"Proudfoot CIS Rookie of the Year and All Canadian"
Track North Athletic Club's Ross Proudfoot (Lively, ON), competing for the University of Guelph capped a remarkable rookie season by finishing 6th at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Cross-Country Running Championship contested today in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Proudfoot earned CIS Rookie of the Year and 1st team All-Canadian by virtue of his finish. Proudfoot's University of Guelph team also took home the team gold medal with a best low score of 24 points.
The championship 10 kilometre race was contested on a rolling and muddy course at the Sherbrooke Golf Club. Proudfoot's finishing time was 32 minutes 46 seconds. Proudfoot's teammate, Kyle Boorsma, took home the gold medal in a time of 31 minutes 53 seconds.
Proudfoot commented following the race: "The conditions were really tough today. The hills were slow and muddy and the footing was rough in many sections but I'm extremely happy to have won the CIS rookie of the year and help my team to its fifth straight national championship."
Track North coach Darren Jermyn noted: "Ross really proved he is among the elite in the CIS today. The course conditions were definitely challenging and Ross fought hard over the last three kilometres to earn his All-Canadian status. He has just flourished at Guelph and it's exciting to know that he has many years left to move even higher up the CIS ladder."
Proudfoot's first season of university competition saw him win the Western International, earn top rookie status at the Paul Short Invitational and finish 4th at the Ontario University (OUA) championships.
Proudfoot's final cross-country race of the season will be at the Athletics Canada Junior (19 and under) Championships in Guelph on November 27th. He will compete alongside his Track North teammates as he bids for a spot on the national team that will compete at the North American Caribbean Championships (NACAC) next February in Trinidad and the World Championships next March in Spain.
Note: Other fine northern Ontario results included Matt Walters (North Bay) competing for the University of Windsor, who finished 7th and Andrew Nixon (Thunder Bay) competing for the University of Guelph, who finished 11th.
