University of Victoria runners will represent Canada at the World Cross-Country Championships later this month.
Vikes rookies Tion McLeish and Jaxon Kuchar are set to make their Team Canada debuts at the Bathhurst, Australia meet on Feb. 19. Both will compete in the under-20 category after qualifying for worlds at the Canada West Championship last fall.
Kate Ayers, who trains with UVic as a member of the Victoria Endurance Club, will compete in the womenB次元官网网址檚 open division.
The event will mark the first of its kind since 2019 after previous years were curtailed by the pandemic. It will be the first international competition for McLeish, a graduate of Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 St. Michaels University School.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always watched world championships, thatB次元官网网址檚 where you want to end up in the sport and to put on the Canadian red is a pretty cool opportunity,B次元官网网址� he said in a release. B次元官网网址淚 really want to make sure I score points for Canada so thatB次元官网网址檚 my goal, but itB次元官网网址檚 going to be a learning experience for me and I want to make sure I have time to take it in and appreciate it.B次元官网网址�
On top of their training for and competing in the Vikes indoor track season, McLeish and Kuchar have been prepping for the Australia heat with multiple sauna sessions every week and running in a heat training chamber set up in their coachB次元官网网址檚 garage.
The owner of the garage is Olympian and UVic cross-country coach Hilary Stellingwerff, who will help lead the 28-athlete Canadian team at the world championships. Stellingwerff coached Team Canada at the 2020 Pan American cross-country championships and competed at the 2005 worlds.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 excited to use my experience as an athlete and a coach for this event. My first Commonwealth Games was in Melbourne, and I havenB次元官网网址檛 been back to Australia since, so IB次元官网网址檓 excited to get back there again,B次元官网网址� Stellingwerff said. B次元官网网址淚 feel fortunate to have three Vikes athletes competing in this event, itB次元官网网址檚 going to be an awesome experience for them, and weB次元官网网址檝e got a really strong Canadian team.B次元官网网址�
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