QUEBEC CITY – Matthew Beaudet of the McGill cross-country team, finished first of 94 runners to win gold in the men's division at the RSEQ  university championship meet on the Plains of Abraham, Saturday.

LINK TO WOMEN'S RACE RECAP

Beaudet, a 21-year-old electrical engineering sophomore from Montreal, becomes the first McGill male in 16 years to win the individual title since Adrian Walton in 2005. Previous McGill cross-country champs include Daniel Wernersson (2002), Alex Hutchinson (1995), David O'Hara (1994), Michael Byers (1989) and Robert Quinn twice (1986 & 1985).

A 5-foot-9, 145-pound distance runner, Beaudet completed the eight-kilometre loop in 24 minutes, 37 seconds. He finished five seconds ahead of Laval's Jean-Simon Desgagnes, who won silver in 24:42. The final podium spot went to Jonathan Tedeschi, also from the Rouge et Or, who was clocked at 24:46.

The hometown Laval squad dominated the race – grabbing the next nine spots behind Beaudet – to capture the RSEQ team championship for the 10th consecutive year, excluding the 2020 season that was canceled due to the coronavirus. The top five Laval finishers totaled 20 points in the team scoring. McGill was second with 59, followed by Montreal (82), Sherbrooke (133), UQAC (138), UQAM (175), UQTR (203), Concordia (209), ETS (257) and Carleton (265).

McGill's other scorers included freshman Tom Secheyron  (12th, 26:23) of Bellevue, Wash., Jack Stanley (13th, 26:24), a PhD candidate from Victoria, B.C., junior Henry Wellenstein (16th, 26:33) of  Wauwatosa, Wisc., and William Davalan (17th, 26:43), a first-year medical student from St. Bruno de Montarville, Que.

The top 14 finishers merit RSEQ all-star status, with the leading seven qualifying for first-team honours. So McGill's Beaudet earned a nod on the first dream team, while Secheyron and Stanley, qualified for RSEQ second-team status.

McGill will return to Quebec City in three weeks when Laval plays host to the U SPORTS national championship meet, an 8k race slated for Nov. 20.

COMPLETE MEN'S RESULTS (PDF)


SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Off.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca