XC: Runners to go for gold Saturday
CW Cross Country Championship to take place in Abbotsford, BC
By Brian Swane, special to CW
For the first time, Trinity Western University will host the Canada West cross country championships, when the conference’s top distance runners go for gold at Clearbrook Park in Abbotsford, B.C., on Saturday, Oct. 29.
The men’s race starts at noon Pacific Time, followed by the women’s race at 1 p.m.
Live results will be available online at http://results.swanracing.ca.
“As a school this is something we’ve never done,” says Shane Wiebe, director and head coach of TWU’s cross country team. “We’ve run some invitational and open meets before, but this certainly is heightened in scope and expectations, so we want to do a first-class job.”
The Clearbrook Park course is a two-kilometre loop of diverse terrain, from grass to gravel, and includes a hill.
“It has enough twists and turns,” Wiebe says. “It’s not a circular loop, there’s a lot of different scenery that (the student-athletes) are going to be able to enjoy as they go around, it’s pretty nice that way.”
While presenting a challenge for the student-athlete competitors, the course is also spectator friendly.
“it’s a pretty well-known course,” says Wiebe. “it’s hosted national club championships and provincial championships before. We’re going to jazz it up a little bit with hay bails and hydration stations.”
UBC aims to repeat as men’s and women’s teams champions, after capturing both titles at last year Canada West cross country championships in Saskatoon, Sask.
Individually, fifth-year senior Joanna Brown of UBC Okanagan is back to defend her women’s championship, while UBC’s Tyler Dozzi will look to improve from his second-place finish in 2021 and succeed former Thunderbirds teammate Thomas Nobbs as men’s champion.
For the host team, the event will provide valuable experience. There is not a single senior on TWU’s cross country rosters, and two-thirds of the Spartans runners are in their first or second year of eligibility.
“The athletes competing with us are going to be familiar with the course, but they are just looking forward to getting into another really competitive Canada West championship,” Wiebe says.
The top seven finishers in each race will be awarded Canada West First Team All Star status, while eight through 14th place receive Canada West Second Team All Star honours. Saturday’s races will be the last meeting of the conference’s top distance runners before the U Sports cross country championship event in Halifax, N.S., on Nov. 12.
“We’re really hoping that with some of things that we’ve learned along the way by hosting and attending other Canada West meets we’ll be able to host a really great championship,” says Wiebe.
For the complete meet information, click here for Cross Country Championship Central.