Led by a strong top four, Griffins optimistic heading into Canada West championship
Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – MacEwan's 'Big Four' on the women's cross-country team will be vying for all-star honours and berths at the U SPORTS nationals next month when they hit the road to Calgary for Saturday's inaugural Canada West cross-country championship.
Whether or not MacEwan's five best finishes in the 8K will be enough to qualify them among the top three teams advancing to the nationals remains to be seen.
Kiana Row, Emma Steele, Ember Large and Ashley Tymkow all have the ability to contend for conference all-star teams – awarded to the top 16 finishers (eight first team, eight second team) following Saturday's race at Canmore Park.
Emma Perry and Daniella Wasielewski will also be competing for MacEwan and how far up the pack they're able to finish will be the determining factor in the Griffins' team finish.
"I know all the other schools seem to be pretty solid," said MacEwan head coach Drew Carver. "The two schools that are going to really give us fits are UVic and UBC. Calgary's one of those teams that will be tough to beat because it's in their backyard and it's their race.
"Fourth would be a strong showing for us, but if some teams go out too hard or blow up somehow, I think we're in a good spot."
Row has had a sensational rookie campaign thus far, twice finishing as the top post-secondary runner at ACAC Grand Prix events and placing seventh at the UVic Vikes Invitational amongst a field of top Canada West competitors. She will not only be contending for an all-star team spot, but also for the conference's rookie of the year honour.
"There are a couple other rookies running just like her. UBC brought in a couple girls from Scotland and Oregon, so she's in tough with that crowd," noted Carver. "They're both strong runners. But I know Kiana. If she's got a chance, she will go for it. I've watched this girl run and she will run herself right to the last drop of energy she has. She doesn't hold anything back. She's a very similar runner to Emma Steele in that respect.
"I'm hoping she manages to pull off a big race and walk away with a first or second team all-star, and possibly rookie of the year if she can hold it together against those other girls."
Steele, a reigning Canada West second team all-star and runner-up for rookie of the year last season, has been getting stronger each race, finishing just eight seconds behind Row in their last outing Oct. 12.
"I like the way Emma has steadily gotten stronger each race.," said Carver. "I'm confident Emma will be right up with Kiana, racing at the same speeds. That race experience that Emma has might show through this weekend."
Large, who was named ACAC women's indoor track athlete of the year last March, right after representing Team Canada at the Winter Universiade in cross country skiing, has also been getting stronger each time out.
"Ember is looking pretty solid, so I'm hoping this will be one of her best races," he said. "She should be right up near Kiana and Emma Steele."
Tymkow also has the potential to be near the top.
"Hopefully with last year's experience, she'll come in strong, too," noted Carver. "Those are my big four. Then it's going to be Emma Perry. Hopefully she can hold her ground and have a great race. That will be the deciding factor for us."
MacEwan will not be sending a men's team, but two male athletes – Evan Haddock and James Thomson – will try their hand in individual 10K competition.
"They're both first-year athletes, so this is a bit of a new experience for them," said Carver. "They're both used to competing because they're triathlon athletes, but this whole process is all new to them. Hopefully they gain the experience so next year they'll be a lot stronger at this. They've done quite well so far, steadily improving on their running."
The competition will be run at Canmore Park on a four-loop course.
"If you go too hard at the beginning, the second and third loop really sets you up for how you're going to finish," said Carver, whose teams have run on the course before. "If you're burnt out after the third loop, you're done.
"This is a race course that you need to stay with the group but not overwork and make sure to take advantage of anyone who's not running well and pass them. And you need to keep moving ahead on the second and third loops. By the fourth one, everybody's going to stay in place. There won't be a lot of changing at that point."
