The top Canadian women down south put on a show at the NCAA Division I regionals on Friday, successfully securing qualifying spots at next week’s NCAA Division I Cross-Country Championships in Madison, Wis.
Ceili McCabe (West Virginia University)
At the Mid-Atlantic Regionals at University Park, Penn., Vancouver’s Ceili McCabe continued her dominant season to take home double gold. The 23-year-old clocked 19:11 over the 6K course, beating the field by 14 seconds. McCabe led the West Virginia Mountaineers to win the team regional title by margin of 17 points; all 5 scorers placed in the top 13.
“I didn’t have a race strategy coming in,” McCabe told FloTrack post-race. “Once I decided there was a gap, I tried to keep it as consistent as possible and bring it home as hard as I could.” McCabe won the Mid-Atlantic individual title in 2022 and the Canadian cross-country championship title in 2023.
She admitted that having a team to race with is something she’s been excited about all season. “Luckily, I had my teammate Joy (Naukot) with me,” she said. “Having someone you train with all the time just out there in front of you–it helps insurmountably.”
The Canadian 3,000m steeplechase record-holder and Paris Olympian will be a strong contender for the individual title at the upcoming NCAA championships. In September, McCabe became the first Canadian runner to sign a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal, partnering with Swiss athletic brand On.
“There are many things you can take away from these races which are such high quality,” McCabe said. “I think this is good practice to get out hard, keep your foot on the pedal and see how hard you can finish.”
McCabe was one of three Canadian women who placed in the top four and booked a ticket to nationals. Villanova University’s reigning Mid-Atlantic champion Sadie Sigfstead of Edmonton took third in 19:30, while Penn State’s Florence Caron of Quebec finished just shy of the podium, clocking 19:41 to claim fourth. The second-place finisher was Chloe Scrimgeour of Georgetown University.
Chloe Thomas (University of Connecticut)
At the Northeast Regional Championships in Contoocook, N.H., University of Connecticut Chloe Thomas added another win to her resume. The Dundas, Ont., star clocked 19:23 to take the regional title, while Phoebe Anderson of Columbia (19:31) and Kimberley May of Providence (19:34) joined her on the podium. At last year’s championships, Thomas claimed seventh place, while May and Anderson took second and third, respectively.
Thomas earned her third course record of the season at the Big East Conference Championships in Leesburg, Va. on Nov. 1, and became the first athlete in University of Connecticut’s program history to win Big East title. She will move on to the NCAA championships next weekend, where she’ll likely aim to upgrade her previous top-99 finish.
Great Lakes Regional Championships
At the Great Lakes Regional Championships in Norton, Ohio, the second and third spots were claimed by Canadians, following closely behind champion Mercy Kinyanjui of Toledo, who clocked 19:29. Michigan State rookie Rachel Forsyth of London, Ont., claimed the silver medal, running 19:31. In August, the 18-year-old won silver in the 1,500m at the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, becoming the first Canadian woman to medal in the 1,500m at a world junior championship.
Notre Dame’s Siona Chisholm of Antigonish, N.S. rounded out the podium in 19:35, leading the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the regional team title.
