Main Story

Simon Fraser’s young Red Leafs head to Monmouth, Oregon, for Saturday’s GNAC Cross Country Championships, targeting top-four finishes in both races. With a roster short on senior leadership, coach Brit Townsend says athletes have stepped up, and an earlier meet on the same course gives the team useful experience.

By the Numbers
  • 10 teams will compete in each race.
  • SFU’s women placed second and the men third among 10 teams at the Ash Creek course in September.
  • The women’s race is 6 kilometers; the men’s is 8 kilometers.
  • SFU finished fourth in the women’s standings and fifth in the men’s at last year’s championships.
Yes, But

SFU has just one senior in its women’s lineup and none on the men’s team. The roster’s youth is a challenge, but it also creates room for new leaders to emerge.

What’s Next

After the GNAC meet, SFU will compete at the NCAA West Regional in Sacramento later this month, where runners can qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships in December. Red Leafs athletes are also set to race at the Canadian Cross Country Championships in Quebec City in December.

Bottom Line

SFU’s path to a strong finish depends on the team performing together on race day; its September results on the same course offer a promising benchmark.