Savanna Jordan named U SPORTS Rookie of the Year

Savanna Jordan placed 12th at the U SPORTS cross country championships on Sunday, leading the women's team to a 13th place team finish. She earned second team all-canadian honours and was named the U SPORTS rookie of the year.

The men's team also placed 13th with Calvin Dewolfe crossing the line in 29th place.

Tigers Results

WOMEN

MEN                    

Full U SPORTS Releases

2017 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships:

Women's Race: Varsity Blues dethrone Gryphons, Gollish's finale ends with gold 

VICTORIA (U SPORTS) – For the first time in 13 years a new champion reigns supreme over the U SPORTS women's cross country world, after the University of Toronto Varsity Blues earned the team title at the U SPORTS Cross Country Championships, hosted Nov. 12 in Victoria, B.C. 

Championship Website
Championship Schedule
Livestream – USPORTS.LIVE 

"It's been 15 years since we last won and this group of girls has worked very hard this fall," said Varsity Blues head coach Ross Ristuccia. "We had a rough race at the Ontario Championships but the girls really banded together in the last two weeks and they just went for it." 

The Varsity Blues were dominant on the day, finishing with 73 points, 19 better than the second-place Queen's Gaels and 39 points ahead of the third-place team from Laval. Sunday also marked the first time this championship has been run as an 8-km event, while in years past it was traditionally 6-km. 

Sasha Gollish of the Varsity Blues will head home with the individual title, 17 years after she first burst onto the scene by being the U SPORTS Rookie of the Year in 2000. The 2015 U SPORTS Female Track Athlete of the Year completed Sunday's 8-kilometre race in a blistering time of 27:37. 

"The hardest part was managing the surges, congratulations to all the girls that finished in the top 10 because they all could have won that race," said Gollish. "It was difficult trying to figure out how to recover and then when I committed to go, it was just a case of believing and going." 

A pair of Gaels were hot on the heels of Gollish. Defending champion Claire Sumner finished second in a time of 27:45 and her teammate, Branna MacDougall crossed the line just five second later to finish third. 

The victory is the first team title for the Varsity Blues since 2002, and five members of their team finished in the top 28 at the race. The win also makes them the first champions of 8-km race after the distance was lengthened from the previous six kilometres. 

"It was gruelling, eight kilometres is tough and you have to be so on," said Gollish. "It was great fun and a good race, but absolutely gruelling." 

Savanna Jordan of the Dalhousie Tigers finished the race in a time of 28:55 to claim the title of  U SPORTS Rookie of the Year. 

Following the race, U SPORTS All-Canadians and major award winners were presented including Toronto's Ristuccia taking home Coach of the Year honours, while Christian Agustin was named the Student-Athlete Community Service winner. 

U SPORTS Major Award Winners
Athlete of the Year: Sasha Gollish, Toronto
Rookie of the Year: Savanna Jordan, Dalhousie
Coach of the Year:  Ross Ristuccia, Toronto
Student-Athlete Community Service: Christiana Agustin, Toronto 

U SPORTS First Team All-Canadians
1.     Sasha Gollish, Toronto (27:37)
2.     Claire Sumner, Queen's, (27:46)
3.     Branna MacDougall, Queen's (27:51)
4.     Regan Yee, Trinity Western (27:55)
5.     Kristina Popadich, Western (27:56)
6.     Lucia Stafford, Toronto (28:18)
7.     Aurélie Dubé-Lavoie, Laval (28:22) 

U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadians
8.     Melissa Jones, Calgary (28:25)
9.     Stef Smith, Windsor (28:28)
10.  Danielle Jossinet, Guelph (28:48)
11.  Courtney Hufsmith, Saskatchewan (28:53)
12.  Savanna Jordan, Dalhousie (28:55)
13.  Meggie Dargis, McGill (28:59)
14.  Alison Hooper, Victoria (29:03) 

Full Results

Men's Race: Gryphons back on top, Sikubwabo repeats for individual title

VICTORIA (U SPORTS) – The University of Guelph Gryphons men's cross country team won their 14th title in the last 19 years with a commanding performance the U SPORTS Cross Country Championships, hosted in Victoria, B.C. on Nov. 12. The Gryphons hoisted the national championship banner after last winning their ninth straight title in 2014, while 2017 marks the program's 15^th overall title. 

Championship Website
Championship Schedule
Livestream – USPORTS.LIVE

 "A good race for us, these guys were ninth last year and we have pretty much the same team, so this has been a process for us that has been pretty emotional," said Gryphons head coach Dave Scott-Thomas. "I trust the guys, they trust me and we wanted to come out and do something pretty special today." 

The Gryphons finished the race with 57 points, 19 points ahead of the second-place Calgary Dinos and 30 better than the third-place team from Laval. 

Yves Sikubwabo of Laval won the 10-km race in a time of 31:15, taking Athlete of the Year honours after dealing with pouring rain and a muddy course in an extremely tight field. 

 "It was slippery, raining and there were a bunch of people grouped up together so anything can happen in a race like that so I just tried to focus on what was going on around me," said Sikubwabo. "The race was good, slow, but overall it was good. Everybody had to run in the rain so I can't complain." 

The overall victory at nationals was the second in a row for Sikubwabo, who captured the title one year ago on home turf in Quebec City. 

"It means a lot, it's something that I've worked hard and thanks to my coach for preparing me for the long season and making sure that I can be in the best shape possible," said Sikubwabo. "It means something to my teammates, to my school and Quebec and it's something that I will remember for the rest of my life." 

Connor Black led the Gryphons on the day, finishing just four seconds back of Sikubwabo to add an individual silver medal to his team gold.

"Connor was up front punching and you have to appreciate a guy from any school that does most of the heavy lifting throughout the race," said Scott-Thomas of his team leader. "He wasn't on the line last year and to come from that and finish second this year is pretty special."

Ben Carson of Western University rounded out the top three, crossing the line in a time of 31:33. Carson was also named the U SPORTS Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner later that evening.

Sikwubabo wasn't the only member of the Rouge et Or to leave Victoria with some hardware as his teammate Jean-Simon Desgagnes finished in 17^th place to earn the title of U SPORTS Rookie of the Year.

U SPORTS Major Award Winners

Athlete of the Year: Yves Sikubwabo, Laval
Rookie of the Year: Jean-Simon Desgagnés, Laval
Coach of the Year: Dave Scott-Thomas, Guelph
Student-Athlete Community Service: Ben Carson, Western 

U SPORTS First Team All-Canadians
1.     Yves Skubwabo, Laval (31:15)
2.     Connor Black, Guelph (31:19)
3.     Ben Carson, Western (31:33)
4.     Russell Pennock, Calgary (31:37)
5.     Alexander James, Calgary (31:38)
6.     Dany Racine, Laval (31:41)
7.     Eric Wynands, Queen's (31:43) 

U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadians
8.     Sergio Raez Villanueva, McMaster (31:44)
9.     Mark Patton, Guelph (31:45)
10.  Angus Rawling, StFX (31:46)
11.  Shawn Master, Winsor (31:49)
12.  Declan White, Trinity Western (31:51)
13.  Andrew Nebel, Windsor (31:51)
14.  Stefan Daniel, Calgary (31:52)