2016 CIS cross-country championships Guelph looking to reclaim banner sweep on the Plains of Abraham

Published by cis-sic.ca on November 11th, 2016

TORONTO (U Sports) – For the first time since 2006, the record-setting Guelph Gryphons enter the CIS Cross Country Championship without both the men’s and women’s title to their name.

Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/xc/index

The Gryphons, who won only the women’s title last year at home, will be looking to win back a pair of team banners on Saturday on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, after conceding the men’s championship to Victoria. Laval, which is hosting the national race for the first time since 2011 and fourth time in the last decade, overtook the men’s No.1 ranking from Guelph the entire campaign, the first time the Gryphons men hadn’t been ranked on top of the country since Oct. 27, 2009. 

The Rouge et or will be challenged by the reigning champion Vikes, who head into the national meet after steadily climbing to the No.2 ranking in the final poll of the season with a win at the B.C. Provincial Championships two weeks ago. 

 A total of 190 athletes from 33 schools are set to compete at 1:00 p.m. in the women’s six-kilometre race (up from 167 a year ago), while 193 runners from 32 institutions are scheduled to be at the starting line at 1:40 p.m. for the 10 km men’s event (up from 178). The races will be streamed live on SportsCanada.tv.