Cross Country (M & W) | 11/12/2017 11:51:00 PM

VICTORIA, B.C. -- McGill distance runner Meggie Dargis of Trois-Rivières, Que., finished 13th of 151 competitors to merit second-team All-Canadian status at the 2017 U SPORTS cross-country championships, hosted by University of Victoria at Beacon Hill Park on Sunday.

Toronto captured the women's team title, ending a 12-year streak by the Guelph Gryphons, who placed fifth. The Martlets, who were ranked ninth heading into the weekend, finished sixth in the 22-team field. The Varsity Blues had 73 points to finish atop the podium, along with second-place Queen's (92) and third-place Laval (112).

Dargis, a 5-foot-2 finance junior, completed the eight-kilometre course in 28 minutes, 58.47 seconds. The women's race was won by Toronto's Sasha Gollish, who crossed first in 27 minutes, 36.27 seconds. The 35-year-old made her debut on the circuit back in 2000, when she earned national rookie of the year honours.

Defending champion Claire Sumner of Queen's won silver (27:45.95) and teammate Branna MacDougall claimed bronze (27:50.56). The top seven runners merited first-team All-Canadian status, while the next seven finishers made the second team.

Other McGill scorers were Elizabeth Hirsch (25th, 29:59.07) from Melrose, Mass., Sofia Butseva (36th, 30:19.78) of Burke, Va., and Celine Marks (37th, 30:22.90) of St. Bruno, Que., -- all sophomores -- in addition to freshman Sandrine Veillette (56th, 30:53.36) of Quebec City.

On the men's side, Francois Jarry of Lachine, Que., was the top McGill finisher, crossing 41st of 137 entries with a time of 32:20.80 in the 10k race. Teammate Santiago Bessai of Toronto was 88th in 33:50.18. McGill did not qualify enough men's runners to score as a team.

Laval's Yves Sikubwabo defended his gold medal from 2016, finishing in 31:14.54. Connor Black came second for Guelph in 31:18.15 and Western's Ben Carson finished in 31:32.46 to claim bronze.

Guelph captured the team title in the 17-school field -- its 14th in 19 years -- with 57 points, followed by Calgary with 76 points and Laval with 87.

LINK TO VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
 

WOMEN:

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 

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) 

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) 

• Individual Results
• Team results

MEN:

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

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) 

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) 

• Individual Results
• Team Results