XC: Dinos, T-Birds mine CW gold in snowy Calgary
October 27, 2019
CALGARY - The hometown Calgary Dinos men and the UBC Thunderbirds women were crowned the Canada West cross country champions Saturday amid snowy, windy conditions at Canmore Park in Calgary.
Calgary captured its third straight conference men's title going away, earning a 47-point lead over second-place Alberta with four of the top six finishers, while the UBC women also enjoyed a sizeable advantage atop the team standings with a 40-point lead over Trinity Western.
The Dinos and T-Birds also picked up the individual gold medals on the day, with Nicola Symonds crossing the line first to win the women's race while Calgary's Stefan Daniel beat teammate Russell Pennock to the line by more than 30 seconds to capture the men's title.
FULL RESULTS: https://www.itsyourrace.com/results.aspx?id=12958
The harsh weather conditions, thanks to a snow squall that rolled in about an hour before the starter's pistol sounded, didn't phase the UBC women's team as they finished with a cumulative total of 40 points, ahead of Trinity Western (80) and Saskatchewan (87), who took the team silver and bronze medals, respectively.
For Symonds, it was like completing the circle. The fifth-year Thunderbird, originally from Calgary, took home the Canada West gold medal where it all began in Canmore Park, where she ran her first-ever cross country meet in elementary school. It was a fight to the finish, with Symonds just edging out Saskatchewan's Courtney Hufsmith by less than two tenths of a second to take the gold. Symonds clocked in at 30:35.49, Hufsmith finished in 30:35.64 for the silver and Trinity Western's Joanna Williams claimed the bronze medal in 30:43.84.
"I was really happy with my performance," said Symonds. "I knew that the wind was a possibility, but with the conditions things can be unpredictable the day of. It's my last year, too, so I wanted to give it my all. I was really happy with it.
With her performance in her final year of eligibility, Symonds goes out on top as the Canada West female cross country athlete of the year for the women. The Thunderbirds also took top rookie honours, with Naomi Lang's fourth-place finish just off the podium earning her that nod. And after their outstanding performance, UBC's head coach Brant Stachel was named women's Coach of the Year.
The University of Calgary Dinos men's cross country team captivated the home crowd as they raced to victory, claiming the gold and silver for the Dinos on their way to win their third consecutive Canada West Championship. The University of Calgary won the west with 25 points, beating out their provincial rivals from the University of Alberta (72) for silver and the University of British Columbia (78) taking the bronze.
After getting out quickly and only extending his lead for the entire race, Stefan Daniel blew away the competition securing the gold medal by over 30 seconds, finishing in 31:28:53 to a boisterous cheer from the home crowd. Daniel's Calgary teammate, fifth-year Russell Pennock, had a strong kick on the final lap to pass UBC's Kieran Lumb and crossed the line in 32:00.49 picking up the silver. Lumb finished in 32:14.81 rounding out the top three.
"It feels great - I was not expecting that," said Daniel, who captured his eighth World Paratriathlon Series title in Tokyo in August. "IT was really windy so I went out fast but the pack was pretty slow, so I decided just to commit and try it. I was somehow able to hold on - I don't know how."
Daniel's inspired performance landed him the title of Canada West cross country athlete of the year, while rookie of the year was awarded to Regina's Ron Maclean. After such a dominant victory for the Calgary men, Dinos head coach Doug Lamont was named men's coach of the year.
The student-athlete community service awards went to Caitlyn Vail of Victoria and Eric Lutz of Calgary. Vail, a graduate student in civil engineering, is heavily involved with several community projects, including Scientists and Innovators in Schools (SIS), facilitating and leading in-class chemistry experiments with elementary and middle school children. She has been a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters, passionate about mentoring girls to become confident leaders and encouraging all youth to pursue their interests in science.
Lutz, in his third year with the Dinos, has volunteered in a variety of areas including a rehab and fitness centre, helping improve quality of life for the disabled community. He has engaged in mental health, volunteering with the University of Calgary's RenewFest , and worked as an in home service aid in summer 2019, assisting with daily tasks after a client suffered a broken neck.
With the Canada West championships behind them, the teams now get set for the U SPORTS Cross Country Championships in two weeks' time, Nov. 9 at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.
2019 Canada West Cross Country Championships
Canmore Park, Calgary
WOMEN
TEAM STANDINGS
Not enough finishers to score: UBCO, Manitoba
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Top 7 first team all-stars, 8-14 2nd team all-stars
AWARDS
Athlete of the Year: Nicola Symonds, UBC
Rookie of the Year: Naomi Lang, UBC
Student-Athlete Community Service: Caitlyn Vail, VIC
Coach of the Year: Brant Stachel, UBC
MEN
TEAM STANDINGS
Not enough finishers to score: Saskatchewan, MacEwan
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Top 7 first team all-stars, 8-14 2nd team all-stars
AWARDS
Athlete of the Year: Stefan Daniel, CGY
Rookie of the Year: Ron MacLean, REG (15th place)
S-A Community: Eric Lutz, CGY
Coach of the Year: Doug Lamont, CGY
Calgary captured its third straight conference men's title going away, earning a 47-point lead over second-place Alberta with four of the top six finishers, while the UBC women also enjoyed a sizeable advantage atop the team standings with a 40-point lead over Trinity Western.
The Dinos and T-Birds also picked up the individual gold medals on the day, with Nicola Symonds crossing the line first to win the women's race while Calgary's Stefan Daniel beat teammate Russell Pennock to the line by more than 30 seconds to capture the men's title.
FULL RESULTS: https://www.itsyourrace.com/results.aspx?id=12958
The harsh weather conditions, thanks to a snow squall that rolled in about an hour before the starter's pistol sounded, didn't phase the UBC women's team as they finished with a cumulative total of 40 points, ahead of Trinity Western (80) and Saskatchewan (87), who took the team silver and bronze medals, respectively.
For Symonds, it was like completing the circle. The fifth-year Thunderbird, originally from Calgary, took home the Canada West gold medal where it all began in Canmore Park, where she ran her first-ever cross country meet in elementary school. It was a fight to the finish, with Symonds just edging out Saskatchewan's Courtney Hufsmith by less than two tenths of a second to take the gold. Symonds clocked in at 30:35.49, Hufsmith finished in 30:35.64 for the silver and Trinity Western's Joanna Williams claimed the bronze medal in 30:43.84.
"I was really happy with my performance," said Symonds. "I knew that the wind was a possibility, but with the conditions things can be unpredictable the day of. It's my last year, too, so I wanted to give it my all. I was really happy with it.
With her performance in her final year of eligibility, Symonds goes out on top as the Canada West female cross country athlete of the year for the women. The Thunderbirds also took top rookie honours, with Naomi Lang's fourth-place finish just off the podium earning her that nod. And after their outstanding performance, UBC's head coach Brant Stachel was named women's Coach of the Year.
The University of Calgary Dinos men's cross country team captivated the home crowd as they raced to victory, claiming the gold and silver for the Dinos on their way to win their third consecutive Canada West Championship. The University of Calgary won the west with 25 points, beating out their provincial rivals from the University of Alberta (72) for silver and the University of British Columbia (78) taking the bronze.
After getting out quickly and only extending his lead for the entire race, Stefan Daniel blew away the competition securing the gold medal by over 30 seconds, finishing in 31:28:53 to a boisterous cheer from the home crowd. Daniel's Calgary teammate, fifth-year Russell Pennock, had a strong kick on the final lap to pass UBC's Kieran Lumb and crossed the line in 32:00.49 picking up the silver. Lumb finished in 32:14.81 rounding out the top three.
"It feels great - I was not expecting that," said Daniel, who captured his eighth World Paratriathlon Series title in Tokyo in August. "IT was really windy so I went out fast but the pack was pretty slow, so I decided just to commit and try it. I was somehow able to hold on - I don't know how."
Daniel's inspired performance landed him the title of Canada West cross country athlete of the year, while rookie of the year was awarded to Regina's Ron Maclean. After such a dominant victory for the Calgary men, Dinos head coach Doug Lamont was named men's coach of the year.
The student-athlete community service awards went to Caitlyn Vail of Victoria and Eric Lutz of Calgary. Vail, a graduate student in civil engineering, is heavily involved with several community projects, including Scientists and Innovators in Schools (SIS), facilitating and leading in-class chemistry experiments with elementary and middle school children. She has been a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters, passionate about mentoring girls to become confident leaders and encouraging all youth to pursue their interests in science.
Lutz, in his third year with the Dinos, has volunteered in a variety of areas including a rehab and fitness centre, helping improve quality of life for the disabled community. He has engaged in mental health, volunteering with the University of Calgary's RenewFest , and worked as an in home service aid in summer 2019, assisting with daily tasks after a client suffered a broken neck.
With the Canada West championships behind them, the teams now get set for the U SPORTS Cross Country Championships in two weeks' time, Nov. 9 at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.
2019 Canada West Cross Country Championships
Canmore Park, Calgary
WOMEN
TEAM STANDINGS
- UBC (40 pts)
- TWU (80)
- Saskatchewan (87)
- Calgary (92)
- Victoria (99)
- Alberta (152)
- MacEwan (159)
- Regina (194)
- Thompson Rivers (274)
Not enough finishers to score: UBCO, Manitoba
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Top 7 first team all-stars, 8-14 2nd team all-stars
- Nicola Symonds, UBC, 30:35.49
- Courtney Hufsmith, SSK, 30:35.64
- Joanna Williams, TWU, 30:43.84
- Naomi Lang, UBC
- Emily Simpson, CGY
- Kyla Becker, UBC
- Kaitlyn Harrison, SSK
- Caitlin Vail, VIC
- Camille Galloway, UBCO
- Jasmine Feddema, ALB
- Kiana Row, GMU
- Mikaela Smart, TWU
- Chole Hewitt, VIC
- Kelsey Serviss, CGY
AWARDS
Athlete of the Year: Nicola Symonds, UBC
Rookie of the Year: Naomi Lang, UBC
Student-Athlete Community Service: Caitlyn Vail, VIC
Coach of the Year: Brant Stachel, UBC
MEN
TEAM STANDINGS
- Calgary (25 pts)
- Alberta (72)
- UBC (78)
- Victoria (103)
- Regina (164)
- TWU (180)
- Manitoba (180)
- UBC Okanagan (184)
- Thompson Rivers (252)
Not enough finishers to score: Saskatchewan, MacEwan
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Top 7 first team all-stars, 8-14 2nd team all-stars
- Stefan Daniel, CGY, 31:28.53
- Russell Pennock, CGY, 32:00.49
- Kieran Lumb, UBC, 32:14.81
- Matthew Travaglini, CGY
- Nick Colyn, TWU
- Max Thiessen, CGY
- Brandon Vail, VIC
- Thomas Broatch, UBC
- Matthew Hope, ALB
- Royden Radowits, ALB
- Riley Stuermer, ALB
- Eric Lutz, CGY
- Jonathan Guidinger, CGY
- Mike Mitchell, UBCO
AWARDS
Athlete of the Year: Stefan Daniel, CGY
Rookie of the Year: Ron MacLean, REG (15th place)
S-A Community: Eric Lutz, CGY
Coach of the Year: Doug Lamont, CGY