With the graduation of two-time CIS MVP Matt Brunsting and All-Canadian John Parrott, one would be fair to expect this to be a rebuilding year for the Gryphon Men's Cross Country Team. But the words rebuilding don't seem to be in Head Coach Dave Scott-Thomas' vocabulary, Scott-Thomas has reloaded and his team seems poised to break their own record for consecutive CIS team titles with their fifth consecutive title this fall.
Captain Kyle Boorsma will once again lead the team; Boorsma will be looking to become the first athlete in CIS cross country history to be part of five CIS Championship teams. Individually, Boorsma will also be looking to step to the top of the podium in his final season after finishing up as the runner-up to Brunsting the past two years. Boorsma is one of three All-Canadians returning for the Gryphons, joining him is two-time defending OUA MVP Allan Brett and second team All-Canadian Nigel Wray. Overall the Gryphons return five of their top seven athletes from last year's CIS Championship team.
Helping mitigate the loss of Brunsting and Parrott will be a number of highly regarded freshman and two outstanding transfers. Alex Genest, a transfer from Sherbrooke, is the 2007 CIS Cross Country MVP and will be looking to regain top spot on the podium after having to sit out last year as a transfer. The Canadian Champion in the Steeplechase, Genest will be returning to race at his former school for this year's CIS Cross Country Championships. The Gryphons have also added 2009 OUA Rookie of the Year Andrew Nixon, who transferred from Lakehead. Nixon is coming of an outstanding summer which saw him finish 13th in the 10000 metres at the World Junior Track and Field Championships which were held in Moncton, New Brunswick. First year athlete Ross Proudfoot also represented Canada at the World Junior Championships finishing 14th in the 5000 metres, the precocious 18 year old will be looking to make an immediate impact for the Gryphons and is one of the top contenders for CIS Rookie of The Year. Chris Dulhanty is the fourth Gryphon newcomer with national team experience, Dulhanty finished 11th at the 2009 World Youth Championships in the steeplechase. Overall the Gryphons welcome ten newcomers to this year's team all of whom will be looking to continue the incredible legacy of Gryphon Cross Country.
The Gryphon will kick of their season Saturday at the New Balance Vic Matthews Open. The following week they will compete at the Western International, where many of the newcomers will get their first crack at the 10 kilometre distance. The first weekend in October will see the Gryphons head to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to run at the Paul Short Race at Lehigh University. The Gryphons will be looking to improve upon their fifth place finish from last year's meet. After an off weekend for Thanksgiving, the Gryphons will become the first Canadian team to ever run at the prestigious Bill Dellinger Invitational in Eugene, Oregon. The event, which is named after the legendary University of Oregon coach, is expected to attract many of the top NCAA teams. Following another off weekend, the Gryphons will play host to the OUA Championships where they will be looking for their sixth consecutive title. The season will culminate in the CIS Championships, which will be November 13th in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Chris Moulton
University of Guelph
Track and Field
