McCuaig conquers all on Plains of Abraham
(PHOTO BY ANDREW DOBROWOLSKYJ)
QUEBEC CITY - McGill distance runner Sarah McCuaig of Waterloo, Ont., finished first in a field of 41 women and led the Martlets to place second overall at the Laval Open cross-country running meet, the third race of the fall season, held on the Plains of Abraham, Saturday.
McCuaig, a 20-year-old phyiology sophomore, completed the four-kilometre course in 14 minutes, 46 seconds, to capture the event by 24 seconds. It was the second career victory in CIS competition for McCuaig, who was also the top university runner at the McGill Invitational on Sept. 19. Sherbrooke's Melanie Hughes was second in 15:10 and Alberta's Hayley Degaust claimed the last podium spot in 15:20.
"It was a stellar performance by McCuaig," said longtime McGill head coach Dennis Barrett. "She was leading by about 20 metres near the end of the race and just put the pedal to the medal, opening up a 15-second gap in the final 500 metres. She went out and conquered."
Alberta's Pandas won the meet, finishing atop the women's team standings with 42 points, placing runners in third, sixth, 10th, 11th and 12th. McGill was only three points back, scoring 45 with runners placing first, fifth, seventh, ninth and 23rd. Sherbrooke was third overall (63), followed by Laval (67), Concordia (158) and UQTR (175).
Other McGill runners in the scoring were Charlène Puel (5th, 15:21) a third-year math major from France, sophomore Madeleine Cummings (7th, 15:40) of Toronto, senior Catherine Drouin-Audet (9th, 15:46) of Repentigny, Que., and Michelle Kowanda (23rd, 16:33), a senior from Burlington, Ont.
Alberta also captured the men's competition - a field of 64 - led by Max Leboeuf, who won the 8k circuit in 26:24, some six seconds ahead of teammate Jamie Weikum (26:30). Sherbrooke's Olivier Lavoie was third in 26:38.
The Golden Bears placed runners in first, second, fifth, 12th and 14th to finish first of five teams with 34 points. Laval was second with 44, followed by Sherbrooke (52), McGill (96) and UQTR (140).
Leading the Redmen was Daniel Kramer, a neuroscience senior from Swampscott, Mass., who was clocked in 27:19 to rank sixth overall. Other McGill scorers included freshman Ian Forbes (20th, 29:02) of Fredericton, N.B., and U of T transfer student Liu Liu (24th, 29:19) of Brampton, Ont., plus freshman Tyler Lorenz (26th, 29:20) of Foxborough, Mass., and Devon Labuik (29th, 29:47), a rookie from Toronto.
Up next for McGill is a trip to Sherbrooke on Oct. 16, where they will compete in an interlocking race between the Quebec and Atlantic conferences.
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
