Canadian 5km Road Champs, Photoshoot and Buffalo Season Opener

2015 Canadian 5km Championships

Captain Blair Morgan started his fall season on the roads at the B&O Yorkville Run in Toronto which acted as the 2015 Canadian 5km Championships. Despite the chilly and rainy conditions, Morgan toed the line with a stacked field and finished 12th in a new personal best 14:57.1.

Full 2015 Canadian 5km Championships Results Here

World Class Mountain biker joins McMaster Cross Country

We'd like to welcome Soren Meeuwisse, the newest member to the McMaster Women's Cross Country Team. Soren is an all-around athlete, excelling in nordic skiing and cross country running (29th place at 2014 OFSAA Cross Country) however her primary sport is mountain biking. She recently returned from Vallnord, Andorra where she was competing at the 2015 UCI Mountain Biking World Championships. A nasty stomach flu upset her plans, but she has huge things in her future. Soren is part of the Canadian Olympic Committee's Next Generation athletes preparing for the 2020 Olympic Games! 

In March she was part of the COC's #NowOrNever Campaign, including an interview on CBC, and a starring in a mini-documentary. Check it out below:

Watch Soren's CBC Interview here: CBC Interview with Soren Meeuwisse

Soren also has a blog where you can read about her competitions and follow her progress. Soren's Blog

We are excited to see what Soren can do on the trails this season!

Cross Country 2015 Photoshoot Album

Our talented in-house photographer Maxine Gravina has been busy photographing each athlete that will compete for our men's and women's teams. She shot each athlete in front of a scenic location on the McMaster campus, and recorded their thoughts on a specific running question. We have been sharing the splendid results through our MacTrack Facebook and Twitter accounts, and you can check out the album here: McMaster Photoshoot Album

A 2015 University of Buffalo Stampede Invitational Recap

Written by Alex Green

After a summer of grueling heat waves and hard work, the 2015 McMaster Cross-Country team was ready to test their preparations at their first meet of the season on September 12^th. For an early trial of their fitness, a group of Marauders journeyed east to compete at the University of Buffalo Stampede Invitational in Buffalo, N.Y. The day lived up to all the expectations of a cross-country race with low temperatures, wind gusts, and rain. True to the demands and desires of cross-country fans everywhere, the conditions tested the grit and determination of all the competitors in the field.

The Lady Marauders began the day in the 5 km women’s race against a field that included the University of Pittsburg and University of Buffalo. For many of the women this was their first taste of NCAA competition. Runners from the University of Pittsburg team went to the lead early and set a pace that tested every runner’s fitness.

Veteran Chelsea Mackinnon of Hamilton, Ontario, led the Marauders to a 4^th place team finish. Mackinnon, a 1000m specialist indoors (personal best of 2:50.20), displayed great poise on the uncertain and muddy footing to place 18^th overall in a time of 18:23.1. Veterans Gabrielle Foran (Woodstock, ON) and Emily Nowak (Mississauga, ON) battled the field fiercely through the harsh weather and crossed the line in 22^nd (18:44.2) and 23^rd (18:46.9), respectively, proving that their summer training of joggling (http://mactrackvids.blogspot.ca/2015/07/actf-2015-and-new-joggling-world-record.html) and competitions (http://mactrackvids.blogspot.ca/2015/08/august-results-and-grad-interviews.html) had prepared them for the trying conditions of the long cross-country season. Following a summer of strong triathlon training and performances, Lauren Locco (Hamilton, ON) crossed the line as the 4^th

Marauder in 19:15.1 good for 33^rd overall. Completing the scoring for the lady Marauders was fellow second year Erin Mawhinney (Burlington, ON) in 19:22.5 for 37^th overall, suggesting that she is ready to build on her outstanding rookie year. Competing for the first time for the maroon, Alison Head, a first year student from Mississauga, ON, placed 41^st overall in a time of 19:28.7 and showed that she is ready for the challenge of university competition.

The women’s team performed to Coach Schnurr’s expectations and will be looking to build on these early season results as the season progresses towards championship season in late October and November.

Following the race by the women’s team, the Men of McMaster took on the competitive NCAA field to in the 8 km race. From the start, the Marauders were determined to show that they were there to compete. 2014 OUA and CIS team veterans Connor Darlington (Whitby, ON) and Luke Charbonneau (Everett, ON) led the field of competitors in the early stages of the race.

The 1500m expert Darlington would go on to finish 7^th overall leading the team to a 3^rd place finish and showing that he has improved upon the form that earned him 34^th overall at the 2012 CIS championships in his first year. Sophomore Evan Ubene, of Windsor, ON, used steady pacing and determination to run a personal best of 25:58.4 and place 16^th overall. Marauders fans should be eager to see what will come next from this underrated second year. Following closely behind Ubene was Nick Kondrat (Thunder Bay, ON). Kondrat placed 19^th overall in a time of 26:00.9 and demonstrated that training on the challenging terrain of Northern Ontario has him wrought with

fitness and ready to test the best of the CIS. Veteran road racer and graduate student Frank Sorbara (Thornhill, ON) proved that his legs are also ready to roll over cross-country courses and placed 21^st overall in a time of 26:09.3. In his first race since January, Charbonneau finished a respectable 25^th overall in 26:20.4. Look for Charbonneau to steadily improve as the season unfolds. Recently crowned McMaster University 1000m record holder (2:23.66) and member of the sub-1:50 800m club, Jeff Tweedle (Stoney Creek, ON) ran a strong 26:23.1 for 27^th place unveiling his endurance over 8,000m. The dynamic rookie duo of Christian MacGillivray (Aurora, ON) and Jonathan Favero (Rockland, ON) ran excellent races indicating composure and maturity beyond their years placing 32^nd in 26:34.9 and 39^th in 26:45.2, respectively. Watch for these two first years to develop into excellent contributors as they gain more experience over the longer distances. Following shortly thereafter, veterans Alex Green and Ivan Meiszinger finished 43^rd and 44^th overall in 26:50.5 and 26:51.4, respectively.

The McMaster Marauders next test will be at the Western International hosted by the University of Western Ontario on Saturday September 26^{th ­­}at the Thames Valley Golf Course in London, Ontario.  Come support the team and watch as many more Marauders will open their season at this staple of Canadian cross-country running. The women’s race begins at 10:00 AM and the Men’s at 10:50 AM. More information is available here (http://www.westernmustangs.ca/documents/2015/6/15//2015_Western_International_Meet_Info.pdf?id=1853)

McMaster Women’s Results

4^th Team

18 – Chelsea Mackinnon – 18:23.1

22 – Gabrielle Foran – 18:44.2

23 – Emily Nowak – 18:46.9

33 – Lauren Locco – 19:15.1

37 – Erin Mawhinney – 19:22.5

41 – Alison Head – 19:28.7

McMaster Men’s Results

3^rd Team

7 – Connor Darlington – 25:35.2

16 – Evan Ubene – 25:58.4

19 – Nick Kondrat – 26:00.9

21 – Frank Sorbara – 26:09.3

25 – Luke Charbonneau – 26:20.4

27 – Jeff Tweedle – 26:23.1

32 – Christian MacGillivray – 26:34.9

39 – Jonathan Favero – 26:45.2

43 – Alex Green – 26:50.5

44 – Ivan Meiszinger – 26:51.4

Full Results:

Women – http://www.leonetiming.com/2015/XC/UBStampedeWomen.htm

Men – http://www.leonetiming.com/2015/XC/UBStampedeMen.htm

McMaster Athletics Article:

http://www.marauders.ca/news/2015/9/15/MXC_0915150415.aspx

MacTrack Photos – By Maxine Gravina:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.910776788990536.1073741851.252097631525125

University of Buffalo Photos:

http://ubbulls.com/sports/xc/2015-16/photos/0001/index

2015-2016 Marauder Recruits (Ladies)

Megan Black

Graduated from: North Lambton Secondary School

Running Accomplishments:
2015 SWOSSAA Overall Female Track Champion
2014 Ontario Legion Steeplechase Champion

Personal Bests:
3000m - 10:46
1500m Steeplechase - 5:24

Program: Kinesiology

Fun fact: Until recently she played hockey as a goalie for both girls and boys teams.

Elise Bolger

Graduated from: Waterdown District High School

Sport Accomplishments: 

2015 Currently ranked 6th junior triathlete in Canada

2015 CAMTRI American Cup in Sarasota, FL - 8th place

2015 Junior Triathlon Ontario Provincial Champion

2014 Ranked 8th junior triathlete in Canada

Personal Bests:
5km road - 18:24
10km road - 38:13
Program: Physical Science

Fun fact: She was a gymnast for 10 years and competed internationally on the Canadian National Gymnastics team for 3 years prior to switching to running and triathlons in 2012.

Alison Head

Graduated from: Lorne Park Secondary School

Running Accomplishments:

2014 OFSAA track 3000m - 8th place

2013 OFSAA Track 3000m - 6th place

2012 OFSAA Cross Country - 8th place

Personal Bests:

1500m - 4:51

3000m - 10:13

5km (Cross Country) - 18:04

Program: Life Sciences

Cool fact: She competed in both synchronized swimming and swimming (butterfly) when she was younger.

Kristen Kuhn

Graduated from: Ridgeway Crystal Beach High School

 

Running Accomplishments:

2014 OFSAA Track 1500m - 19th place

2013 OFSAA Track  1500m (20th place) & 3000m (10th place)

2012 OFSAA Track 3000m - 4th place

Personal Bests:

1500m - 4:40.52

3000m - 10:11.10

Program: Kinesiology

Fun fact: She loves running 3000m track races in 30 degree weather! 

August Results and Grad Interviews

Sunset Series #3

Once again, Marauders and Alumni made a strong showing at the third of the Sunset Series, presented by Runner's Den. Many of the Mac athletes were using it as a test to measure fitness from training thus far, as we are slowly gearing up for Cross Country season.

Sunset Series #3

August 12, 2015, Hamilton ON

4. Blair Morgan               16:00.23
9. Andrew Beardsall        16:37.58
10. Peter Wilson              16:50.57
18. Chelsea Mackinnon  18:22:32
21. Emily Nowak            18:40.99

For full results, see HERE

Training Camps

The athletes organize their own training camps to jumpstart the Cross Country Season. This year, both teams will be travelling to the metropolis of Yarker, ON, about 30 minutes north-west of Kingston. The ladies have their mini training camp this weekend, the men head up next weekend.

Grad Interviews

Two of our graduating athletes agreed to answer a few questions about their time at McMaster and their future plans.

Check out the videos below:

Grad Interview 2015: Brandon Huzevka

                                                 

                                                   Grad Interview 2015: Kierstin Myers

The complete list of Graduating Marauders from McMaster Cross Country and Track are as follows:

Men:

Brandon Huzevka (employed as a project controls engineer for Imperial Oil in Sarnia)

Jeff Mah (accepted to Medial School at Queen's University)
Nick Bomers (transferring to Royal Military College in Kingston)

Women:

Kara McPherson (employed as a Kinesiologist in Richmond Hill)

Lizz Hodgson (employees as an Engineer at Ontario Power Generation in St. Catherines)

Kierstin Myers (studying for Physiotherapy Compentecy Examination and looking for employment)

Megan Beverley (completing an internship as an Economist and accepted at Queen's Law School for Fall 2016)

We are sad to see them go but wish them all the best in their future endeavours. Come back for a visit and a run sometime soon!

Weekly Results July 28-August 2

Sunset Series Race #2

Runner's Den's Sunset Series Race #2 saw two Marauders break the previous 5km course record in another tight finish for the weekend. Jordan Bierema (Alum) and Alex Green finished 1-2 while Peter Wilson, Noah Fleming (Alum) and Larry Abbott (Alum) rounded out the first-through-fifth Marauder sweep.

Sunset Series Race #2

Hamilton, ON, July 28th, 2015

1. Jordan Bierema      15:39.04    Course Record
2. Alex Green             15:42.35
3. Peter Wilson           16:41.87
4. Noah Fleming        16:43.96
5. Larry Abbott          16:50.61
15. Greg Lariviere      18:29.66

Full Results Here

Triathlon Ontario Provincial Championships

This past weekend, our triathletes capped off their season at the Triathlon Ontario Draft Legal Provincial Championships. Again, there were a number of strong performances, with 5 McMaster team members/alumni within the top 10, in the U23/Elite Men. The Forbes twins switched leads again as Austen Forbes won silver in a tight finish, and Taylor Forbes won bronze.

We are also excited to share news that soon-to-be Marauder, Elise Bolger took home the title of Junior Provincial Champion! Elise has had a very strong season including a number of podium finishes in Overall Female categories in different triathlon races. She will be a very strong addition to the Women's Cross Country team this coming fall!

Elise Bolger, Jr Provincial Champion

Triathlon Ontario Draft Legal Provincial Championships

Ottawa, ON, August 1st, 2015

U23/Elite Men

2. Austen Forbes     57:53.3

3. Taylor Forbes      58:06.6

5. John Rasmussen   59:14.7

8. Reid Burrows       1:00:12.4

10. David Hopton    1:03:09.2 

Junior Provincial Women 

1. Elise Bolger       1:07:07.7

Full Results Here:    Men    Women

PanAmerican Junior Championships

Two Harbour Track-affiliated athletes had the honour of competing in a national singlet this weekend in Edmonton at the 2015 PanAmerican Junior Track and Field Championships.

Evelyne Guay, 800m Bronze Medallist

Evelyne Guay won a bronze medal in the women's 800m in a time of 2:08.52, as well as a bronze in the 4x400m relay.

Sergio Raez competed for Peru in the men's 5000m, finishing 9th in a time of 15:16.99.

Although the pair aren't McMaster athletes per se, we are very proud of them and happy to have been part of the process that helped them succeed!

Full Results from the competition can be found HERE

Charlotte Ward, interview after Sprint Finals

World Orienteering Championships

Orienteering athlete, Charlotte Ward (featured in our article Hamilton Twilight Meet #2 Recap, Results and Friends Abroad #1) competed at the 2015 World Orienteering Championships on Sunday.  The 3.8km Sprint Final had the athletes winding through urban roads and alleyways in a high-speed chase. Charlotte finished 17th, in a time of 15:27.8, and was the first British athlete across the line. Congratulations Charlotte!

Results HERE

Triathlon National Champs and More Joggling Records

2015 Magog CAMTRI Triathlon American Cup

This past weekend, many of our triathletes went to Magog, Quebec to compete in the 2015 Magog CAMTRI Triathlon American Cup, which also acted as the Canadian National Triathlon Championships.

Taylor Forbes managed to capture the National Title this year, with twin Austen Forbes right behind. This put them 3rd and 4th overall, within 18 seconds of the winner!

Alltogether, Marauders and alumni made up almost one third of the Canadian field (7 of 23 Elite Men). Congrats to all!

2015 Magog CAMTRI Triathlon American Cup

Magog, Quebec, July 25, 2015

3. Taylor Forbes            1:51:30

4. Austen Forbes           1:51:33

9. John Rasmussen       1:53:07

14. Andrew Bysice       1:54:21

21. Reid Burrows          1:55:56

33. Andrew Beardsall   2:03:24

36. David Hopton          2:08:50

Full Results

Read Taylor Reid's Description of the Race for Triathlon Magazine Canada HERE

Read Marauders.ca Article HERE

Photo Credits to M. McMillan

IJA Joggling Festival 2015

It seems like Quebec was the place to be this past weekend, for exciting races and great results. Not too far from Magog, in Quebec City Gabrielle Foran attended the week-long 2015 IJA Festival, which culminated in the National Joggling Championships.

Gabrielle not only beat her own records in the 800m and one-mile event, but also managed to set a new Joggling World Record in the 400m! She captured gold in the all 4 of her events, thus becoming the National Champion in the Women's 3-ball 100m, 400m, 800m and one-mile events. (Imagine trying to run 4 events in one day, nevermind setting WRs!) Needless to say, Gabrielle has become the most dominant female Joggling competitor on the World stage, perhaps even in the history of the sport!

Gabrielle in the Women's
100m Dash

Women's 3-ball 100m
1. Gabrielle Foran       17.xx

Women's 3-ball 400m
1. Gabrielle Foram     1:15.74  WR!

Women's 3-ball 800m
1. Gabrielle Foran     2:39.66  WR!

Women's 3-ball 1600m
1. Gabrielle Foran      5:25   WR!


 Check out this video of Gabrielle also competing in the 100m Dash.
(Photo Credits to Michael Bergeron)

Marauders in the News and Friends Abroad #2

IJA Joggling Festival 2015

Gabrielle Foran will be representing McMaster at the 2015 International Juggler's Association Festival, July 20-26 in Quebec City. The week includes juggling workshops and clinics, and culminates with a Joggling track meet! Competitors race while juggling 3, 5 or 7 in events ranging from the 100m to the mile.

Gabrielle wil compete in the 100m, 400m, 800m and mile. She will be looking to defend her titles and hopefully set faster World Records in the 800m and mile, while also attempting to capture the 400m record as well. If she is successful, this will bump her World Record count to four!

The Hamilton Spectator is the most recent media outlet to feature Gabrielle and her talents, read their article here: http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5741551-mac-student-defends-joggling-title-no-that-s-not-a-typo-/

Instagram

We are excited to share that we just recently made an Instagram account. It will feature photos from practice, races and McMaster Marauder life. Follow us on Instagram at MaraudersTrack 

Friends Abroad #2

Two of our (tri)athletes, Taylor and Austen Forbes just returned from 6 weeks in Europe, training and competing on the european triathlon circuit. They achieved some great results and enjoyed the experience of competing at this competitive international level. Here is a recap they wrote for us:

The Twins’ Perspective

"The opportunity to travel to Europe is something most people wouldn’t pass up. For the most part it’s to travel and explore a foreign country and its culture. For us, however, it was strictly business, or what we consider business in Elite sport. The idea stemmed from the cold hard fact that racing in Europe is one of the most competitive triathlon circuits internationally, and much more so than in Canada. Ultimately, the plan was to immerse ourselves into a competitive atmosphere similar to what the best in the world experience everyday of their lives. This includes consistent long days of hard training with nothing else to worry about, and racing in between. With almost 24 hours of travelling ahead of us it is ideal to adjust to the time change as soon as possible. Most of us had a sleep plan heading into the trip with the idea to sleep on the flight there and then to start slowly adjusting 90 minutes each day. Obviously being on the same time clock as the country you’re training in makes for a smooth transition. Once we finally landed in Bilbao and made it to our homes in Vitoria we hit the ground running as our first race was not 3 days later."

                  "The night we arrived at our hotel we were almost immediately told that we would be racing in what was described as “the hardest race course you will ever do” in 3 days time. To be brief, it was a mass start of 500 men with a wavy 1500m ocean swim followed by an intense 40km of cycling with 3 mountain climbs equalling up to a 1000m of elevation, and 10km of running to top it all off. Not your traditional Elite race making for a new competitive and challenging experience. Unfortunately Austen ended up with a flat 500m into the bike course while Taylor continued on to tackle what he referred to as “walls not mountains”. In the end Taylor finished 6^th and went home with a bit of cash. Nevertheless, our next race was our main focus as it was our first European premium cup and first exposure to what the rest of the world was doing."

Mass Swim Start in the Onditz Oroituz Triatloia

                  "Holten, Netherlands was to be the most competitive race we had ever competed in. We both felt confident with consistent success in workouts and the races leading into the event. It is easier to mentally focus on the task at hand with very little distraction outside of training and racing. Of course nerves are natural, but this time around it would make sense that nervousness was at an all-time high. It was the first of many: The 1^st experience of professional European racing, the 1^st time some of the most competitive Canadian racers went head to head since last summer, and the 1^st time Taylor and Austen would attempt a 3^rd race in 14 days. With the race changed to a sprint distance (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) everyone knew that it was going to be a crazy fast, crazy rough, and crazy tactical race; you'd expect nothing less from a European race. The swim was feral, but the packs came together within the first 4km of the bike. It was the first time we have experienced a race where all 70+ people came together in what really felt like a bike race instead of a triathlon. The course was very technical and it was dangerous to be caught at the back. The accelerations alone had dropped some, and fatigued others with a couple of crashes throughout the race. Fortunately most of the field made it to transition #2 safe where the run would start. With upwards of 70 people running out the gates together it was obvious that the race was going to be tight. Austen made an early move in the first half of the race and established himself in a top 10 position while Taylor slowly grinded his way into top 15. All in all it was a great race and an even better experience. The locals were lovely, the crowds were huge, and the athletes were fast. It’s the type of race an elite triathlete would be satisfied with."

Post-Race in Holten

                  "After Holten we traveled back to base camp in Vitoria, Spain where we have been training hard preparing for our National Championships in Magog, Quebec on the 25^th of July. The goal is to podium. That’s our update on our time in Spain! We are back in Canada July 20^th and are very excited to see our friends and family again."

2015 Onditz Oroituz Triatloia Results

2015 Holten ETU Triathlon Premium European Cup Results

The Forbes were also featured in an article on triathlonmagazine.ca, written by Taylor Reid. Read it here:

http://triathlonmagazine.ca/news/dynamic-duo-u23-standouts-austen-and-taylor-forbes/

Pre-race Pat-a-cakes in Spain

Hamilton Twilight Meet #2 Recap, Results and Friends Abroad #1

Hamilton Twilight Meet #2

Mother Nature was on our side on Tuesday for the second and final meet of the 2015 Hamilton Twilight Series here at Mona Campbell Track at McMaster University. The downpour slowed and the sky cleared just in time for the first event of the evening, the 80m Dash to name Hamilton's Fastest Kid.

Congratulations to Hailey Reid and Jake Davies, Hamilton's Fastest Kids of 2015!

The rest of the night saw great performances and PBs for our own Harbour crew and many others. The 800m seemed to be the highlights of the night, with times fast enough for 2nd place in the All-Time Hamilton Twilight Series records for both men and women. On the men's side, Sacha Smart led a tight group of four men all under 1:50, winning in 1:49.20. On the women's side, Rachel Jewett gapped the field by over a second, winning in 2:06.32. 

Congrats to all who competed on Tuesday night, supporters and volunteers as well!

Here are our team results:

Men's 100m

Brandon Huzevka capped of his track career as a Marauder
Photo Credit: A. Green

9. Tony Giannikouris       11.43 (Finals)
13. Jacob Gareau            11.61 (Heats)

Men's 400m

6. Brandon Huzevka       51.41

10. Luke Yaeger             52.19

Men's 800m

4. Jeff Tweedle           1:49.58   PB!!

Women's 800m

13. Kylie Hopkins       2:17.50    PB!!

16. Maxine Gravina     2:21.76   PB!!

Men's 1500m

4. Nathan Deghan        3:59.62

14. Patrick Deane        4:08.87

20. Sam Foran            4:15.94

Women's 1500m

4. Maddie Benjamin       4:39.48  PB!!

6. Gabrielle Foran          4:46.84  PB!!

Full Results Here

Runner's Den Sunset Series #1

The same evening just a few blocks away, many current and past Marauder athletes were racing at the first of the Runner's Den Sunset Series Road 5km race. Marauders and Past-Marauders totalled 8 of the top 11 Finishers. Steph MacNeill crushed the previous Women's 5k course record by over a minute!

Here are the current-Marauder/Harbour results, but check here for Full Results

2. Ivan Meiszinger          15:52.52

4. Alex Green                16:17.01

8. Peter Wilson              17:26.82

11. Steph MacNeill         18:08.35

16. Brittany Hambleton  19:14.99

Stay tuned for more results from the Sunset Series as they will run every 2 weeks till the end of August.

Friends Racing Abroad #1

Two year ago we were excited to welcome Charlotte Ward, an exchange student from England, to our Marauder Family. While she competed during the 2013 Cross Country season and represented McMaster well, she has since returned to her home and her specialty - Orienteering!

For those who aren't familiar, this means Charlotte is racing at top speed while reading a map to guide her way to various checkpoints throughout the course.  Runners start a few minutes apart, so it's a challenge between the athlete, the course and the clock. Charlotte's strength is in urban orienteering, which combines varying urban terrain from roads, alleys and neighbourhoods to parklands. To read more about Orienteering and the 2015 World Orienteering Championships, visit this website: http://www.woc2015.org/what-is-the-world-orienteering-championships

This summer Charlotte was named to the Great Britain National Team and made her international debut at the Orienteering World Cup Sprint in Sweden in competition in June. There she finished 27th overall, as the 2nd British athlete.

Charlotte in her Team GB Gear
Photo Credit: B. Ward

Charlotte will also be competing at the 2015 World Orienteering Championships in Inverness, Scotland. She will race in the Sprint event, with the Qualifier on Friday July 31st and needs to finish within the top 15 to compete in the Finals on Sunday August 2nd. All her McMaster and Canadian friends from across the globe wish her good luck!!

Sporting Mac Gear after winning a local 10k race
Photo Credit: A. Ward