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2022 U Sports XC Championships final rankings and predictions

Here is everything you need to know for the Canadian U Sports XC Championship on Saturday in Halifax

Photo by: Maxine Gravina

The top university runners across Canada will be in Halifax on Saturday to compete in the 2022 U Sports Cross Country Championships. In 2021, Laval Rouge et Or took both the men’s and women’s titles in front of their home crowd in Quebec City. Can Laval defend their title at The Links at Brunello Golf Course? Or will a new champion be crowned? Here are our official race preview and predictions.

Fans can catch all the action on CBC Sports, starting with the men’s race at 11 a.m. ET.

The men’s 8K race

Final Canadian Running men’s power rankings:

  1. McMaster Marauders (0)
  2. UBC Thunderbirds (+1)
  3. Laval Rouge et Or (-1)
  4. Queen’s Gaels (+1)
  5. Western Mustangs (-1)
  6. Dalhousie Tigers (0)
  7. Guelph Gryphons (0)
  8. Alberta Golden Bears (+1)
  9. McGill Redbirds (-1)
  10. Windsor Lancers (+2)

Team preview

The McMaster men come into U Sports as the clear favourites to win the team championship. They have run blemish-free all season and have the deepest top-five among all teams in the country. The fate of the Marauders will be on the shoulders of their fifth runner, Sam Nusselder, who has put together a string of solid performances to help his team become the #1 ranked squad in U Sports. If Nusselder can hold things down, McMaster could be on their first national XC title under Paula Schnurr.

Max Turek will lead the way for the #1 ranked McMaster men. Photo: Zachary Sikka

In my opinion, there are only two teams that have the depth to challenge the McMaster men for the title: UBC Thunderbirds and the defending champions, Laval Rouge et Or. UBC has also been spotless on the season, winning every meet they’ve entered. They showcased their depth and talent at the Canada West Championships, placing seven of their runners in the top 12 to win the title. If the top seven scores were counted instead of five, I am sure UBC would give McMaster a run for their money, but McMaster’s top-end talent is what gives them the slight edge. Laval has been tough to figure out this season, and two of their top three haven’t run to their full potential. Another major question facing Laval is who is going to step up in that fifth spot. Laval will need a huge run from Jean-Simon Desgagnés and Phillippe Morneau-Cartier if they hope to bring home another U Sports title in Halifax.

Individual top-five prediction

  1. Max Turek (McMaster)
  2. Jean-Simon Desgagnés (Laval)
  3. Tyler Dozzi (UBC)
  4. Mathieu Beaudet (McGill)
  5. Alex Drover (McMaster)
Tyler Dozzi of UBC. Photo: athletepics.ca

The women’s 8K race

Final Canadian Running women’s power rankings:

  1. Laval Rouge et Or (0)
  2. Guelph Gryphons (0)
  3. UBC Thunderbirds (+1)
  4. McMaster Marauders (+1)
  5. Western Mustangs (-2)
  6. Saskatchewan Huskies (+2)
  7. Queen’s Gaels (-1)
  8. St. Francis Xavier X-Women (-1)
  9. UBC Okanagan Heat (0)
  10. Windsor Lancers (+3)

Team preview:

This will be Laval’s race to lose. Despite winning the U Sports title in 2021 and 2018, this 2022 squad they’ve assembled is their deepest team to date. They have three runners who could potentially win the individual title and tons of depth behind them. Last year, Laval scored a program record 35 points to win the team title in Quebec City, with Jessy Lacourse taking the individual victory. It’ll likely be déja-vu for the Rouge et Or ladies on Saturday morning.

The Laval women celebrating their U Sports title win in 2018. Photo: Maxine Gravina

The rest of the teams will battle for silver and bronze. Outside of Laval, UBC and Guelph have been two of the best teams in the country. Guelph has a lot of talent and is led by OUA champion Sadie-Jane Hickson and OUA Rookie of the Year Michelle Gray. Guelph is also the only team that has beaten Laval this season (at the Western Invitational, though Laval was without Lacourse that day). Guelph showcased its depth at the OUA Championship, placing five runners in the top 10. The battle between the Gryphons and UBC for silver will be one to look out for. UBC has had a similar season to Guelph in the Canada West conference, dominating the top 10 at every XC meet they’ve been to. The toughest team UBC has faced this season is the Saskatchewan Huskies (#6), so it will be interesting to see how they fare against stiffer competition.

McMaster and Western are bubble teams that could break onto the podium if UBC or Guelph has a tough outing. Both teams have run well all season but have finished behind the Gryphons in each of their last three races.

Individual top-five prediction

  1. Jessy Lacourse (Laval)
  2. Kiana Gibson (UBC)
  3. Catherine Beauchemin (Laval)
  4. Jade Bérubé (Laval)
  5. Sadie-Jane Hickson (Guelph)

How to watch

Although the temperature on Saturday won’t be as cold as years prior (18 C), there is a 90 per cent chance of rain in Halifax with 30 km/h winds. The men’s race will begin at 11 a.m. ET and the women’s race will follow. The weather will certainly provide muddy and slippery conditions for the athletes.

Fans can watch all the action on CBC Sports. Follow Canadian Running on Twitter and Instagram for all up-to-date news and content around the 2022 U Sports XC Championships in Halifax. 

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