Cross Country Running

2007 Wolves X-Country Preview

The 2006 Cross Country Wolves had a solid season with both the Men’s and Women’s teams recording 5th place finishes at the CCAA Nationals in Quebec. With GPRC set to host this year's Nationals on November 10, the 2007 Wolves look to improve on their national rankings.

The men return a single runner from last year's ACAC silver medal winning team. Peter Watson, a 2005 St. Joe’s grad and 2006 ACAC all conference runner, will lead a talented group of new recruits in a quest for a 4 th straight podium finish at the ACAC Championships in Edmonton on October 20.

Three rookies will figure prominently in the Wolves success. Deneb Carias, one of Alberta's top high school runners over the past few seasons, and Michael Apps, who competed for Simon Fraser University in 2005-06, both have the potential to achieve All Conference honours in 2007. Kyle Small, a 2006 PWA graduate, should also make an impact on the provincial and national stages.

The Women’s team will feature a quartet of returning athletes. Third year Wolf, Erin Connell, will look to improve upon her 28th place finish at Nationals last year. Second year runner, Rigel Carias, has been training consistently and should be much improved this season. Soccer players Kyla MacKay and Sara Scott will also lace up for the cross country Wolves when their schedules permit.

Newcomer Megan Crawley, a provincial high school finalist at 200m and 400m in 2006, will certainly add some speed to the Lady Wolves this season.

The Wolves plan to compete in ACAC Grand Prix races in Camrose and Edmonton in late September and early October. Following those events, the Wolves will host their own ACAC race on October 13, one week before the ACAC Championships. And, as mentioned previously, the Wolves will host the nation on the November long weekend.

When not on the road, the team will host and compete in a number of Wolves Cross Country Running Series events in Grande Prairie and in other Peace Country venues.

The coaching duo of Rick Scott and Bill Corcoran are back to guide the team. 2007 marks Corcoran's 17th year with the Wolves, while Scott enters his 16th year with the team.

GPRC Hosted 2007 CCAA Cross Country Nationals

2006 Wolves X-Country Preview

After a banner year in 2005 where both the men’s and women’s teams captured ACAC silver, the 2006 Wolves Cross Country running team is looking to continue its tradition of excellence. It won’t be easy. Last year, GPRC was the only college in Canada to produce three All-Canadian cross country runners.

While two of the three All-Canadians have moved on, 2006 CCAA 6th place finisher Sean Hawryluk is returning for a second season. The 19 year old Engineering student will lead a talented men’s team which also welcomes back Peter Watson, Brian Sherk, and Luke Rounds. Joining this quartet, are newcomers Justin Black from Dawson Creek and Dustin Fountain from Wainwright. Fountain, an accomplished triathlete, completed Iron Man Arizona last April.

The women’s team, which loses its top 3 runners from 2005, will be re-building. Returning runners Erin Connell and Britta Stephenson will anchor the rookie laden squad. Kathryn Stone, a St Joe’s grad with a solid background in endurance sports, looks to be the best of the Wolves newcomers. Soccer players Kyla MacKay, Sara Scott, and Megan Larson will also lace up for the cross country Wolves when their schedules permit.

The Wolves plan to compete in ACAC Grand Prix races in Red Deer and Camrose in late September and early October. Following those events, the teams will contest the ACAC Championships in Lethbridge at the end of October and the CCAA Championships in Montreal on November 11. When not on the road, the team will host and compete in a number of Wolves Cross Country Running Series events in Grande Prairie and in other Peace Country venues.

The coaching duo of Rick Scott and Bill Corcoran are back to guide the team. 2006 marks Corcoran's 16th year with the Wolves, while Scott enters his 15th year with the team.

X-C Wolves Looking to Improve After Banner Year

The Wolves Cross Country running team broke new ground in 2004 with both the mens and womens teams hitting the podium at the ACAC championships. These stellar team placings, coupled with two individual bronze medals at ACACs, and Kyle Reynold's win at CCAA Nationals in Edmonton , resulted in the best ever season for GPRC runners.

Looking ahead to this year, the defending CCAA silver medal winning womens team will be looking for its 3 rd ACAC title in the past four years. Returnees Penny Thompson , the 2004 ACAC bronze medalist, and Angella Hallert are joined by a host of talented rookies.

One of the newcommers is Wetaskiwin's Jannelle Williamson , last year's ASAA cross country running silver medalist. Williamson, one of the top high school running prospects in Alberta , chose GPRC over a number of other ACAC schools, Canadian universities, and NCAA Division 2 schools.

Local products Shauna Telford (GP Comp), Heather Tangen (St Joes) and Christine Walker (St Joes) round out the 2005 Lady Wolves. Look for the GPRC women to be serious contenders for CCAA gold in November in Peterborough .

The GPRC x-country mens prospects look equally as bright. Reynolds and Trevor Clifford return from the 2004 Wolves along with 2001-2002 team member Roland Esposito .

Dawson Creek 's Sean Hawryluk and Luke Rounds , members of the 2004 BC High School Boys Cross Country Running Championship team from South Peace Secondary School , will provide the needed depth for the Wolves to improve upon last year's team bronze at ACACs.

And for good measure, Brian Sherk (GP Comp) and Peter Watson (St Joes) also bring some solid experience to the Wolves. Like the women, the GPRC men look to be in the hunt for a National title this year.

The coaching duo of Rick Scott and Bill Corcoran are back to guide the team. 2005 marks Corcoran's 15 th year with the Wolves, while Scott enters his 14 th year with the team.

Corcoran and Scott named ACAC X-C Coaches of the Year

The 2004 Wolves Cross Country running team's success did not go unnoticed by its ACAC peers. Last November, coaches Bill Corcoran and Rick Scott were awarded the ACAC Coach of the Year award. This marked the first time that GPRC x-c coaches were awarded this prestigious honour.

Corcoran, the Chairperson of the Business Administration and Commerce Department at GPRC, is a fully certified Level 3 NCCP Distance Runing Coach. He also coaches with the Wapiti Striders Track Club and the GP Comp.

Over the years, he's coached a number of the area's top runners including 1999 ACAC X-C Champions Fred Setterington and Tara Lee Stillwell , 2002 Canadian Junior 3000m/5000m double gold medalist Jenna Huber , and 2004 CCAA X-C Champion Kyle Reynolds .

In addition to coaching, Corcoran has been one of the province's better age 40+ middle distance runners over the past few years. Last summer he contested the M40 400m, 800m, and 1500m races at the World Masters Games in Edmonton.

Scott, a Lab Technologist with the Science Department at GPRC, is a NCCP Level 1 track and field and soccer coach. In addition to his work with the x-c Wolves, he coaches both house league and rep soccer for the GP Minor Soccer Association.

Scott is also a dedicated organizer. In the past few years, he's been the race director for the Brian Harms Road Race and the Steve Burgess Memorial Cross Country Race. He currently sits on the board of the Wapiti Striders Track Club as its Treasurer.

When he's not coaching or organizing, Scott finds some time to compete as a recreational runner and triathlete in local events.