The 2024 CCAA National Cross-Country Championships on Saturday saw exciting performances in both the women’s 6K and men’s 8K races, with new and defending champions climbing to the top of the podium. The competition was hosted at Malden Park in Windsor, Ont., by St. Clair College Windsor.
Women’s 6K
Léane Baril, a 20-year-old standout from Cégep Garneau, claimed the individual women’s title with a time of 22:08, leading her school to their third consecutive team title with a commanding 56-point margin. The Rouyn-Noranda, Que., native was the bronze medallist in 2023.
Baril’s teammate Gabrielle Hamel claimed second in 22:16, while Maelly Lamontagne of Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu rounded out the podium, clocking 22:25.
Cégep Garneau has established itself as a powerhouse in producing top-tier distance runners. Notable alum Jessy Lacourse, who made her mark on the U Sports and now the Canadian road running circuit, won the CCAA individual title for the school in 2017. Last year’s championship runner-up, Marika Couture, now competes for the University of Utah in the NCAA.
Complete results can be found here.
Men’s 8K
Nathan Woyessa of Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) dominated the men’s race, clocking 24:25 to win the individual title by 19 seconds. The second-year student claimed 17th at the 2023 championships. Matt Talbot of Fanshawe College claimed silver in 24:44, while Charles Gendron-Jette of Champlain Lennoxville took the bronze-medal spot in 24:51.
With Woyessa, 19, leading the charge, the SAIT men’s team came out victorious by a 33-point margin. The Trojans reclaimed their title from 2022, after being upset at last year’s championships by Cégep de Sainte-Foy and Cégep Garneau.
Complete results can be found here.
