Garneau and SAIT Take Top Spots at CCAA Cross-Country Nationals

The 2024 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Cross-Country National Championships hosted by St. Clair College were run on an ideal Saturday afternoon at Windsor’s Malden Park which saw 38 schools represented from four conferences including 198 starters compete.  Mild temperatures with little wind made for some outstanding performances for Men’s and Women’s team bragging rights and for the first time a Mixed team competition.  

Cégep Garneau of Quebec City won their third consecutive National Women’s team title placing their four scoring runners in the top 15 finishers led by Individual Gold Medallist Léane Baril (Rouyn-Noranda, QC) who topped the field of 96 runners in a time of 22:08 across the 6km course.  She was followed closely by teammate Gabrielle Hamel (Stoneham-Et-Tewkesbury, QC) with a Silver Medal just eight seconds later.  Clarisse Mathieu-Prédal (L'Ancienne-Lorette, QC) and Marianne Rochette (St-Isidore, QC) were 5th and 15th respectively for Garneau.

Fellow Quebec City school Cégep de Sainte-Foy took the Women’s Team Silver Medal with team members Stéphania Gilbert, Camille Martel, Lily-Rose Dion and Elsa Yaccarini while Mohawk College (Hamilton) ran to a podium finish with a Bronze Medal for Annie Sterenberg, Tori Hendriks, Zoe Thibault and Raina Hartnell. Maëlly Lamontagne (Carignan, QC) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu completed an all RSEQ conference sweep of the individual medals with a Bronze in a time of 22:25.

The Men’s title was dominated by Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Polytechnic with four All-Canadian top-10 finishes led by Nathan Woyessa (Calgary, AB) who sprinted to a 24:25 time over the 8km trail.  Max Thiessen (4th Place, 24:52), Moktar Said (9th Place, 25:26) and Yahye Jama (10th Place, 25:19) were the other counting runners for the Trojans who last won team gold in 2022.  

Elliot Bélanger (6th), Edouard Lehoux (15th), Mathis Turcotte (18th) and Samuel Beaulieu (21st) helped Garneau to a team Silver Medal while Sainte-Foy earned a podium finish in Bronze by Francis Bouffard (8th), Gabriel Bussière (14th), Guillaume Tremblay (23rd) and Loic St-Cyr (30th) in a field of 96 pacers.  

In the inaugural Mixed team competition Garneau took their 2nd team title of the meet in the Gold position ahead of Silver medalists Sainte-Foy who finished their meet with an identical three team medals.  Mohawk picked up their second team podium with a Mixed Bronze.  

All-Canadians

Presented by 

Women’s All-Canadian Team

Léane Baril, Élans de Garneau

Gabrielle Hamel, Élans de Garneau

Maëlly Lamontagne, Géants du Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

Mia Simpson, Dawson Blues

Clarisse Mathieu-Prédal, Élans de Garneau

Morgane Drouin, Les Diablos du Cégep de Trois-Rivières

Laurie Fournier, Gaillards du Cégep de Jonquière

Stéphania Gilbert, Dynamiques du Cégep de Sainte-Foy

Mette Siemens, Sheridan College Bruins

Taylor Kampen, Seneca Polytechnic Sting

Men’s All-Canadian Team

Nathan Woyessa, SAIT Polytechnic Trojans

Matt Talbot, Fanshawe College Falcons

Charles Gendron-Jetté, Champlain College Lennoxville Cougars

Max Thiessen, SAIT Polytechnic Trojans

Xavier St-Onge, Cougars du Cégep de Chicoutimi

Elliot Bélanger, Élans de Garneau

Noah Fortier, Volontaires du Cégep de Sherbrooke

Francis Bouffard, Dynamiques du Cégep de Sainte-Foy

Moktar Said, SAIT Polytechnic Trojans

Yahye Jama, SAIT Polytechnic Trojans