ST. LAWRENCE TO HOST OCAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS AT FORT HENRY

Distance runners from 17 Ontario colleges - including St. Lawrence Kingston, St. Lawrence Brockville and St. Lawrence Cornwall – are coming to Kingston on Saturday, Oct. 29 to compete in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Cross Country Championships.

The event occurs at Fort Henry, with the women's 5-kilometre race starting at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 8-km race at 11 a.m.

A notable runner in the event is Dawn Martin, of the St. Lawrence Brockville Schooners. The Perth, Ont. native was previously an OCAA champion and a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) bronze medalist. Last year, she competed in the CCAA Cross Country Championships and helped Team Ontario to a gold medal.

Another notable runner for St. Lawrence Brockville is Leah Kyte, of Long Sault, Ont. She won silver at the Fleming Invitational on Oct. 22 and placed fourth at the Fanshawe Invitational Sept. 24. The Schooners will also have several successful male runners, as their men's cross country team was ranked 14th in the CCAA in September and has already claimed two fourth-place finishes at meets this year.

The St. Lawrence Kingston Vikings are expected to have 14 male and female runners at the event. Among their athletes is third-year women's runner Richelle Moore, of Napanee, who placed second at the Fanshawe Invitational Sept. 24. The Vikings are also expected to have a strong men's team, as it was ranked 9th in the CCAA in September.

The St. Lawrence Cornwall Sharks will be represented by three male and two female runners. Among them will be Casey Atwell, who was St. Lawrence Cornwall's Female Athlete of the Year in 2010-2011. Atwell, of Cornwall, Ont., recently ran a personal-best time of 24 minutes, 31 seconds in the 5-km Fleming Invitational race and hopes her vast improvement this year will continue.

Source: St. Lawrence College