By Maggie Tifft, Assistant Sports Editor
It was a full team effort for the Griffins as the women’s cross country team finished 5th and the men’s 7th at Notre Dame University this past weekend. For head coach Tyler Scheving, he discussed how the team’s ability to buy into the program is what is fueling their current success before the MAAC championships.
“Notre Dame was a great opportunity for top ranks, which is the next step in progression. It gave the newbies a taste of the next level and reminded our older runners that they belong in these kinds of races,” explained Scheving.
For the women’s team, senior Kayla Schmidt once again placed first for the team, and even cracked the top 30 for the women’s race. With a final score of 161, Canisius beat out local rival Niagara and saw numerous seasonal and personal bests. On the men’s side, they finished with an overall score of 230, also placing above the Purple Eagles. The first Griff to cross the finish line for the men’s team was junior Kyle Urban, placing 43rd overall.
“The team’s ability to trust the process and take risks has really impressed me. The hardest part of going from a meet like Little Three to Notre Dame is how you can adjust your mindset, and they are all trusting the training, the coaches, and their teammates. The National Catholic Championships was like a masterclass of how to work with your teammate to get the best product. The fact that everyone is able to keep the ego out of it and use each other to be the best racer is an incredible thing to watch,” says Coach Scheving.
For the cross country team, their next challenge is the Paul Short Invitational hosted at Lehigh University on Oct. 5. This will be the Griffs’ last matchup before the MAAC Championships, where yet again they will face more regionally ranked teams.
Photo Courtesy of Tom Wolf
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