KELOWNA, B.C. –
Lauren McNeil made UBC Okanagan history on Saturday afternoon at Mission Recreation Park as she captured the individual gold medal in the women's eight-kilometer race at the 2024 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships.
McNeil, who was running in the event for the second time after winning the silver medal at the 2021 U SPORTS Championship in Quebec City, took the lead on the second lap of the two-kilometer course and never looked back. She would post a time of 26 minutes and 31 seconds, shattering the course record of 28:12 set by Katie Newlove at the 2023 Canada West Championship to take home the first U SPORTS individual gold medal in Heat history.
"It's incredible," said McNeil after the race. "I think it's not really quite sunk in. Still a bit delusional. It was amazing out there today, just with the home crowd and everyone out there supporting. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without them, like the crowd kept me going when I was feeling the pain."
The race was anything but smooth sailing for McNeil, a European Championship gold medalist in the women's half marathon with Team Great Britain earlier this summer. The 5-1 native of Buxton, England found herself well back of the lead runners after the opening kilometer. However, after making her move in the second kilometer, she took the lead with a blazing time of 3:07 on the third kilometer and never looked back, winning by 11 seconds over Trinity Western's Constance Nankivell.
"Lauren had a phenomenal race today and I think she just ran controlled and she was poised through the whole race," commented Heat head coach
Malindi Elmore following race. "She had a tough start and was way back in the pack as [the leaders] got off the line really fast. She just gradually moved her way through the field and then took control in the last couple of kilometers and brought it home really strong."
The victory also earned McNeil the title of U SPORTS Outstanding Athlete of the Year, an accolade which has never been achieved by another Heat athlete in school history, as well as the honour of being named a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian.
Joining McNeil is picking up additional awards on Saturday was Heat rookie
Sophie Hamilton of Salmon Arm, B.C. Competing in her first national championship, the Canada West Rookie of the Year repeated her feat from the conference championship and took home U SPORTS Rookie of the Year honours after placing 44
th in a time of 28:47. She earned the recognition, as well as a spot on the U SPORTS All-Rookie team, after edging out Poppy Moon from the St. FX X-Women by one second.
"Sophie's been a little bit of a secret weapon for us because she was injured her first two years and so she's seemingly come of out of the blue this year," added Elmore. "She was actually part of our Jr. Heat program in grade 11 and 12 so she showed promise for a lot of years. I think through the season she started to really build her confidence and that's really helped because her fitness has been there but it took her a few races to realize that she actually belongs where she's running."
Another notable Heat finish came from fourth-year
Kristen Smith of Georgetown, Ont., who had her best-ever result at a national championship, finishing 23
rd in 27:56.
Joining Smith in contributing to the Heat's team score was
Brooke Lawlor of Vernon, B.C., who finished 78
th in 29:35 while
Lys Milne of Salmon Arm, B.C., crossed the line in 86
th in 29:49.
Thanks to those five runners, the Heat earned a sixth-place result in the team standings, the second-best result for the program at a U SPORTS Championship following their fifth-place showing in Halifax two years ago.
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Western Mustangs – 60 points
2. UBC Thunderbirds – 85
3. Victoria Vikes – 94
4. St. FX X-Women – 120
5. Queen's Gaels – 164
6. UBCO Heat – 193
7. McMaster Marauders – 220
8. Waterloo Warriors – 255
9. Guelph Gryphons – 257
10. Laval Rouge et Or – 269
11. Sherbrooke Vert et Or – 283
12. Toronto Varsity Blues – 301
13. Saskatchewan Huskies – 305
14. Montreal Carabins – 307
15. McGill Martlets – 312
HEAT INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1.
Lauren McNeil – 26:31 – U SPORTS Gold Medalist, U SPORTS Outstanding Athlete of the Year, U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian
23.
Kristen Smith – 27:56
44.
Sophie Hamilton – 28:47 – U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, U SPORTS All-Rookie Team
78.
Brooke Lawlor – 29:35
86.
Lys Milne – 29:49
93.
Ella Wigmore – 29:55
120.
Madelyn Kaban – 30:57
