The finale of the Canadian U Sports cross-country season is just three weeks away, and the top men’s teams across the country are embracing the championship spirit as they head into conference competitions starting next week.
Here’s a reminder of how our rankings work: if a team wins, they will climb the rankings. If a team loses, they slide. As a bonus, we’ve highlighted a couple of athletes to watch in their respective conferences, and, of course, predicted which team will be victorious in each region.
10. St. Francis Xavier X-Men (AUS) +/-
9. UBC Thunderbirds (CanWest) -2
8. Western Mustangs (OUA) +/-
7. McGill Redbirds (RSEQ) +2
6. University of New Brunswick Reds (AUS) +/-
5. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (RSEQ) -1
4. Guelph Gryphons (OUA) +1
3. Victoria Vikes (CanWest) +/-
2. Laval Rouge et Or (RSEQ) +/-
1. Queen’s Gaels (OUA) +/-
The #1-, #2- and #3-ranked teams stay put as they battle for the top spot. The Queen’s Gaels continue to hold the pole position after crushing the field at the 8-Kay Marauder Invitational in Hamilton, Ont., on Oct. 11. The Gaels, led once again by Jude Wheeler-Dee and Roman Mironov, took five of the top 13 spots–Wheeler-Dee took first in 24:20 with Mironov closely behind, taking second in 24:27. Tanner Hueglin, Will Cox and Angus Skinner claimed the remaining scoring spots to secure a low score of 34 points for the Gaels, bringing them to victory by a 21-point margin.
Laval Rouge et Or put on a show at their home meet on Oct. 5, taking a dominant win at the Laval Rouge et Or Invitational on the Plains of Abraham. Led by defending U Sports champion Philippe Morneau-Cartier, who took first by 22 seconds, the Rouge et Or snagged nine of the top 12 positions–their top five scorers earned a total of 23 points, leading to just under a 100-point win (if counting all nine scores, Laval still would have been victorious by a significant margin).
The Victoria Vikes continue to dominate the CanWest conference with a decisive victory at the Stewart Cup at West Confederation Park in Calgary on Oct. 12, led by Daniel Damian who was fourth individually.
Climbing in the rankings are the Guelph Gryphons after their strong effort to finish second to the Gaels at the Marauder Invitational. The McGill Redbirds also advance after a team win at the Vert et Or Invitational in Sherbrooke, Que. on Oct. 12. St. FX continues to hold the final spot in the standings after a victory at the Moncton Invite in Moncton, N.B. on Oct. 5, but has yet to go head-to-head with the other top teams in the country.
Individual title contenders
Philippe Morneau-Cartier (Laval Rouge et Or)
Jared Howse (UNB Reds)
Jude Wheeler-Dee (Queen’s Gaels)
Max Davies (Guelph Gryphons)
Jonathan Podbielski (Regina Cougars)
Nolan Turgeon (Sherbrooke Vert et Or)
Jacob Benoit (Dalhousie Tigers)
Conference predictions
OUA
Team title: (#1) Queen’s Gaels
Individual title: Jude Wheeler-Dee (Queen’s Gaels)
CanWest
Team title: (#3) Victoria Vikes
Individual title: Jonathan Podbielski (Regina Cougars)
RSEQ
Team title: (#2) Laval Rouge et Or
Individual title: Philippe Morneau-Cartier (Laval Rouge et Or)
AUS
Team title: (#6) UNB Reds
Individual title: Jacob Benoit (Dalhousie Tigers)
This 2024 U Sports Cross Country season will be brought to you by Under Armour. Each week, we will be selecting a top performer of the week in the run-up to the 2024 U Sports Championships. The winners will get exclusive UA gear and an interview on Canadian Running.
