CROSS COUNTRY RECAP: Gryphon Men 4th, Women 9th at U SPORTS Cross Country Championship in Kelowna

KELOWNA, B.C. – On Saturday afternoon (Nov. 9) the Gryphons men's and women's cross country team traveled to Kelowna, British Columbia to compete in the 2024 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships, hosted by UBC Okanagan. The Gryphon men finished 4^th out of 22 schools in the final team standings, narrowly missing out on a national podium finish as they were led by a pair of U SPORTS All-Canadians runners, Max Davies in 9^th and Jack Lehto in 11^th. The U of G women finished 9^th out of 15 schools in the team standings, with Laura Yantha crossing the finish line 32^nd overall out of 126 runners.

Following their second place at the OUA Championships two weeks ago, the Gryphon men put together a strong showing in Kelowna at Saturday's national championship. Leah Stapleton at 2024 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships

Leah Stapleton at 2024 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships

Max Davies and Jack Lehto spent most of the race at the front of a tightly contested pack of runners, crossing the line just seconds apart to claim a top 12 finish for Guelph. Davies would cross the line in the 8k race with a time of 23:39 for a top 10 finish in 9^th place in a field of 152 racers. The result marks the second straight year where the management major captured a spot as an U SPORTS All-Canadian after earning second team honours last season. Joining Davies as a second team U SPORTS All-Canadian and his first in his Gryphon career, Jack Lehto. The third year mechanical engineering runner just missed out on a top 10 finish by one second, crossing the line with a time of 23:41. Christian Rachner (24^th, 24:06), Adam Schmidt (58^th, 24:41) and Charlie Mills (72^nd, 24:51) rounded out the Gryphons top 5 finishers who contributed to the team standings and their fourth place. The men's team just missed out on the national podium, finishing 15 points behind the Laval Rouge et Or who finished ahead of the Gryphs with 145 in the final team standings.

On the women side, it was Laura Yantha who led the way for the Gryphons crossing the finish line in 32^nd place with a time of 28:24. Alexandra McDougall (56^th, 28:59), Michelle Gray (64^th, 29:07), Leah Stapleton (71^st, 29:23) and Maria Sandor (82^nd, 29:43) were the top five Gryphon runners contributing to the team standings with 257 points for a ninth place finish in the team standings.

The Queen's Gaels men's cross country team and the Western Mustangs women's cross country team were crowned 2024 U SPORTS Cross Country champions while Phillipe Morneau-Cartier of Laval (Men) and Lauren McNeil of UBC Okanagan (Women) claimed the individual titles.