Men’s U Sports XC power rankings: conference championships preview

The 2022 U Sports cross country season has come down to its final few races, and all of Canada’s top programs will be looking to book their tickets to Halifax for the U Sports Championships on Nov. 12.

Let’s get things started with our pre-conference championships edition of the U Sports XC power rankings, looking at the top 10 men’s teams in the country, in addition to predictions of each conference winner based on performance.

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

The X-men have fallen down a spot after a tough performance at the RSEQ Interlock meet. On a positive note, several of their younger runners have stepped up and made an impact in their first year of competition. A top-10 finish at U Sports would be a step in the right direction for this developing team. 

9. Alberta Golden Bears (CanWest) +3

Riley Stuermer has made some noise for the Golden Bears after his win at TWU Invite earlier this month. His win has landed the Golden Bears in the top 10 for the first time this season. Although this team has firepower up front, the runners from the third to seventh spots will have their hands full, containing UBC at the CanWest championships. 

8. McGill Redbirds (RSEQ) +0

The Redbirds dominated Laval’s B-team at the Vert & Or Invitational in Sherbrooke, Que., on Oct. 15, landing four men in the top 10. The 2021 RSEQ XC champion, Matthew Beaudet, took the win easily, in his first XC race of the season. Beaudet will look to defend his individual conference title against a gritty Laval team this weekend in Rawdon, Que.

7. Guelph Gryphons (OUA) -5

The Gryphons haven’t made a lot of noise in the OUA this season, which is why they’ve drifted to seventh. Alec Purnell and Max Davies will return to action at this weekend’s OUA championships after sitting out the Bayfront Invitational earlier this month. Davies, an NCAA transfer from Iona College, has made a splash in his first U Sports season with two top-10 finishes. 

6. Dalhousie Tigers (AUS) +0

The Tigers held their own in a tight match-up against #2 ranked Laval at the RSEQ Interlock meet. They placed four runners in the top 15, despite their fifth and sixth runners falling short of previous performances. Although they’ll have an automatic bid since they are hosting U Sports, the Tigers run deep and are favoured to win the Atlantic conference.

5. Queen’s Gaels (OUA) +2

Give Mark Bomba the OUA XC Coach of the Year–he has this young squad buzzing right now. In their first OUA race of the season, the Gaels landed four runners in the top 10, led by fifth-year veteran Mitchell Kirby. Kirby came back for his final year of eligibility to get this team to an OUA podium. The Gaels endeavour to do so in London this weekend.

4. Western Mustangs (OUA) -1

The Mustangs had a decent showing at the Bayfront Invitational, placing third behind#5-ranked Queen’s and #1, McMaster. Western landed five runners in the top 20 while missing one of their top runners, Marcel Scheele. With the OUA championship being on their home turf, the men are experienced and familiar with the course. They would need a miracle to take down McMaster, but they are the second-strongest team in the OUA right now and are expected to land on the OUA podium.

3. UBC Thunderbirds (CanWest) +3

The Thunderbirds have looked very good in their two meets this season. Young talents Liam Dwyer and Bill Makwae have stepped up in the absence of veteran Tyler Dozzi, who has been sidelined with an injury since September. Similar to the two teams ranked ahead, the T-birds have tons of depth and are the favourites to win the CanWest championship.

2. Laval Rouge-et-Or (RSEQ) +2

What do a bottle of red wine and the Laval Rouge-et-Or men’s XC team have in common? Both get better as the season moves along. Jean-Simon Desgagnés returned to action with a second-place finish at the RSEQ Interlock meet, behind his teammate, Philippe Morneau-Cartier. Both Desgagnés and Cartier were part of the Laval gold medal-winning team in 2021. The #8-ranked McGill men should keep it close with Laval at the RSEQ championships this weekend, but I’ll give Laval the upper hand due to their depth. 

1. McMaster Marauders (OUA) +0

The Marauders have taken care of business all season and at the Bayfront Invitational on Oct. 14, they swept the top four to take the win in a landslide. The addition of Dylan Alick has made this team’s top five deadly. Look for the Marauders to roll over the competition at this weekend’s OUA championships in London, Ont.

Conference predictions:

CanWest: UBC Thunderbirds, champion: Trevor Hofbauer (UBC Okanagan)

OUA: McMaster Marauders, champion: Andrew Davies (McMaster)

RSEQ: Laval Rouge-et-Or, champion: Jean-Simon Desgagnes (Laval)

AUS: Dalhousie Tigers, champion: Jared Howse (UNB Reds)