LONDON, Ont. - Cross country runners in the Ontario Colleges
Athletic Association (OCAA) return to the scene of their last meet
on Saturday at Fanshawe College's 15th Annual Cross Country
Invitational.
The course at the Fanshawe Conservation Area was host to last
year's OCAA cross country championships. The Fanshawe Falcons
continued their recent dominance at the provincial level, winning
their third consecutive overall team championship. The women's team
also three-peated, while the men's team won its second OCAA banner
in as many years. Both teams are also defending national
champions.
Saturday's women's 5 km and men's 8 km race will be a litmus test
for returning OCAA student-athletes to see what gains if any they
made during the off-season. OCAA bronze medalist Sean
Sweeney of George Brown is looking to improve on his time
of 26:19 last October. Sweeney's rival, two-time OCAA men's
individual champion Jason Smith will not return to
Conestoga this season, providing an opportunity for a new champion
to emerge.
Nathaniel Green of Humber fell just short of an
individual medal at last year's provincials with a fifth-place time
of 26:56, and will be in the mix for a podium position this season.
Cambrian's Eric Leighman was consistently in the
Top 10 in 2010, and will look to improve on his ninth place time of
27:39 at the OCAA championship.
George Brown earned a men's team silver last season, and has a key
recruit in its quest for a women's title this year. Erika
Houde-Pearce was an OCAA individual bronze medalist with
Fanshawe in 2010, and will no doubt has familiarity with the course
on Saturday as she runs for her new school for the first time.
Also competing for a new school is Grace Hartman,
formerly of the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. and now
of the St. Clair Saints. Hartman qualified for the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) cross country
championships and has run a 5 km time of 18:33. To put that mark in
perspective, Liliane Sparkes of Fanshawe won her
second straight OCAA women's individual championship with a time of
18:53 last year.
The opening race of the cross country calendar means the debut of
other first-time OCAA student-athletes. Garrett
Hookey, who competed in Ironman Canada last November, has
been training with Georgian for over a year and will make his debut
on Saturday. Hometown product Steve Pittman of St.
Clair was a member of five Ontario Federation of School Athletic
Associations (OFSAA) cross country team championships.
Hassan Ishaq and Brandon
Richardson will also make their OCAA debuts with Mohawk
and Redeemer, respectively.
In the women's race, Jessica Medved finished in
the Top 25 at OFSAA as a junior and will compete for St. Clair.
Julie Koopmans will run her first OCAA race with
Redeemer while both Amy Walcott and Jackie
Siemon will do likewise for Humber.
Two-time men's individual champion Dave Sharratt
of Conestoga makes his return to the OCAA, albeit as a head coach
this time around. Between Sharratt and Smith, the last four OCAA
men's champions have been Condors.
This is one of two warm-up events leading into the 2011 OCAA cross
country championships. Fleming College hosts its meet in
Peterborough, Ont. on Oct. 15, two weeks prior to provincials
hosted by St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ont. on Oct. 29.
- OCAA -
ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is a recognized
leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to
student athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 31 members
sponsoring 16 league and tournament championships.
For additional information please contact:
Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
Fax: 416-426-7308
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com