The Seneca Sting are ready for the country's best.
In five days, the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) top Cross-Country Running student-athletes will embark on Seneca's King Campus to determine the 2018 National Champions.
"This has been an 18-month process for our staff and organizing committee" said Linda Stapleton, Director of Sport and Recreation at Seneca. "Our group has spent a long time planning out every detail of the championship so that we can offer the runners the best experience possible."
Teams will arrive later in the week with a course walk-through scheduled for Friday. Following the opening ceremonies, the Women's race will start at Noon followed by the Men's race at 1 p.m. The championship will conclude with the awards banquet where the medalists, CCAA All-Canadians and the Coach of the Year will be recognized.
The Women's race will be contested over six kilometers. Runners will complete two laps of the 'big loop' while the Men's race will complete the 'small loop' followed by two laps of the 'big loop' for an eight kilometer distance.
"We feel this course will challenge the runners. We have hosted an invitational race for seven years now as well as two conference championships and it has tested the best distance runners in the OCAA," said John Sharpe, Manager of Athletics and Recreation at Seneca.
Representing the host Sting will be four runners for both the Women's and Men's teams. On the Women's side, Nicole Amendola, Danica Bakowski, Kayla Juvonen-Dubien and Nicole Kehren will represent the hosts while Itamar Zilberman, Brian Lew, Dima Oriekhov, Steven Leung and Aidan D'Souza will race for the Men's team. Both teams are coached by third year Head Coach, Wes Correa who is eagerly anticipating a shot at a national championship.
"Hosting a National Championship is a dream come true. On Nov. 10, we welcome the country's best runners with the pride of racing among them. Our course is known to all as the toughest on the circuit and a true cross-country course at heart. I have no doubt that this will be a challenge for the nation's best and truly look forward to crowning the champions that conquer the Sting course. From the beautiful surrounding views to the infamous Sting Hill, whether you're an athlete, coach or spectator, this weekend will offer an eventful experience for all."
Following eighteen months of preparation and years of training by the student-athletes, the Sting are ready to host Canada's best and compete for national supremacy.