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Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference "To be Canada's premiere collegiate athletic conference by developing and inspiring leadership through excellence in academics, sport and citizenship"
Posted: Nov 15, 2017

CCAA Cross Country Championships

CCAA Cross Country Championships

by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips

The SAIT Trojans become only the third Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference s(ACAC) school to claim medals in both men's and women's team events at a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Cross-Country Running Nationals.

With a bronze in men's and silver in women, they join the Lethbridge Kodiaks dynasty who double medaled in  team events in 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2015 while Grant MacEwan Griffins achieved the feat in 2011.

The Trojans will also bring home two medals in individual competition with a Matthew Travaglini gold (24:18.1) and Jacques Saayman a bronze (25:23.8) running in the men's 8-kilometre distance.

Red Deer Kings, Devon Gurney (274) at the start

"We definitely though that we had a shot if we came and we ran the races that we could," said Trojans coach Bre MacEachern of the 2017 CCAA Cross-Country Running Nationals held in Lionel-Groulx Blainville, Quebec.  "There was no doubt in my mind. What we have had in past years is  the guys doing well one year and then the girls doing well another year. This year we put the two together."

Of the course itself, MacEachern stated: "It is hard to tell what the course will be like sometimes as Quebec and Ontario schools do not have as challenging courses. So when you look at their results from the season….it seems crazy compared to us because their courses are not as challenging.

"It was very flat…not so many hills…which we are accustomed to, so the pace was crazy right away off the start. It was pretty narrow and hard to pass."

In order to prepare for the race MacEachern said the Trojans, "a couple of weeks before (ACAC Cross Country Provincials) took out the hills from our training."

Augustana Vikings, Joedy Dalke (124)

Joining the Trojans men's in the Top 50 from the field of 134 male runners are: 16th,  SAIT,  Daryl Ross,  26:43.9: 20th, GPRC,  Brandon Wladyko, 26:51.7; 30th, Augustana, Erik Rust, 27:16.8; 32nd, SAIT, Brant Lauweryssen, 27:17.9; 33rd, Red Deer, Adam Wass, 27:22.0; 36th, Lethbridge, Spence Jackson,  27:25.7; 39th, Augustana, Matthieu Martin, 27:28.6, 45th, Augustana,  Joedy Dalke, 27:35.1 and at 48th  SAIT, Alex Howells with a clocking of 27:38.5.

Travaglini and Saayman were CCAA Men's All-Canadians selections.

Also in CCAA Men's Team competition Augustana placed 5th, Lethbridge 16th and Red Deer Kings 18th.

Overall men's title went to Sherbrooke with silver to Fanshawe.

Since 2002, when the inaugural CCAA Cross Country Championships were hosted by Red Deer College, the ACAC has been a dominant presence.

For 14 consecutive years prior to the 2016 CCAA Cross Country Championships, the ACAC had medaled in women's individual competition.

Earning eight gold, 10 silver and eight bronze during this span they are the only CCAA program to have swept the podium; a feat that was accomplished in 2002, 2005 and 2013.

Last year the run was broken with the best ACAC finish a fifth by Kodiaks' Rachel McKenzie.

Lethbridge Kodiaks, Sophia Norwicki

Well, the one-year hiatus is over as the top ACAC women's placements in the 6km distance was Lethbridge Kodiaks'  Sophia Nowicki with a 22:01.8 clocking good enough for bronze.

"It was nice to come back to the medals," said Kodiaks head coach Bertil Johansson. "We really trained her (Nowicki) to be ready and to peak. She had one of those technically perfect races. We have been working on her technique and her speed was perfect."

ACAC competitors joining her in the Top 25 in the 130 runner field were: 4th, Red Deer, Jordanna Cota, 22:10.5; 5th, SAIT, Ricki Christopher, 22:16.0; 9th, SAIT, Emilie Mann,  22:38.8; 18th, Red Deer, Jillian Stewart, 23:17.5; 20th, Lethbridge, Emily Spencer, 23:24.9; 21st, SAIT, Alea Stockton, 23:26.3 and at 22nd, SAIT, Melaine McCann, 23:31.0.

The 6-k race was won by Veronica Fagan (21:42.2) of UBCO and silver went to Jade Berube of Lionel-Grouix (21:56.2).

CCAA Women's All-Canadians were Sophia Nowicki, Lethbridge; Jordanna Cota, Red Deer; and Ricki Christopher and Emilie Mann from SAIT.

Also in CCAA Women's Team competition  Red Deer Queens 4th, Lethbridge Kodiaks 6th, Augustana 9th and Grande Prairie 13th.

Lionel-Groulx was gold for women and UBCO goes home with a bronze team performance.

Next years CCAA Cross Country Championships are to be held in Toronto, Ontario and hosted by the Seneca Sting.