For the second time in four years, the UBC Okanagan Heat women are the Canadian collegiate cross country running champions.
Training and teamwork set the stage for a gold medal performance over the weekend at the CCAA cross country nationals in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Led by second-year runner Veronika Fagan on the 5 km course, the Heat compiled the winning total of 50 points, 15 better than the runners-up from 蚕耻别别苍鈥檚 University (65).
鈥淭丑别 ladies positioned themselves well off the start and settled right into their pace over the fast mostly flat course with rolling hills spread 辞耻迟,鈥� said Heat coach Colin Wallace. 鈥淭丑别y showed incredible strength and battled over the entire 5 办尘.鈥�
Fagan, from West 麻豆精选, went out with the leaders and showed she belonged there.
With a strong kick to the finish, Fagan was the fourth woman to cross the finish line with a time of 18:49. She was named an All-Canadian at the nationals awards banquet.
鈥淥谤颈驳颈苍补濒濒测, I thought top 10 is what I would aim for, and I was prepared to work for that 蝉辫辞迟,鈥漵补颈诲 Fagan.
鈥淎迟 the end of the race, less than 100m left, was a long steep hill where either of two things happened, either you passed people or people passed you. We trained for this type of course and felt prepared to demolish it.
鈥淎产辞耻迟 200 metres for the finish line, realizing that I was in fourth was a huge surprise for me, and I really 肠辞耻濒诲苍鈥檛 believe it. It felt surreal. This was a huge accomplishment for 尘别.鈥�
In the second group, Camille Galloway (15th) led the rest of the Heat team finishing a half a minute ahead of a wave of other UBCO runners including: Josie Storey (20th), Anna Merino (23rd), Alex Beswick (28th), and Alea Stockton (43rd).
On the 尘别苍鈥檚 side, the Heat ran to a 12th place overall finish.
National tournament all-star Cael Warner led the way, finishing the 8 km race 26th overall with a time of 28:08.
Also scoring for UBCO was Mike Mitchell, Sam Goodrich and Cailan Libby, with first-year runners Austin White (30:50) and Kyle Foster (31:37) as displacers.
