group, however, will see a full team competing at the OUA championships for the first time since 2016, and will turn to one of their more experienced runners, Chris Basso (Toronto, Ont.), to use that previous banner season outing to his and the team's advantage this weekend.
Rounding out the championship racers are those representing the Lakehead Thunderwolves, Ottawa Gee-Gees, and Trent Excalibur.
These sixteen schools will each head to the Thames Valley Golf Course on Saturday, November 6 for their respective races at the 2021 OUA Cross Country Championships, with the women's 8km run starting off the day at 11:00am, followed by the 8km men's event at 12:00pm.
2021 OUA Cross Country Championships | Fan Guide
Guelph is no stranger to cross county success, as evidenced by their combined 38 banners in program history, and they enter this OUA season finale intending to come away with two more titles in hand.
To do so on the men's side and come away with their 14th championship in the last 16 years, they can trustily turn to fifth-year senior Mitchell Ubene (Tecumseh, Ont.), who knows exactly what it takes to find success on the championship stage for the Gryphons. The defending individual champion, who checked in with a time of 31:00.6 in 2019, is back to lead the No. 2 ranked team to continued success in this pressure-packed event.
Their fellow Gryphons on the women's side will similarly turn to a veteran presence to power them one spot up the podium, following a silver-medal result in 2019. Kiana Gibson (Ottawa, Ont.), who managed to crack the top-10 in that 2019 endeavor and come away with second team all-star honours in the process, is back for another chance at individual and team success at the OUA championships. She is poised to not only be among the leaders for the top-seeded Gryphons, but the conference as a whole when the 8km trek comes to a conclusion down the home stretch.
Another school bringing a pair of top-five nationally ranked teams to the OUA finale is the host Western Mustangs, who are hoping to make waves on their home course.
The women's team, currently ranked third in the country, are known for their depth, and will rely on that to challenge the Gryphons and company for the top spot. "The is one of the best teams in the country and they intend to prove that as they peak for championship season," said Mustangs assistant coach Scott MacDonald. "Nobody in the OUA can match our depth, with eight or more Mustangs that could be in the top five at any other school."
Featured within their deep lineup is Anna Carruthers, a second-year runner from Creemore, Ont., who placed 30th at the 2019 event. She has been one to watch for Western in their tune up races, crossing the line first for the London squad at both the Salter Vigars Invitational and Don Mills Invitational, and will be racing to maintain that trend for the purple and white.
Ranked fifth in the country, meanwhile, the Western men's team will similarly be looking to defend their home turf against a talent-laden field, doing so with a trio of top performers at the forefront. Marcel Scheele, who was a second team OUA all-star in 2019 as well as the U SPORTS rookie of the year, was the Mustangs' top finisher at the recent Bayfront Open, and he will be joined by Mitch Delange (Thonton, Ont.), Ethan Loucks (Craighurst, Ont.), and a solid group of veterans behind them in their quest to take home some hardware this weekend.
Despite taking home the OUA title in 2019, the Queen's Gaels are entering the 2021 edition with a young women's team focused on gaining experience and building for continued success in the future. Despite this forward-thinking approach, the defending champions certainly have what it takes to find success this weekend as well thanks to their impressive crop of newcomers. Epitomizing this potential is rookie standout Charlotte Langley (Halifax, N.S.), who has emerged from a non-roster athlete to an all-Canadian candidate.
The Gaels men also feature a young group, albeit one that will head to the championship festivities alongside a savvy veteran contingent. Mitchell Kirby is among those who have several years of experience for Queen's, as the fourth-year Harrowsmith, Ont. native looks to close out his university career with a top result at both the provincial and national level.
With a pair of top-five finishes in tow from the 2019 championships, the McMaster Marauders are looking to produce a pair of podium results this time around. No stranger to that standing are the men's runners, who are coming off an OUA title in 2018 and a silver-medal showing in their last outing, and they'll turn to veteran Alex Drover (Kingston, Ont.) to keep that impressive stretch going.
Placing sixth at last year's finale, the fourth-year runner is poised for a podium finish and will be among those to watch for the individual title come race day. Drover most recently placed first at the Bayfront Open a couple weeks ago, while also kicking off his season with a third-place finish at the Western Invitational back in September on the same course he'll run on this weekend.
The women's group will feature Erin Mahwinney to anchor their podium aspirations, and despite being more of a track athlete, the Hamilton, Ont. native has come into fine form on the cross country course in her final year of eligibility to become the first Marauder crossing the finish line in each of the races she's competed in this season.
Seeing their women's team finish third a year ago, it will be returning runner Jazz Shukla that will bring her experience to the Toronto Varsity Blues' efforts this season. The fifth-year senior has finished in the top-20 in three previous OUA championships and has followed that up with strong results this season. Among those impressive finishes are an 11th-place showing at the Vigars & Salter Western Invitational and a silver-medal placing at the recent McMaster Bayfront Open.
While Shukla has a bevy of banner season experience, it will be a newcomer to the championship scene that will be among those to watch for Toronto's men's group. Ben Shore (Thornhill, Ont.) finished 16th at the Western-hosted event earlier in the year and has his sights set on an improved showing in his debut at the OUA finale.
A young core will take to the starting line for Waterloo as well, as six out of seven men and women are in the first year of cross country for the Warriors. Despite the youthful contingent, the black and gold have seen some stellar contributions from their new faces, including those from Natalie Tsang and Adam Huras.
The former has been a major contributor to the team, improving every race along the journey to the OUA championships. The Vancouver, B.C., native led the Warriors at the Don Mills Invitational, as well as the Bayfront Open, much like Huras, who accomplished the same feat in a pair of races on the men's side. The first-year runner from New Hamburg, Ont. will look to continue that trend for his team as they battle with several of the province's top teams, while Tsang, along with the likes of Kathleen Schaef (Calgary, Alta.) and Megan Richer (Dundas, Ont.) hope to each play integral roles in a top-five finish for the Waterloo women.
Not far down the road from Waterloo, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks are set to soar into this season's finale with a focus on improved results. The men's team has produced a great season so far, with Ian Young (London, Ont.)and Joseph Hardy (Talbotville, Ont.) leading the team. The latter has been one of the team captains for the past two seasons and has led the team in training and most races, working hard to get the entire group ready to compete at their highest level on Saturday.
The Hawks' women's team are fighting for a top-eight showing at the championships, and are hoping that, despite a season wherein they've battled a wide variety of unique injuries, everyone can put in their best effort when it counts the most. Looking to do just that is Laurentian-transfer Elizabeth Drake, who has been a breath of fresh air thanks to her attitude and work ethic. The Stratford, Ont. native has been a great role model for the young women's team and has also demonstrated her skill on the course as the top performer across the board for Laurier in their previous races this season.
From current Golden Hawks to a former one, Sydney Pattison (Rockwood, Ont.) has made her way to the Windsor Lancers after an all-star tenure with Laurier. The senior placed 13th overall at last season's festivities, and will be relied upon as an anchor for what is one of the strongest women's teams in Lancers' history.
It will be a mix of new and old on the men's side, meanwhile, as Windsor blends together some of their returning fifth-place finishers from 2019 with a strong core of new Lancers. Among the returning group is team captain Josh Zilles, who had a breakout season in 2019. The Kitchener, Ont. native was selected for the Canadian FISU team that season and continues to show steady progress throughout his career.
"The team has shown a lot of resiliency this season and continues to make great strides," said Windsor coach Colin Inglis. "They look to be ready at their highest level this weekend at the provincial championships."
The Laurentian Voyageurs will also look to bring their most potent performances to this weekend's races and will do so with a young crop of runners representing them. Five of the six competitors on their women's team are in their first or second year of eligibility, including Kristen Mrozewski. The nursing student from Sudbury, Ont. has made the transition from being primarily a track runner (long hurdles) to a cross country athlete this season, and in doing so, has led her team at three of their four competitions.
Keon Wallingford (North Bay, Ont.) will spearhead Laurentian's men's delegation, epitomizing the upstart team's consistent improvement throughout the fall. After finishing sixth in 2019, the Voyageurs are hoping their upward trajectory carries them into a top-five result this time around. A championship result from Wallingford like the ones he has produced in his previous races this season - including his recent 24th-place showing at the Bayfront Open - will go a long way toward achieving that goal.
Much like Laurentian, the Brock Badgers men's team has seen consistent improvement throughout the season, which they are hoping to parlay into a strong showing in London. One person looking forward to that opportunity is Joseph Dick (Guelph, Ont.), who has worked hard to bounce back from an injury in the offseason and is ready to cap off his upwardly trending performances with his best one yet this season. Joining him will be Elliot Lake, Ont. native Jacques Tiessen, who switched it up during the preseason to work on non-specialty race distances to round out his form. With a successful campaign under his belt so far, the third-year Badger has his sights set on a personal-best finish this weekend.
Coming off their best finish as a program, the Nipissing Lakers continue to break through against the bigger schools on the course and will be looking to build on their pair of top-10 finishes from 2019. Alexander Maycock (Orangeville, Ont.), who is also the Lakers top Nordic skier on the men's side, will be one to watch even without his skis, while Kaitlyn L'Abbe (Huntsville, Ont.) will bring a 13th-place finish at the Don Mills to this weekend's finale.
The lone representative for the Algoma Thunderbirds this season will be Avery Litke, who heads back to the championship stage for her second appearance. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. native placed 90th in her first banner season race in a time of 45:10, but will look to put that previous experience to good use in her quest to rise the leaderboard in her encore outing.
Similar to Algoma, the York Lions will focus on individual performances on the women's side, with Laura Peters at the forefront of those efforts. The first-year runner from Etobicoke, Ont. has produced a strong rookie season for the Lions, which featured a 37th-place showing at the Bayfront Open.
The men's group, however, will see a full team competing at the OUA championships for the first time since 2016, and will turn to one of their more experienced runners, Chris Basso (Toronto, Ont.), to use that previous banner season outing to his and the team's advantage this weekend.
Rounding out the championship racers are those representing the Lakehead Thunderwolves, Ottawa Gee-Gees, and Trent Excalibur.
These sixteen schools will each head to the Thames Valley Golf Course on Saturday, November 6 for their respective races at the 2021 OUA Cross Country Championships, with the women's 8km run starting off the day at 11:00am, followed by the 8km men's event at 12:00pm.
