UBCO Heat women's cross country runner Lauren McNeil added a third U SPORTS medal to her collection on Saturday as she finished second to earn silver at the 2025
Championship, hosted by the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on the campus of the Université de Sherbrooke.
McNeil posted a time of 27 minutes and 24 seconds, finishing 14 seconds behind champion Madelyn Eybergen from the Victoria Vikes. Guelph's Alexandra McDougall claimed third in 28:06.
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Competing on a very technical course that featured various types of terrain as well as sudden elevation changes, it was McDougall who stormed out to the early lead in the race. However, McNeil and Eybergen, the Canada West gold and silver medalists respectively, caught her quickly and eventually turned the race into a two-person event.
The two conference rivals duked it out over the eight-kilometre course, with the race eventually coming down to the final 300 meters when Eybergen pulled ahead to claim gold.
For McNeil, the silver medal matches her result from the 2021 U SPORTS Championship in Quebec City. Last year in Kelowna, she won gold on her home course.
As a team, the Heat finished 10th in the team standings, marking the fourth time in the last five years that they have placed inside the top 10 at the national championship.
Behind McNeil, Tori Bouck placed 40th in 29:50 while rookie Maraid Johnson had an impressive debut her first U SPORTS Championship, finishing as UBCO's third finisher, placing 79th in 30:42.
Sophie Hamilton and Ella Wigmore each finished inside the top 100 in a race that featured 174 competitors.
Team standings:
1. Victoria Vikes – 99 points
2. StFX X-Women – 117
3. UBC Thunderbirds – 138
4. Queen's Gaels – 169
5. Laval Rouge et Or – 190
6. Western Mustangs – 194
7. UNB Reds – 218
8. McMaster Marauders – 226
9. Windsor Lancers – 240
10. UBCO Heat – 276
11. Calgary Dinos – 298
12. Guelph Gryphons – 302
13. Sherbrooke Vert et Or – 307
14. Alberta Pandas – 347
15. Montreal Carabins – 349
16. Dalhousie Tigers – 378
17. Toronto Varsity Blues – 414
18. UQAM Citadins – 417
19. Saskatchewan Huskies – 497
20. Brock Badgers – 526
21. York Lions – 605
22. UQAC Inuk – 666
Heat individual results:
2. Lauren McNeil – 27:24 – U SPORTS silver medalist, U SPORTS 1st Team All-Canadian
40. Tori Bouck – 29:50
79. Maraid Johnson – 30:42
95. Sophie Hamilton – 31:00
97. Ella Wigmore – 31:07
117. Sharanya Vijayaraghavan – 31:30
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