Saturday, September 20^th marked the opening of the 2014 OCAA cross country season, which saw the Niagara College Knights participate for the first time in school history.  

After hosting open tryouts, first-year head coach Adam Upshaw selected a team that consists of Matthew Dean, Graeme Nizal, Morgan Yeates, Dorian Reid, Evan Landry, Kenneth McLeod, and Amy Browett.

The Fanshawe Invitational, which is the first race of the season, had over 150 student-athletes put their cardiovascular talents on display.  The men’s side saw 97 runners representing 15 schools, while the women’s side had 54.

The Knights men’s program finished in 9^th place with a total team time of 2:08:35, 13:27 behind first place Humber College.

On the women’s side Amy Browett finished with a time of 24:05, good enough for 28^th place.

After the race, Adam Upshaw was confident and enthusiastic about the results and the future of the team.  “A good first race for the team”, he said. “First races at this level can be intimidating, but everyone stayed focused and competed to the best of their abilities. We are excited for this season and are looking forward to improving and getting better every time out!”

Niagara College currently offers nine intercollegiate sport programs with the addition of cross country.

“It’s exciting to officially welcome cross country to our intercollegiate program,” said Niagara College director of athletics and recreation Matthew Davies.  “The results from this weekend show the hard work that has been put forward to help make the first event a success.  We are excited for the future of this program and have no doubt we will continue to grow in the future.”