4-time OFSAA XC champ Cameron Ormond is going to Guelph

Cameron Ormond, who became the first woman to win four consecutive OFSAA cross-country championships this fall, is attending the University of Guelph in September of 2019. The Aurora High School senior announced her decision last week. 

The University of Guelph has a highly reputable middle distance program. The women’s cross-country program achieved 10 straight national wins from 2007 to 2017, and accumulated several track wins in that time as well. Ormond also visited the University of Victoria and Queen’s University, but ultimately decided that Guelph was the best fit for her. 

RELATED: Cameron Ormond makes OFSAA XC history with four consecutive wins

Ormond took the trip to Guelph the week after the Athletics Canada National Cross-Country Championships. “I was on my break from running so I couldn’t run with the team, but I got a campus tour and got to take part in a biomechanics lab.” The grade 12 student will be studying biomechanical engineering in the fall. 

Ormond says she made her final decision on Christmas Day. “I met with Danielle Jossinet, one of the runners on the team, and she showed me around some of the labs and the engineering department. She told me that she’s taking five years to complete her degree and that allowed her to spread out her courses and devote a little more time to running.” Ormond feels that Guelph is the whole package of academics and athletics. 

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The runner says she’d like to run cross-country along with the 1,500m and 3,000m next year. But Ormond still has a high school season to finish. Unfortunately she’s been dealing with a psoas strain and isn’t running at the moment, but her goal is to be healthy and ready for the spring. “If I’m healthy I’d love to do well at OFSAA and hopefully qualify for Pan Am juniors, but right now I’m just hoping to get injury-free.”

Ormond’s decision to stay in Canada and compete at the U Sports level will be great for the quality of Canadian competition. As more women decide to attend school in their native country, the level of competition is rising at the U Sports level. Ormond told Canadian Running in the fall that she wanted to stay in Canada for school. “I think being close to home and having the option to come for holidays will suit me. In Canada my schedule will be more flexible and I feel like I’ll be able to equally balance academics and athletics.”