When you think of fall, you likely think of back to school, pumpkin lattes and falling leaves, but for 40-odd SFU students, the season is synonymous with one thing: cross-country.
As the school year begins these Clan athletes are revving up for the start of their short, but action-packed season as they prepare to qualify for the West Regional and National Collegiate Athletic Association championships.
It will be a season of growth for the team, as well as a re-try for the women’s side, who fell short of their goal last season. Last year was the first year that the Clan teams were eligible to qualify for the NCAA Div. II Championships, and the women, ranked top three in the West Region throughout the season, were favorites to make the cut.
But the Clan learned quickly that rankings on paper don’t always influence race day, as the team was stalled at the regional qualifiers by a slew of illness, injury and difficulty in the blazing Hawaii climate.
“Our goal for the women’s side was to make nationals last year, and while we were capable of it we ran into some difficulties,” explained head coach Brit Townsend. “This year it is our goal again, and we have the depth on both sides to have an outstanding season and grow a strong core for the next few years.”
Townsend knows a lot about the workings of the team and the importance of depth, having been at the helm of the cross-country and track and field programs for the past 13 years, and explained that a strong core of athletes is key when coverage for injuries and fatigue is necessary.
This season it will come into play in the competitive Division II races, as both sides will need to be at the top of their pace throughout all the competitions.
Collegiate cross-country works like golf at team competitions: schools send groups of six or more students, and the combined points of the top five athletes from each institution determine the team scores. The points are awarded based on individual placing, so any athlete can score depending on how they finish.
Athletes are also awarded individually, with top athletes in each gender receiving All-Conference, All-Regional and All-American honours.
“Our recruits will really add to the program this year,” continued Townsend. “We have more incoming strength on the men’s side than we have had in the past which really bodes well for the future.”
Leading the squads through the vigorous workouts and competitions this year are seniors James Young and Lindsey Butterworth, both British Columbia locals, and Townsend couldn’t be happier with her choices for captains.
“Both of them are quiet leaders with a great sense of humour; they relate to everyone on the team,” she explained. “They are always ready to step-up and help with anything I need both on and off the track. They have both improved tremendously since their freshmen years due to hard work and motivation to accomplish something great.”
The cross-country season consists of several open races prior to the GNAC and West Regional Championships; at the regionals the top three teams are able to qualify for the NCAA nationals. While the national dream fell short last season, the SFU women return All-Regional competitors Kansas Mackenzie and Peggy Noel, as well as a strong senior core, while the solid men’s program will be aided by their strong freshmen contingent.
“Last season was very successful despite the performance at regionals, and the team is stronger and ready to compete at a very high level this year,” said Townsend. “I am extremely excited for the next few months, and am looking forward to our first meet at the Sundodger to see our preparation take form in competition.”
The cross-country squads begin their regular season on September 14, in Seattle, WA as they prepare for strong, consistent showings at the top of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
