Canadian Operating and Below Armour have teamed up for the 2024 Canadian U Sports activities cross-country season to spotlight a number of the prime homegrown skills throughout the nation. Every week, based mostly on performances at collegiate cross-country meets throughout the nation, Canadian Operating chosen the highest athlete because the Below Armour Athlete of the Week.
This week we’re protecting the top meet of the season: the 2024 U Sports activities Cross-Nation Championships that came about in Kelowna, B.C., final Saturday. We’re highlighting Lauren McNeil of UBC Okanagan and Jared Howse of the College of New Brunswick for his or her standout performances on the nationwide stage. These athletes will likely be featured on Canadian Operating and awarded an Below Armour prize pack that includes the brand new UA Infinite Professional Path shoe.
Lauren McNeil, UBC Okanagan (CanWest)
Coming into the championships because the clear hometown favorite, UBCO’s Lauren McNeil was bored with a tactical race. The Buxton, U.Okay., native took the lead after the primary quarter of the 8K occasion, accelerating the quick tempo much more. Regardless of falling whereas taking a good nook on the third lap, McNeil broke away from her fellow B.C. contender, Constance Nankivell of Trinity Western College, who had bested McNeil on the CanWest Championships in October.
McNeil’s time of 26:31 shattered the course report and led her to develop into the primary UBCO athlete in historical past to earn U Sports activities athlete-of-the-year honours. “It was nice to have some wholesome competitors with these round me and Constance Nankivell, who pushed me the entire manner,” McNeil instructed Canadian Operating. “I didn’t have the perfect begin and was fairly far again initially, however tried to stay calm and work my approach to the entrance when the course widened.”
The 24-year-old holds a Grasp’s diploma in chemistry from the College of Nottingham, in England. She competed for UBCO throughout a world research 12 months in 2021, the place she earned the person silver medal on the U Sports activities (runner-up to Laval’s Jessy Lacourse) and was named U Sports activities Rookie of the Yr.
McNeil will flip to highway racing within the coming months. “I wish to think about operating the half-marathon, 10K and 5K highway races,” she revealed. She ran her spectacular half-marathon private better of 1:10:10 in April on the Berlin Half Marathon, and represented Nice Britain on the European Half Marathon Cup in June, the place her group gained gold.
Jared Howse, College of New Brunswick (AUS)
AUS champion Jared Howse‘s gutsy race in Kelowna paid off–the 22-year-old earned the U Sports activities silver medal, ending simply six seconds behind back-to-back champ Philippe Morneau-Cartier of Université Laval. Howse was the one athlete to reply to Morneau-Cartier’s injection of tempo heading into the ultimate lap of the race.
“My key mistake final 12 months at U Sports activities final 12 months was not protecting a important transfer within the again half of the race,” Howse, who positioned seventh on the 2023 championships, instructed Canadian Operating. “My solely goal at this level was to attend for somebody to make a transfer and observe them. As quickly as I noticed Morneau-Cartier make a transfer, I knew that was my ticket to the rostrum.” His end result marks the very best end in UNB program historical past.
The Crimson Deer, Alta., native admitted that he’s happy together with his fast time of 23:25, a perk of getting to run 4 flat loops round Mission Recreation Park. Howse and his UNB Reds squad took dwelling a fifth-place group end, however will likely be searching for a spot on the rostrum at subsequent 12 months’s championships.
The weekend capped off Howse’s cross-country season; he’s already turned his focus to trace. “I’ll [start] making ready for a 3,000m at Boston College in December,” the pc science main stated. “My objectives for the monitor season embody shaving down a few of my private bests and going for a medal at U Sports activities within the 3,000m or 1,500m.”