CCAA cross-country champs boasted quick times despite snow and freezing temperatures

Freezing temperatures and snowy conditions greeted college cross-country athletes competing in the CCAA championships in Medicine Hat, Alta. on the weekend. The last two championships were hosted in Alberta and also made for challenging conditions, with championship runners navigating a blizzard and a foot of snow during the 2019 race in Grande Prairie, and facing 30–40/km winds and freezing temperatures in Calgary in 2021.

Women’s CCAA champs start in Medicine Hat, AB. Chilly start but these champs were in shorts! #ccaa#xcchamps pic.twitter.com/nsyMA4Avtu

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) November 12, 2022

Mackenna Fitzgerald of Calgary’s SAIT ran to gold in the women’s 6K for the second year in a row, managing a speedy 22 minutes, 15 seconds despite the conditions.

Fitzgerald was 22 seconds ahead of Marika Couture of the Élans de Garneau in Quebec, who ran 22 minutes, 37 seconds to take silver, and Reese Bendiksen from the Augustana Vikings (Camrose, Alta.) was just three seconds behind, finishing in 22 minutes and 40 seconds.

Women’s All-Canadians

Makenna Fitzgerald SAIT 22:15.9
Marika Couture Garneau 22:37.3
Reese Bendiksen Augustana 22:40.2
Jenica Swartz Red Deer 23:24.6
Amélie Simard Alma 23:41.2
Fanny Hotton-Daigneault Sainte-Foy 23:50.2
Rebecca Ross Medicine Hat 23:59.7
Émy Dagenais Joliette 24:03.3
Léa Pelletier Joliette 24:11.8
Élodie Bouchard Saint-Hyacinthe 24:12.3

In the men’s 8K event, Nolan Turgeon from Quebec’s Victoriaville Vulkins is the new CCAA men’s national champion, breaking the tape in 25 minutes, 26 seconds. Turgeon took home silver in 2021.

CCAA national champs men’s start!#ccaaxc2022 pic.twitter.com/FE6WRJZmb3

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) November 12, 2022

Moktar Said from Calgary’s SAIT Trojans was not far behind Turgeon, taking silver in 25 minutes, 38 seconds and Xavier Lemaitre from Quebec’s Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers ran to bronze in 25 minutes, 47 seconds.

Men’s All-Canadians

Nolan Turgeon Victoriaville 25:26
Moktar Said SAIT 25:38
Xavier Lemaître Saint-Lambert 25:47
Tyler Jones St. Clair 26:00
Mathis Vallières Victoriaville 26:07
Keiran Marchand SAIT 26:07
Jacob Fitzpatrick St. Clair 26:10
Jacob Girard Baie-Comeau 26:15
Sandy Freeman Fanshawe 26:26
Paolo Amotun Lokoro Sheridan 26:27

Women’s team results

Quebec was home to the top three teams in the women’s category this year. Élans de Garneau were crowned CCAA national champions with a team score of 40 points and an average team time of 23 minutes, 58 seconds. The team consisted of Marika Couture, Magalie Lessard, Raphaelle Leblond, Marianne Alarie and Alice Marsh.

Your gold medal winning women's team @GarneauElans 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 pic.twitter.com/Awt941ssqt

— CCAA 🇨🇦 ACSC (@CCAAsportsACSC) November 13, 2022

The Sherbrooke Volontaires brought home silver with a team score of 84 points and an average time of 24 minutes, 58 seconds. Sherbrooke’s team was made up of Rose-Emanuelle Binette, Elisa Vaillancourt, Natasha Bolger, Gabrielle Mercer, Meliann Briere and Laura Belanger.

Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers rounded out the top three, taking home the bronze medal with a team score of 96 points and an average time of 25 minutes, 8 seconds, with team members Emmanuelle Paquet, Sofia Veilleux, Emmanuelle Chaput, Jeanne Burton, Shelby Lajeunesse, and Lea Boucher.

Men’s team results

The men’s team results were a close battle, with the SAIT Trojans being crowned the 2022 CCAA cross-country national champions. The Trojans finished with 45 points and an average time of 26 minutes, 34 seconds, and team was made up of CCAA silver medalist Moktar Said, Keiran Marchand, Tofik Said, Yahye Mohamed, Elsami Rosa and Brian Rono.

Your winning team on the men's side. SAIT Trojans @SAIT_Trojans 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 pic.twitter.com/u92LIXT9II

— CCAA 🇨🇦 ACSC (@CCAAsportsACSC) November 13, 2022

The 2021 CCAA defending champion, Fanshawe Falcons of London, Ont., were a very close second with 49 points and an average time of 26 minutes, 47 seconds. Sandy Freeman, Sam Cumming, Ethan Roche, Ty Breedon, Aaron Reid and Lucas Liboiron filled out the silver-medal winning team.

Rounding out the top three were Ontario’s St. Clair Saints. Finishing with 60 points and an average time of 26 minutes, 56 seconds, the bronze medal team was made up of Tyler Jones, Jacob Fitzpatrick, Rick Nepomuceno, Matt Lafleur, Russell Niedre and Michael Horrobin.

Despite the chilly weather, Medicine Hat College hosted a resoundingly successful and exciting event, and teams are already anticipating next year’s event, to be held across the country, at Dalhousie Agricultural College in Truro, N.S.

For full results, head here.