Scheving claims one last win as cross country head coach at Little Three Championship

By Cassandra Ercoli

On August 27, prior to the beginning of the Golden Griffins’ fall season, cross country Head Coach Tyler Scheving announced that he will be stepping down as head honcho of the program. On Saturday, Scheving claimed his last victory as a Griff, guiding the men’s team to their 19th-consecutive Little Three Championship in Olean, NY. 

Senior Kyle Urban and sophomore Nathaniel Fisher paced the men’s team to a first place finish, grabbing two podium finishes. Urban placed second to St. Bonaventure’s Clay Peets with a time of 14:44.6, while Fisher was right behind with a time of 14:52.4. Urban’s top finish marks his second consecutive podium finish at the Little Three Championship.

Led by its underclassmen, Canisius had an array of top finishes, placing five other runners in the top 10. Senior Brody Jones(4), and sophomores Ryan Giglia(7), Fenway Breckles(8) and Adam Kozman(9) highlighted the Griffs top ten, while newcomer Dan Granville squeezed in a sixth-place finish in his collegiate debut. 

The men’s win marks the program’s 19th-consecutive Little Three championship against regional rivals Niagara and St. Bonaventure, for which Scheving was responsible for four titles as a head coach. Canisius gathered a team total of 22 points, well clear of the second place Bonnies(39).

While the women’s team was outpaced by both rivals, the Griffs placed three runners in the top ten, including a podium finish from sophomore Clara Sundberg (2nd/18:30.4). Freshman Julia Gallo just missed a top-three finish in her collegiate debut, collecting fourth with a time of 18:53.4. Niagara claimed the title in the women’s event with 34 points, while the Bonnies(43) and the Golden Griffins(48) trailed behind. 

After the race, Scheving took to Instagram to express his gratitude for the program: “In short, this program has grown so much over the last four years, and I have nothing but gratitude for everything these athletes have given me,” adding that the 17th-best performance at this year’s outing would have been fourth at the same course three years ago. Scheving will be rejoining the coaching staff at his almer mater University at Buffalo as an assistant coach.  

The Griffs will continue their season on Sept. 19 when they will compete at the National Catholic Invitational hosted by Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Photo courtesy of Canisius Athletics