Doucet Runs 6th In REDS Debut
(ANTIGONISH, NS) Atlantic University Sport cross country runners finally hit the trails again in conference competition after a near two-year absence as St FX University hosted the first invitational meet of the 2021 season, on Saturday afternoon.
St FX freshman Siona Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) and fifth year Saint Mary's Huskie Andrew Peverill (Sackville, NB) were the overall race winners in each of their respective 6 kilometre events.
The host St FX X-Women and X-Men won both the team titles.
In the women's race, Chisholm crossed the line in a time of 24:13. She was followed by Paige Chisholm (Port Williams, NS) of the UPEI Panthers at 24:50.
In her AUS debut, the REDS Emily Doucet (Aldouane, NB) ran to a sixth place finish, just ahead of teammate Emily Trites (Fredericton, NB), who finished 8th.
"Emily Doucet looked outstanding," said REDS head coach Chris Belof. "And given our short build-up to this event, we're looking for her to only get better. She was controlled and composed. She's a massive talent, and we're excited to see what she can do."
"Emily Trites had a great run too," added Belof. "There's toughness and determination that makes her someone you can't count out. She's one of the most competitive athletes I've worked with."
X put 22 points on the board to win the women's side of the meet, while Dalhousie (65) came second and the UNB REDS (80) were third. Acadia (87) and UPEI (101) rounded out the team scoring.
On the men's side, Peverill led the race from start to finish, crossing the line in a time of 20:43.
St FX's Jacob Benoit (Windsor, NS) came second and Dal's Will Cox (Ottawa, ON) was third.
Cameron Harris (Quispamsis, NB) led the REDS, finishing 12th.
"Our men didn't execute the way we expected, but still managed to compete in the battles throughout the day," said Belof. "There were some moments of strong character and there are some areas of execution we'd like to do differently. Overall, we'll grow from this and get better."
The X-Men had three runners in the top ten as they earned 40 points in their first place team finish. Dal was a close second at 43 points with four runners in the top ten.
Saint Mary's was third in team standings, followed by UNB (84), UPEI (137) and Moncton (156).
The competitors will take a weekend off before they next hit the trails in Wolfville, as Acadia University will host the next meet on October 2nd.
RECAP: With files from St FX Athletics
PHOTOS: Bryan Kennedy/for St FX Athletics