Men’s U Sports cross country mid-season power rankings

We are now two weeks into the 2023 U Sports cross-country season, and it’s time to update our Canadian Running men’s team power rankings according to mid-season results. 

Here’s how our rankings work: if a team is winning, they will climb the rankings. If a team is losing, they slide. We will update the rankings every three weeks during the season in the ramp-up to the 2023 U Sports Championships on Nov. 12, from London, Ont.

We are less than six weeks away from the 2023 U Sports Championship, so here are the rankings of the top 10 women’s teams in the country, plus a couple of athletes to watch for this season in their respective conferences.

10. McMaster Marauders (OUA) -1

9. McGill Redbirds (RSEQ) +1

8. Western Mustangs (OUA) -3

7. St. Francis Xavier X-Men (AUS) -1

6. UNB Reds (AUS) *new*

In London, ON, today, Jared Howse led the men's team to a fourth place team finish out of 17 teams! Howse ran to an individual 3rd.
The women's team worked their way into the top 10, finishing in team standings in 10th overall, led by rookie Olivia Baggley in 29th!#goredsgo pic.twitter.com/pXUMUjhpaC

— UNB CC & TF (@UNBTrack) September 23, 2023

5. Dalhousie Tigers (AUS) +2

4. Guelph Gryphons (OUA) -1

3. UBC Thunderbirds (CanWest) +1

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A post shared by Dan's Track & Field Autographs (@daniel.tnf.autographs)

2. Queen’s Gaels (OUA) +/-

1. Laval University (RSEQ) +/-

Bonne journée pour ce trio sur les Plaines d’Abraham.

1-2-3 @rougeetor

Philippe Morneau-Cartier comme champion du jour.

De retour dans 2 semaines pour la rencontre Interlock à Fredericton. pic.twitter.com/kFGNFepC1z

— Felix A Lapointe (@CoachLapointe) September 23, 2023

The Laval Rouge-et-Or men made cross-country look easy at the first meet of their season on the Plaines d’Abraham, sweeping the podium at their hometown event. Philippe Morneau-Cartier took the win over his Laval teammates Jean-Simon Desgagnés and Jonathan Tedeschi, covering 8K in 24:35. The top-ranked Laval squad, led by these three men, is set to face tougher competition at the AUS/RSEQ Interlock meet at Kingswood Resort in Hanwell, N.B. on Oct. 7, where they will compete against Dalhousie, UNB Reds, and StFX X-Men. This weekend’s AUS/RSEQ Interlock meet should give us an idea of Laval’s strength ahead of the conference championships at the end of the month.

The University of New Brunswick Reds broke into the top 10 for the first time this season following an impressive fourth-place finish at the Western Invitational, surpassing Western, McMaster, and McGill to secure the #6 spot. The Reds were led by Jared Howse, who finished third overall in the men’s 8K race behind champion Nicholas Bannon and runner-up UBC’s Andrew Davies.

🏃‍♂️ Congratulations to Nicholas Bannon from the Gryphons Cross Country team on being named @usportsca Cross Country Athlete of the Week!⁠
⁠
📰 https://t.co/XAAjHDkaG0
⁠#GryphonPride #GryphonCrossCountry pic.twitter.com/tBWjC95ifX

— Guelph Gryphons (@guelph_gryphons) October 4, 2023

Also moving up two spots in the rankings are the Dalhousie Tigers after a dominant victory at the Acadia Invite, where they placed five runners in the top 11. OUA teams Guelph, Western and McMaster all slipped in the rankings after less-than-ideal performances at the Western Invite. Guelph’s top two runners carried the weight, but the team lacked the depth they had in previous years, with their third runner finishing outside the top 20. The Western Mustangs faced a similar situation, falling short of expectations, finishing sixth.

Individual title contenders

Jean-Simon Desgagnés (Laval Rouge-et-Or)
Phillipe Morneau-Cartier (Laval Rouge-et-Or)
Jared Howse (UNB Reds)
Max Davies (Guelph Gryphons)
Andrew Davies (UBC Thunderbirds)
Jude Wheeler-Dee (Queen’s Gaels)
Nicholas Bannon (Guelph Gryphons)
Jon Podbielski (Regina Cougars)