2015 Western International Recap
Written by Alex Green
Determined to
test their preparations against fellow Canadian competitors, Saturday September 26th the McMaster Marauders travelled to the
Western International Cross Country Invitational at Thames Valley Golf Course
in London, Ontario. Hosted by the Western University (formerly UWO), this meet
is a fixture on the OUA Cross Country circuit and was the perfect location for the Marauders to compare
themselves against some of the
very teams that they will be competing against at championships in October and November.
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| Women's start, PC: M. Gravina |
The Women of McMaster began the beautiful sunny day in
triumphant fashion winning the team competition with a score of 74 points over
the Laurentian Voyageurs (78 points). Leading the team was captain Maddy McDonald who finished one second
off the podium, placing 4th for the second year in a row at this race in a time of 17:42. Throughout the race McDonald
challenged for the lead in a group of runners that included eventual winner Stefanie Smith of the
University of Windsor. McDonald’s performance earned her McMaster Athlete of
the Week (http://www.marauders.ca/awards.aspx?aow=190).
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| Chelsea Mackinnon, PC: M. Gravina |
Supporting
McDonald’s strong effort up front, Chelsea Mackinnon had a fantastic race to
finish 12th in 18:36, bettering her time on this course from last year by a
minute and a half. She is in great shape and will be one to watch throughout
the season. PhD student Gabrielle Foran demonstrated her tenacity and strength
by finishing in 18:51 for 21st, a personal best on this course, overcoming a
fall in the starting chute. Shortly afterward, Maddie Benjamin came in as the
4th McMaster runner in a time of 18:54 and 23rd overall. Rounding out the
scorers was third year Emily Nowak in
This performance is a big confidence boost for the
Marauder Women’s program as all the ladies had great performances and this was reflected in the winning team
score. The team looks to continue its upward climb as the championship season
nears. Furthermore, the younger members showed their tenacity and a toughness
that will allow them to further improve as this season progresses and future seasons
come. The future is bright for the Marauders. Watch out OUA teams, the Marauder Women are coming.
After the
great individual performances and fantastic team placing of the women, the Men
of McMaster hoped to replicate the women’s success in the 8 km Men’s race. They tied with the University of Windsor for the men’s team title. The cumulative placings of the top 5 runners (58 points) and the
average time of the top 5 (25:32) were indistinguishable between the two teams.
Only the second tie-breaker could separate the teams as Windsor’s 6th man
placed ahead of McMaster’s.
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| Gabe G. and Blair M. in the early pack, PC: M.Gravina |
The race went
out hard with University of Windsor runner, Paul Janikowski, pulling the field
along to incredibly fast times. Following shortly behind was a lead pack that
included McMaster Marauder veterans Blair Morgan, Connor Darlington, and Gabe Ghiglione. Both Janikowski and eventual winner, Alex Wilkie of Queen’s
University, shattered the course record of 24:56.Leading the team in both his
role as captain and as the top McMaster finisher, Blair Morgan placed 4th
overall in a time of 25:01, good for a position in the top 10 fastest times
ever at the Western International. Following immediately was fast-starting and faster-finishing Connor Darlington in 25:11 for
5th place overall. Battling fatigue from the fast early place, Ghiglione showed his resolve and finished in a time of 25:40 for
14th overall. Sporting a new look that struck fear into his competitors, Jeff
Tweedle used his grizzly-like strength to achieve a 20th place (25:53). Following closely behind, Derek
Van Schepen calmly moved up
the field throughout the race and place 23rd overall in 25:54 in his first race
of the 2015 season. The Marauders were coming fast and furious across the line
at this point. Nick Kondrat and Frank Sorbara crossed the line in 30th and 31st
overall in times of 26:07 and 26:10, respectively. Showing that his performance
at the Buffalo Stampede earlier this month was no fluke, rookie Christian MacGillivray of placed 35th
overall in 26:22. Next came veteran Patrick Deane in 26:27 (39th) who has found
his stride and will be one to watch come Queen’s Open in October. Evan Ubene and
Jonathon Favero completed the Men’s team placing in 44th (26:44) and 77th
(28:01).
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| Jeff "Grizzly" Tweedle, PC: M. Gravina |
In spite of
the close loss to the Windsor Lancers, the
Marauder Men were ecstatic
about their
performances. Many set new personal bests and are eager to build on this early
season race. The team will be excited to see how the team performance as OUA
and CIS veterans Taylor Forbes, Austen Forbes and Paul Rochus,
and second year athletes Keaton Smee and Zack Hannon will be added to the racing roster in
the remaining weeks of the season.
The Marauders
next race will be on Saturday October 17th at the Queen’s Open and the last regular-season race. Come watch and support the Marauders at
Fort Henry Heights in Kingston, Ontario.
The success of the McMaster Marauders Cross-Country and Track teams are built upon the work of previous generations of athletes that made McMaster their home. The team is a product of its history and the current determination of dedicated student-athletes that seek nothing more than to represent McMaster at its highest levels both in the classroom and on the race course. If you are an alumni or other party that would like to support these student-athletes in their quest for success please consider a donation to the Marauder Cross-Country and Track teams by contacting Paula Schnurr (schnurr@mcmaster.ca) or donating online at https://secureca.imodules.com/s/1439/index.aspx?sid=1439&gid=1&pgid=770&cid=1618 (please specify McMaster Cross-Country or Track Fund).
McMaster Competitors
Women:
Maddy McDonald 4th 17:42
Chelsea Mackinnon 12th 18:36
Gabrielle Foran 21st 18:51
Maddie Benjamin 23rd 18:54
Emily Nowak 29th 19:04
Lauren Locco 34th 19:10
Alison Head 36th 19:13
Erin Mawhinney 51st 19:42
Kristen Kuhn 60th 19:59
Elise Bolger 62nd 20:06
Alannah Kelly 85th 21:00
Men:
Blair Morgan 4th 25:01
Connor Darlington 5th 25:11
Gabe Ghiglione 14th 25:40
Jeff Tweedle 20th 25:53
Derek Van Schepen 23rd 25:54
Nick Kondrat 30th 26:07
Frank Sorbara 31st 26:10
Christian MacGillivray 35th 26:22
Patrick Deane 39th 26:27
Evan Ubene 44th 26:44
Jonathan Favero 77th 28:01
Story at Marauders.ca http://www.marauders.ca/news/2015/9/27/MXC_0927152534.aspx
Photos: Maxine Gravina (MacTrack) https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.917508784984003.1073741852.252097631525125&type=3
Queen’s Track Photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1141779075838265.1073741845.194825910533591&type=3
An Update from the World of Triathlon
2015 ITU World Triathlon Grand Finale
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| From Left: T. Forbes, A. Forbes and D. Hopton, Photo Credits: M.McMillan |
For full results, see the link below:
2015 ITU Chicago U23 Elite Men Results
2015 ITU Chicago Age-Group Sprint Men 20-24
Andrew Yorke's Accident on the Bike
Mac Alum and Professional Triathlete Andrew Yorke was unfortunately hit by a car last weekend while riding his bike. Thankfully he is doing well aside a cracked rib, and decided to end his season early, but will be taking time to recover before resuming the 'Road to Rio 2016'. To support him on his quest and follow his progress, visit the Facebook page below.
On the Road to Rio 2016 Andrew Yorke
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| Lionel Sanders racing for Mac in 2012 Photo Credit: Trackie.ca |
IRONMAN Kona for Lionel Sanders
On October 10th, 2015, Mac Alum and Professional Triathlete Lionel Sanders will compete in the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. This is the oldest and most iconic IRONMAN race of all, and will see the top distance triathletes in the world battle it out.
To get live coverage on race day, visit the IRONMAN Live Coverage link below.
IRONMAN Live Coverage Link
