News
McGill headed to Western International cross-country meet, Sept. 26
LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs cross-country team will host the 35th annual Western International meet for the 24th straight year at the Thames Valley Golf Course on Saturday Sept. 26. Races get underway with the women's 5km race at 10 a.m. and follow with the men's 10km race at 10:50 a.m.
Full results will be posted at www.westernmustangs.ca
Here is the course map. Here is a link to meet information.
All other info, including course stats, available at www.westernmustangs.ca
Media Contacts: Bob Vigars / Head Coach / rvigars [at] uwo.ca / W: 519 661.3083 or Andy Watson / Sports Information and Media Relations / awatso47 [at] uwo.ca / C: 519 709.1858
Below is a preview put together by Mustangs head coach Bob Vigars. More details available at www.westernmustangs.ca:
WOMEN 16 Teams in 5km @ 10:00am
Brock Badgers
Geneseo Knights (Geneseo NY) Guelph Gryphons Laurentian Voyaguers Laurier Golden Hawks
McGill Martlets McMaster Marauders Nazareth Golden Flyers (Rochester NY) Nipissing Lakers Queen's Gaels
RMC Paladins
Toronto Varsity Blues Waterloo Warriors Western Mustangs Windsor Lancers York Lions Top Seeds: Women's Teams:
# 1 Guelph Gryphons
- # 1 seed this Saturday and picked to win 2009 CIS crown
- defending Western International champs [going for a 3-peat with wins in '07 and '08]
- hold Western International women's record for most wins with six
- CIS Nationals & OUA Conference champs last 4 years
- return all starters from 2008 CIS squad
- led by two-time 1st Team All-Cdn Lindsay Carson, 2007 CIS gold medalist, MVP, and Rookie of the Year
- Carson was the gold medal winner here last year in 17:19, 3rd fastest time in all meets on this course
- 4th year veterans Courtney Laurie and Rachel Cliff look to be top 10 finishers
# 2 McMaster Marauders
- # 2 seed this Saturday and in pre-season picks, ranked 3rd in CIS
- return all scorers (top 5) from last year's squad that finished 3rd in OUA and 4th at CIS
- led by juniors Jillian Wyman & Jessica Pearo who earned 2nd Team All-Canadian honors in 2008 - silver medal at last year's Western International
# 3 Geneseo Knights (Geneseo NY)
- # 3 seed this Saturday
- perennial highly ranked NCAA D-3 team [2005 National Champs, 11th at 2008 Nationals]
- currently ranked # 8 in the NCAA D-3 poll (9-Sep-09)
# 4 Western Mustangs
- # 4 seed this Saturday
- have not won this meet since 1998, finished 6th last year
- last medal finish was silver at 2007 Western International
- perennial top team holding the OUA Championship record for most medal finishes and ranks # 2 all-time in CIS medal wins with 16 > 7 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze [Victoria has record with 17]
- strength of this year's squad will be density factor > bunching all scorers close together
- led by our tandem "Mighty Mites" Lynn Mockler & Lorelle Convery who are in their final year
- Mockler is a two-time OUA 2nd Team All-Star ('07 & '08) and Convery earned OUA 2nd Team last year
- Mustangs will rely on support from four rookies: Laura Desjardins (3rd year student but 1st year on team) and frosh Alicia Knox (Oakville Loyola), Hailey Cummings (Toronto Malvern), and Rachel Windsor (Brighton East Northumberland)
# 5 Toronto Varsity Blues
- in 2009 pre-season picks, ranked 2nd in CIS, silver medal finish at last year's CIS Nationals
- led by sophomore Tamara Jewett who was 2008 CIS Rookie of the Year and 1st Team All-Cdn and was the silver medal winner at last year's Western International in 17:48
- also have lead pack runner Erin McClure who finished with the bronze medal at last year's Western International in 18:12 and was 7th at last year's CIS Nationals earning 1st Team All-Canadian honors
- picked up transfer student Elonnai (Univ. Maine) who is sub 18 minutes for 5km
# 6 Windsor Lancers
- # 6 seed this Saturday, in 2009 pre-season picks, ranked 7th in CIS
- bronze medal finish at last year's Western International
- will be lead by rookie Haley Cadwallader (Sarnia Collegiate) who broke OFSSAA Steeplechase record last June, along with Lisa Brooking (2nd Team All-Cdn in '07) and track star Raeleen Hunter MEN 15 Teams in 10km @ 10:50am
Brock Badgers
Geneseo Knights (Geneseo NY) Guelph Gryphons Laurier Golden Hawks
McGill Martlets McMaster Marauders
Nazareth Golden Flyers (Rochester NY)
Nipissing Lakers
Queen's Gaels
RMC Paladins
Toronto Varsity Blues
Waterloo Warriors
Western Mustangs
Windsor Lancers
York Lions Top Seeds: Men's Teams:
# 1 Guelph Gryphons
- # 1 seed this Saturday and picked to be win their 4th consecutive CIS title in 2009
- defending Western International champs [ranked # 2 in wins here with 3 in the 23 years at TVGC]
- new - sitting out this meet is top man Kyle Boorsma and # 3 man Matt Brunsting ('08 CIS gold medal)
- will be led Saturday by Allan Brett (3rd year) who is racing here for the first time (2008 OUA gold medal)
- Gryphons will rely on their wealth of depth Saturday
# 2 Windsor Lancers
- in 2009 pre-season picks, ranked 2nd in CIS
- holds Western International record for most wins with 5 in 23 year hitory on Thames Valley course- elite program in CIS > gold or silver at OUA & CIS championships over the last 5 years
- silver medal at 2008 OUA Chmps. and bronze at CIS National Championships
- not at full strength today due to injuries
- led by Dave Weston, last year's Western International gold medal (2007 2nd Team All-Canadian) and 3rd year man Andrew Aguanno who sat out last year injured (OUA 2nd Team All-Star in rookie 2007 season)
# 3 Geneseo Knights (Geneseo NY)
- # 3 seed this Saturday
- perennial highly ranked NCAA D-3 team
- currently ranked # 5 in the NCAA D-3 poll (9-Sep-09)
- first time in school history to be competing in Canada
# 4 Western Mustangs
- in 2009 pre-season picks, ranked 6th in CIS
- silver medal here last year losing only by 4 points to defending champs Guelph
- lost # 2 man Ryan Armstrong (1st Team OUA All-Star in '08) due to health issues
- will be led by Kyle "Real Deal" O'Neill who is rapidly becoming one of the elite runners in CIS
- O'Neill won bronze at 'here last year, bronze at '08 OUA Chmps, & finished 10th at '08 CIS Nationals
- 3rd year man and co-captain Ryan Huff returns to action after sitting out last season injured and has the talent to have a big 2009 season
- 5th year man and co-captain Matt Suda and 3rd year man Will Komer will lend strong backup as scorers
- current injuries to two top 7 men from last year (Alex Strokach & Jeff Dill) will surely test the Mustangs depth
# 5 Toronto Varsity Blues
- in 2009 pre-season picks, ranked 4th in CIS
- 4th at last year's CIS Nationals
- will be led by 4th year man Michael Del Monte who ran for the Mustangs in '05 & '06)
- Del Monte was 2nd Team OUA All-Star last year and had a career track season this past summer
SOURCE:
Andy Watson
Media Relations and Sports Information Coordinator
Western Mustangs
The University of Western Ontario
Work: (519) 661.3089
Cell: (519) 709.1858
awatso47 [at] uwo.ca