4 Canadian women dominating the NCAA cross-country scene
As the NCAA championship season draws near, keep an eye on these standout athletes who are taking Division I cross-country by storm
Photo by:
Sean Burges/Mundo Sport Images
With the U Sports cross-country season creating a buzz within Canadian athletics, some of the nation’s top athletes are also competing down south. The NCAA season is in full swing–and thus far, we’ve seen nothing but outstanding performances from Canadian endurance runners, especially on the women’s side.
Here are four athletes to look for in the upcoming Division I cross-country championship season.
Ceili McCabe (West Virginia University)
View this post on Instagram
National 3,000m steeplechase record-holder and Paris Olympian Ceili McCabe has been showing off her world-class fitness from her very first race of the season, competing for the West Virginia University (WVU) Mountaineers. The 23-year-old won the Louisville Classic 5K in Louisville, Ky. on Oct. 4, clocking 16:06 to win by more than eight seconds, before going on to take fourth in a deep field at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals meet on Saturday in Madison, Wis.
McCabe set a WVU program record with a time of 19:10:80 on the 6K loop, and was one of six women to go under Parker Valby‘s course record of 19:17. The race took place on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, which is set to host the NCAA Division I Cross-Country Championships on Nov. 23.
View this post on Instagram
“You always go into a race wanting to contend to win,” the Vancouver native told FloTrack in a post-race interview. “When that pulls away, it’s a little bit disappointing–but at the same time, you know that you’re up against some pretty phenomenal competition.”
In September, McCabe became the first Canadian runner to sign a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal, partnering with Swiss athletic brand On.
Chloe Thomas (University of Connecticut)
View this post on Instagram
The U20 Canadian mile record holder, Chloe Thomas, opened her senior season at the University of Connecticut with back-to-back wins. She set a meet record of 19:51.8 at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational at Penn State University on Sept. 13, beating the field by 12 seconds. The 21-year-old gapped the competition even more at the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 5, clocking 19:23 to win by 32 seconds.
At the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals meet on Saturday, the Dundas, Ont., native continued her string of impressive performances by claiming fifth, just one second behind compatriot McCabe. Her time of 9:11.8 marked the fastest 6K of her career.
Sadie Sigfstead (Villanova University)
View this post on Instagram
Edmonton’s Sadie Sigfstead turned many heads when she won the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wis. on Sept. 27. The 21-year-old clocked 19:55.7 on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course. She went on to take ninth at the Princeton Cross-Country Fall Classic in Princeton, N.J., on Oct. 18, clocking 19:48.
Sigfstead has been a standout Canadian endurance runner since a very young age; she won the U18 national cross-country title in 2017 at only 14, and won the U20 Canadian Cross-Country Championships in 2021.
Florence Caron (Penn State University)
View this post on Instagram
Former Laval Rouge et Or athlete Florence Caron‘s performances have been taking off since she began competing in the NCAA for Penn State University last fall; the 24-year-old claimed the school record for the outdoor 5,000m of 15:32:22 in her first year. The Quebec native earned second-place finishes behind her Canadian compatriots in two races this season–clocking 20:03 after a battle with Thomas at the Spiked Shoe Invitational on Sept. 13, and taking the runner-up spot to Sigfstead at Nuttycombe on Sept. 27.
On Oct. 18, Caron put up an impressive run to take third in 19:25 at the Princeton Cross-Country Fall Classic. The race was led by 2024 NCAA 1,500m silver medallist Kimberley May.Â
There is only one weekend of pre-championship racing left in the 2024 NCAA Division I cross-country season. Conference championships begin on Nov. 1, regionals on Nov. 15. and nationals on Nov. 23. to cap off the season.
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
