KELOWNA, B.C. – The Queen's Gaels and the Western Mustangs are heading back to Ontario as champions after winning the men's and women's 2024 U SPORTS Cross Country Championship trophies and banners respectively on Saturday afternoon at Mission Recreation Park.
FULL RESULTS
Under overcast skies in the Okanagan valley, the championships started off with the men's eight-kilometer race where Laval's Phillipe Morneau-Cartier shone on the fast and flat course. The reigning U SPORTS Champion repeated as the individual gold medalist, pulling away on the final lap to post a time of 23 minutes and 19 seconds.
UNB's Jared Howse, the 2024 AUS Champion, finished six seconds back of Morneau-Cartier in a well-run race, claiming silver in a time of 23:25 while Regina's Jonathan Podbielski ran a great final kilometer to take home bronze in a time of 23:32.
Jude Wheeler-Dee and Roman Mironov led the way for the team champion Gaels as they finished 13th and 14th overall to earn Second Team All-Canadian honours. Their performance helped Queen's finish with 94 points overall as they claimed the school's first team championship since 1984 and fifth overall.
The Sherbrooke Vert et Or would win the silver medal, recording 130 points while the Laval Rouge et Or won the bronze medal with 145 points.
The Huskie men earned a 13th-place finish in the team standings, with
Alexander Webster (36th) and
Anthony Antaya (37th) leading the way in a field of 127 of the nation's top distance runners.
The women would take to the course for the second eight-kilometer race where hometown hero Lauren McNeil one upped her performance in 2021 to win the individual gold medal. McNeil, the individual silver medalist in Quebec City, held off the 2024 Canada West individual champion, Constance Nankivell, and despite a fall on the final lap, posted a time of 26:31.
Nankivell, from the Trinity Western Spartans, took home the silver medal in 26:42 while the OUA Champion, Madelyn Eybergen from the Windsor Lancers, won the bronze medal in 27:02.
Ashley Maguire and Olivia Roussel paced the champion Mustangs as they both earned All-Canadian honours. Maguire finished seventh to earn her way onto the First Team while Roussel was 11th to claim a spot on the Second Team. In total, Western finished with 60 points to win their eighth team title and first since 1990.
The UBC Thunderbirds won the team silver medal with 85 points while the Victoria Vikes brought home the bronze medal with 94 points.
For the Saskatchewan Women, who also claimed 13th in the team standings,
Jenica Swartz (20th) and
Kaitlyn Harrison (23rd) crossed the finished line as the Dogs top finishers in a field of 112 runners.
2024 U SPORTS Major Award Winners
Women's Coach of The Year - Guy Schultz, Western Mustangs
Men's Coach of The Year - Mark Bomba, Queen's Gaels
Female Rookie of The Year - Sophie Hamilton, UBCO Heat
Male Rookie of The Year - Yemane Mulugeta, Trinity Western Spartans
Female Outstanding Athlete of The Year - Lauren McNeil, UBCO Heat
Male Outstanding Athlete of The Year - Philippe Morneau-Cartier, Laval Rouge et Or
Women's Community Service Award - Maïné Dupuis Azizah - UQTR Patriotes
Men's Community Service Award Vincent Abraham - UQTR Patriotes
Men's Team Standings
1) Queen's Gaels - 94 points
2) Sherbrooke Vert et Or - 130
3) Laval Rouge et Or - 145
4) Guelph Gryphons - 160
5) UNB Reds - 161
6) UBC Thunderbirds - 196
7) McMaster Marauders - 201
8) Western Mustangs - 254
9) uVic Vickes - 266
10) McGill Redbirds - 273
11) Trinity Western Spartans - 285
12) Alberta Golden Bears - 294
13) Saskatchewan Huskies - 318
14) Montreal Carabins - 319
15) StFX X-Men - 335
16) Regina Cougars - 367
17) Lakehead Thunderwolves - 437
18) Manitoba Bisons - 455
19) Waterloo Warriors - 490
20) Calgary Dinos - 513
21) UBCO Heat - 529
22) UPEI Panthers - 670
Women Team Standings
1) Western Mustangs - 60 points
2) UBC Thunderbirds - 85
3) uVic Vikes - 94
4) StFX X-Women - 120
5) Queen's Gaels - 164
6) UBCO Heat - 193
7) McMaster Marauders - 220
8) Waterloo Warriors - 255
9) Guelph Gryphons - 257
10) Laval Rouge et Or - 269
11) Sherbrooke Vert et Or - 283
12) Toronto Varsity Blues - 301
13) Saskatchewan Huskies - 305
14) Montreal Carabins - 307
15) McGill Martlets - 312
