Top university runners chase CIS medals in Sherbrooke
Guelph, Windsor, and Alberta runners expected to dominate distance events at CIS championships in Sherbrooke, Que.
The best Canadian university runners are in Sherbrooke, Que., competing at the CIS Track and Field Championships this weekend.
In the distance events, Guelph is the overwhelming favourite with Rachel Cliff dominating the 1,500m and 3,000m this season, and Kyle Boorsma ranked first in the men’s 1,500m and 3,000m.
The distance races are stacked with Gryphon talent, as the top four seeds in the women’s 1,5000m are all from Guelph; five of the top seven in the men’s 3,000m are also from Dave Scott-Thomas’s Gryphon squad.
The Guelph runners will undoubtedly have a target on their backs in the 1,500m and 3,000m, but Windsor and Alberta boast some of the top talent in the 600m and 1,000m. Windsor’s Melissa Bishop and Raeleen Hunter will be top contenders in the both of the shorter middle-distance events, while Alberta’s Jaden Ostapowich has been unstoppable in the men’s three-lap and five-lap races.
John Lofranco has a preview and predictions for the distance races on his Montreal Endurance blog.
Meanwhile, the top U.S. collegiate runners are also competing at their indoor national championships in Texas. And, the meet features a few top Canadians, competing for NCAA schools. Canadian distance fans will want to keep an eye on Villanova’s Sheila Reid, Duke’s Kate Van Buskirk, Notre Dame’s Jeremy Rae and Wisconsin’s Mohammed Ahmed — incidentally, all of those athletes are from Ontario. Click here for results and schedule.
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