U Sports 2018 cross-country predictions

It’s only three days until the 2018 U Sports cross-country championships. The country’s best collegiate cross-country runners will race at Fort Henry in Kingston on Saturday, November 10 for the title of U Sports champion. 

In terms of the team competition, 2018 has proved an interesting year. The University of Toronto won the 2017 women’s competition, but lost four of five of their counters, meaning that it’s very unlikely they will be in the running for the top three spots. 

The Queen’s Gaels were second in the 2017 women’s competition, and they’re back in a serious way in 2018. On Saturday the Queen’s women are arguably the team to beat, but they certainly won’t run away with the competition. The Laval Rouge et Or along with the Guelph Gryphons have very strong 2018 women’s teams, and will keep Queen’s on their toes. 

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In the men’s team competition, the McMaster Marauders are looking to break the longest fourth-place finish streak in U Sports history. This team has been fourth at the national championships for six years in a row, but this year they might take the whole thing. The Guelph Gryphons were beaten by the Marauders at OUA’s and they’re certainly looking for redemption at nationals. This will be a tight race. 

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We’ve followed the cross-country seasons of the U Sports athletes, and below are our predictions for the top 15 individuals based on their performances over the past two months.

Women’s race

1. Brogan MacDougall – Queen’s
2. Branna MacDougall – Queen’s
3. Kristina Popadich – Western
4. Courtney Hufsmith – Saskatchewan 
5. Jessy Lacourse – Laval
6. Makenna Fitzgerald – Queen’s
7. Anne-Marie Comeau – Laval
8. Danielle Jossinet – Guelph 
9. Aurelie Dube-Lavoie – Laval
10. Hannah Woodhouse – Guelph
11. Catherine Beauchemin – Laval
12. Michelle Reddy – Dalhousie 
13. Heather Petrick – Guelph
14. Savanna Jordan – Dalhousie 
15. Melissa Jones – Calgary

Men’s race

1. Mark Patton – Guelph
2. Max Turek – McMaster
3. Jean-Simon Desgagnes – Laval
4. Angus Rawling – St. FX
5. Russel Pennock – Calgary
6. Connor Black – Guelph
7. John Gay – UBC
8. Mitchell Delange – Queen’s
9. Isaiah Frielink – Western
10. Sergio Raez-Villanueva – McMaster 
11. Nickolas Colyn – TWU
12. Alex Drover – McMaster
13. Jack Sheffar – Western
14. Andrew Shepard – Guelph
15. Mitchell Kirby – Queen’s

The event kicks off with the community 5K at noon, followed by the women’s race at 1:00 p.m. and the men’s race at 2:00 p.m. See here for more information.