Cross-country battle on Plains of Abraham

The Plains of Abraham in Quebec City was the site of the most historically significant battle in Canadian history, where the British forces led by General James Wolfe prevailed over the Marquis de Montcalm’s French troops in 1759. Almost 250 years later, more than 200 of the finest university runners from across Canada came together on these same hallowed grounds for a very different sort of battle: the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Cross-Country Championships. Strong, swirling winds, combined with fairly hilly terrain, made for very challenging conditions in November 8, 2008, races, but this did not prevent the field from delivering many exceptional performances.

In the women’s race, the First Team All-Canadians (top seven finishers) included two former CIS champions, three former rookies of the year, and two promising newcomers. The latter group included University of Toronto freshman Tamara Jewett and University of Victoria graduate student Marilyn Arsenault.

Jewett, 18, embarked upon her first year competing for the Varsity Blues shortly after finishing 8th in the 3,000m at the World Junior Track and Field Championships in Poland this past summer. She was the top rookie in Quebec City, finishing 5th, and as a result was named the women’s rookie of the year. “Never having competed in CIS, I only had a general idea of what to expect,” said Jewett, “and a big part of this race for me was assessing what the atmosphere and competition is like at a CIS championship to have a general reference for future competitions.”

Arsenault, 40, finished just one place behind Jewett. “It was a tough run for me,” said Arsenault after the race. “I let the windy conditions get to me. It would have been so great had I been in that little pack [that was ahead of me] to battle it out, but I was still very pleased I didn’t give up and held on for a 6th place finish.” Despite the substantial age difference between Arsenault and most of her competitors, she only began training seriously a few years ago, making rapid improvements under the tutelage of former Olympian and top Canadian marathoner Jon Brown.

Toronto’s Megan Brown won the women’s individual race, making a triumphant return to the CIS after being absent due to illness last year. The Guelph women’s team, led by head coach Dave Scott-Thomas, tied a CIS record by capturing their fourth consecutive championship, edging out the Toronto and Calgary teams. The Guelph men also defended their team title, winning for the third consecutive year, and dominating the competition with the lowest team score (27) in a CIS championship race in more than 20 years. Guelph had the individual men’s champion, Matt Brunsting, as well as the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 15th finishers.

Two of the key contributors to the Guelph team were their two fifth-year runners, Derek Snider and Josh Roundell, who both enjoyed the best results of their respective CIS cross-country careers (6th and 15th). “They both ‘got it’ early on in their collegiate running and were patient and put in their time, season after season,” says Scott-Thomas. “I think they’re both great examples of what can be done if you decide you really want it – follow your heart and use your brains.”

The St. Francis Xavier men’s team finished a distant second behind Guelph, and Windsor was third. Calgary freshman Nyial Majock, who boldly led for part of the race, held on for a 5^th-place finish and was named the men’s rookie of the year.

The focus for most runners in the CIS now shifts to the track, with the University of Windsor hosting the next CIS Track & Field Championships on March 12-14, 2009.