The Niagara College cross country team will be headed to Sault Ste. Marie to compete in the 2015 OCAA Provincial Championships being held at Crimson Ridge Golf Course.
The event will kick off with a course walk through on Thursday and Friday, followed by the championship races on Saturday. The women's 5k race will take place at noon, with the men's 8k sprint scheduled for a 1:00pm start. The Annual Awards Banquet will take place after the race at 5:30pm.
As usual, the OCAA provincial meet will be among the top provincial championships this weekend. The men's field includes five nationally ranked teams, including two ranked in the top three.
With regards to scoring for the race, the place of the first four finishers counts toward the team score. First place is worth one point, second place two points, etc. Low score wins.
The last race for the Knights was on October 17th at the Seneca Invitational where the men's team set an all-time best finish in sixth place. Multi-sport athlete Andy Hein (Omemee) led the way with a tenth place finish, followed by second-year runner Morgan Yeates (Fredericton) in 27th place.
Hein and Yeates will be backed by a talented squad that includes Sean Baker (Kincardine), Gavin Martin (Newmarket), Russell Gibson (Oakville), and Malachi Clark (Severn Bridge).
Headed to Sault Ste. Marie from the women's team will be Jennifer Siman (Toronto) and Olayinko Aloko (Nigeria).
Crimson Ridge effortlessly combines the Canadian Shield escarpment and dramatic rock cuts, spectacular views, dense deciduous and hardwood forests, and rolling, lush bluegrass fairways. At its highest elevation point the view easily extends to the historic St. Mary's River and beyond into the state of Michigan. Waterfalls and winding creeks connect the natural landscape with sounds of tumbling water.
The top OCAA individuals and teams advance to the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Cross Country National Championships in Brockville, Ont., on Nov. 14.
Championship Website: www.saultcollege.ca/Pages/CrossCountrySC/Schedule.asp
Championship Schedule
Saturday, October 31
Women's 5 km Race - 12 p.m.
Men's 8 km Race - 1 p.m.
Community 5 km Race - 2 p.m.
