It was an exciting finish to the 2015 season for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Cross Country team, as a first-year Huskie returned home with some hardware.
Erik Widing brought home a Canada West bronze medal from the combined CIS/Canada West Championships in Guelph, Ont. on November 15. Widing crossed the finish line in a time of 30:33.6 to claim a spot on the podium. It was the first medal for the men’s team since Jamie Epps gold in 2002.
The Huskies sent four other athletes to this year’s championship race. After not having a women’s team entered in 2014 a pair of Huskies posted solid results at the event on the women’s side. Brooke Mentanko finished in the top 20 in the conference with a time of 22:30.4 in the 6-km race to finish 18th. Mentanko was 50th overall in the CIS. Kyra Ives crossed the finish line in a time of 24:07, 41st in the Canada West and 124th in the CIS.
On the men’s side Reid Balezantis and Taryn Heidecker finished 38th and 40th respectively in the Canada West. Balezantis crossed the finish line in a time of 34:49 to finish 131st overall in the CIS. Heidecker finished just behind his teammate in the conference with a time of 35:19.6 to place 136th in the CIS.
Canada West All-Stars & Award Winners
First Team: Erik Widing (1st Year)
CIS All-Canadians
First Team: Erik Widing (1st Year)
2015 Saskatchewan Cross Country Results
(From CIS/CW Championship Participants)
Women’s:
Kyra Ives:
Cougar Trot 5km – 12th, 22:27
Sled Dog Open 5km – 38th, 21:04
Stewart Cup 6km – 38th, 25:19
Brooke Mentanko:
Cougar Trot 5km – 2nd, 19:40
Sled Dog Open 5km – 14th, 19:33
Stewart Cup 6km – 20th, 24:07
Men’s
Reid Balezantis:
Cougar Trot 8km – 7th, 29:37
Sled Dog Open 8km – 42nd, 28:55
Stewart Cup 10km – 39th, 36:04
Taryn Heidecker:
Cougar Trot 8km – 6th, 29:26
Sled Dog Open 8km – 39th, 28:25
Stewart Cup 10km – 36th, 35:55
Erik Widing:
Cougar Trot 8km – 2nd, 26:28
Sled Dog Open 8km – 1st, 25:05
Stewart Cup 10km – 2nd, 31:58
Source: huskies.usask.ca
