WATERLOO, Ont. - The Guelph Gryphons men's cross country program has captured another conference banner to add to their incredible history. On Saturday, October 28 in Waterloo, the Gryphons men's cross country team was crowned OUA champions after finishing 1st in the overall team standings at the 2023 OUA Cross Country Championships.
It marks the 23rd conference title in program history for U of G men's cross country and their first the 2021 season. The Gryphons placed 7 runners in the top 20, highlighted by a 1-2 finish from
Nicholas Bannon and
Max Davies. Bannon, who was the highest finisher for the Gryphons at nationals a season ago, completed the 8km race in a time of 24:24.6 to finish first in a field of 105 runners from across the province with Davies finishing just under 4 seconds later with a time of 24:28.2. Behind Bannon and Davies was Gryphon teammates
Rohan Nowbotsing (6th, 24:39.7),
Christian Rachner (10th, 24:42.4), and
Gaetano Pocchi (15th, 25:01.3). It was an impressive performance from the Gryphons, finishing 21 points clear of the second-place Queen's Gaels. By finishing 1st overall,
Nicholas Bannon becomes the 21st different U of G men's cross country runner to take home OUA MVP honours, and first since Mitch Ubene in 2021.
On the women's side, the defending OUA champion Gryphons finished second overall in the team standings, with Western taking home the 2023 title. The Gryphon women were led by
Julia Agostinelli who became the 11th different U of G cross country runner to be crowned OUA MVP after finishing 1st in a field of 95 runners. Agostinelli completed the 8km race with a time of 29:06.4 to claim a clean sweep of the top spots for the Gryphons at the championships for the third consecutive season (
Sadie-Jane Hickson in 2022 and Kiana Gibson in 2021). It marks the fourth time in program history in which a pair of Gryphon student-athletes have claimed the top spot in both the men's and women's races. Agostinelli was one of four Gryphon runners to finish in the top 20 with teammates
Nina Whitford (8th, 29:32.6),
Jardine Lam-Colling (19th, 30:17.3), and
Maeve Pestonji (20th, 30:17.8) finishing just behind.
Full Results (Men)
Full Results (Women)
Gryphon Men's Results
1st -
Nicholas Bannon (24:24)
2nd -
Max Davies (24:28)
6th -
Rohan Nowbotsing (24:39)
10th -
Christian Rachner (24:42)
15th -
Gaetano Pocchi (25:01)
16th -
Adam Schmidt (25:01)
18th -
Jack Lehto (25:09)
2023 OUA Men's Cross Country Standings
| Place |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Guelph Gryphons |
34 |
| 2 |
Queen's Gaels |
55 |
| 3 |
Toronto Varsity Blues |
105 |
| 4 |
Western Mustangs |
110 |
| 5 |
McMaster Marauders |
125 |
| 6 |
Lakehead Thunderwolves |
172 |
| 7 |
Windsor Lancers |
211 |
| 8 |
Brock Badgers |
230 |
| 9 |
York Lions |
275 |
| 10 |
Laurentian Voyaguers |
289 |
| 11 |
Ottawa Gee-Gees |
298 |
| 12 |
Laurier Golden Hawks |
308 |
| 13 |
Waterloo Warriors |
333 |
| 14 |
Nipissing Lakers |
429 |
| 15 |
Trent Excalibur |
473 |
Gryphon Women's Results
1st -
Julia Agostinelli (29:06)
8th -
Nina Whitford (29:32)
19th -
Jardine Lam-Colling (30:17)
20th -
Maeve Pestonji (30:17)
22nd -
Cameron Ormond (30:19)
27th -
Michelle Gray (30:45)
34rd -
Nicole Hartnell (31:46)
2023 OUA Women's Cross Country Standings
| Place |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Western Mustangs |
25 |
| 2 |
Guelph Gryphons |
70 |
| 3 |
McMaster Maruaders |
76 |
| 4 |
Queen's Gaels |
94 |
| 5 |
Windsor Lancers |
119 |
| 6 |
Waterloo Warriors |
156 |
| 7 |
Toronto Varsity Blues |
178 |
| 8 |
Brock Badgers |
249 |
| 9 |
Laurentian Voyaguers |
261 |
| 10 |
York Lions |
317 |
| 11 |
Nipissing Lakers |
350 |
| 12 |
Lakehead Thunderwolves |
353 |
