Double Gold for Falcons Cross-Country Team

The Fanshawe Falcons Cross-Country team soared to new heights on Saturday, October 31, 2009, winning both team titles at this year's Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA) Provincial Championships hosted by St. Clair College in Windsor.

Fanshawe's double-gold cross-country team celebrate their OCAA wins at St. Clair College on October 31, 2009.

The women's team recorded the perfect score by sweeping the podium to claim their second straight provincial title. Liliane Sparkes took home the gold medal on a very windy 5km course in a time of 18:45, closely followed by Becky Pieterson and Erika Houde-Pearce in times of 18:52 and 19:32 respectively. Melissa Linker rounded out Fanshawe's dominating performance by placing seventh, putting four Falcons on Team Ontario.

The men showed much of the same form, placing three runners on Team Ontario, with finishes of second, third, and sixth. Leading the way over the 8km course was John Mason running 27:25 for the silver medal, pursued closely by Biemnet Yemane claiming the bronze in 28:11, and Michael Scipio in 28:33.

The Falcons claimed the overall team title for the second straight year, while head coach John Loney took home the coach of the year award as voted by the other coaches.

The team is now off to the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association National Championships hosted by the University of Alberta Augustana Campus in Camrose, AB on November 14, where the women are set to defend their national championship and the men look to improve on their bronze medal from the previous year.