It was an entire year in the making, but the SFU women’s cross-country team qualified for their very first NCAA Division II National Championship following their performance at the West Regionals. The Clan women finished in third place overall, booking their ticket to the championships, while the SFU men had their best regional performance to date, coming in at tenth place.
The Clan women were highly ranked both in 2012 and 2013, but fell short last season missing the qualification to the NCAA championships by one position. This time, they made no mistake and will compete two weeks hence on the same course to close out their very successful season.
Captain Lindsey Butterworth led the women’s squad, finishing an impressive fourth-overall, earning All-Regional honours for the first time. She was followed by GNAC Freshman of the Year Rebecca Bassett in 16th, sophomore Kansas Mackenzie in 20th and senior Kirsten Allen in 25th. The three ladies were also All-Region honourees.
Rounding out the racers were Emma Chadsey, Sarah Sawatzky and Michaela Kane, as the seven-women team made history as they become the first non-American team to qualify for an NCAA cross-country championship.
The Clan men also had a good performance over the 10km course, led by GNAC Freshman of the Year Oliver Jorgensen, placing 18th overall, leading his team to tenth in the region, and earning All-Regional honours for his performance — a first for any male Clan cross-country runner.
He was followed by Cameron Proceviat in 37th and Brendan Wong in 53rd before captain James Young and junior Austin Trapp rounded out the Clan point scorers. Chris Dinsdale and Stuart MacDonald also raced for the team, capping off the season with their final race of 2013.
The women’s team finished behind only Alaska Anchorage and Chico State, with Seattle Pacific and Western Washington coming in fourth and fifth, meaning the national championships will feature four teams from the GNAC. The five teams will also have an advantage heading into the nationals having raced in the only regional competition to be run on the same course on which the NCAA will host their national race.
The Clan women entered the race determined to erase the memory of the their disappointing sixth place finish in 2012, and the intensity brought to the 2013 Regionals was evident. This year the ladies doubled their All-Regional athlete contingent, with Mackenzie repeating as a two-time honouree. Other highlights were the strong performance by Butterworth, who was ill during the 2012 race, and the addition of Bassett to the squad.
The ladies have two weeks to recover and prepare for the final race of the season, and their first ever NCAA Division II national championships, with a chance to put one final stamp on an already impressive season.
