CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos men's cross country team captivated the home crowd over the 10 km event as they raced to victory, claiming the gold and silver for the Dinos on their way to win their third consecutive Canada West championship. 

Snow and strong winds were on the program for the return of the stand-alone Canada West Cross Country Championships in Calgary, Saturday. Despite the weather and slippery conditions, cross country teams from across western Canada raced hard to be named best in the west. 

After getting out quickly and only extending his lead for the entire race, untouchable Stefan Daniel blew away the competition securing the gold medal by over 30 seconds, finishing in 31:28:53 to a boisterous cheer from the home crowd. Dinos teammate fifth-year Russell Pennock had a strong kick on the final lap to solidify second place. 

"It feels great – I was not expecting that," said Daniel, who captured his eighth World Paratriathlon Series title in Tokyo in August. "It was really windy so I went out fast but the pack was pretty slow, so I decided just to commit and try it. I was somehow able to hold on – I don't know how."

In addition to Daniel and Pennock, two other Dinos managed to place in the top 10, with Matthew Travaglini just shy of the podium in fourth and Maximus Thiessen finishing a strong sixth for the Dinos. All of them were named first team all-stars for their top seven performances. 

Eric Lutz (12th) rounded out the top five scorers for the Dinos, helping them secure the win. He and Jonathan Guidinger were named second team all-stars for their top 14 efforts, and Lutz was presented the conference's student-athlete community service award following the race.

Daniel's inspired performance landed him the title of Canada West cross country athlete of the Year and based on the dominant effort by the men's team, head coach Doug Lamont was named men's coach of the year. 

Other men competing for the Dinos include Greg Ord (21st), Jan Erik Naess (22nd), Alex James (28th), Lucas Harrison (39th), Liam Murray (46th), Evan Yarmuch (48th) and Karan Matusin (50th). 

Although the UCalgary Dinos women's cross country team wasn't able to repeat their 2018 bronze medal performance, the women put together a strong effort for a fourth place finish in the overall team standings. 

The Dinos' Emily Simpson managed to run in the lead pack and was even top three at times during the 8 km race. Simpson once again showed that she is a key player for the Dinos, stepping up and leading the women's team with her fifth place finish. 

Kelsey Serviss had a solid race for the Dinos, crossing the line in 14th place earning her second team all-star honours, while teammate Mikaela Ahloy rounded out the top 20. 

Simpson, Serviss, and Ahloy, along with Rhian Paterson (26th) and Meghan Manor (31st) were the top five scorers for the women. 

Other women who raced for the Dinos in the snow include Sarah Forman (33rd), Renee Andres (41st), Sadie Borgfjord (44th), Lauren Kryschuk (57th) and Shannon Pyke (62nd). 

The Dinos cross country teams will begin to gear up for the 2019 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships Nov. 9 at Queen's Universty in Kingston, Ont.

-UC-