Runner's & Triathlete's Web  Athletics: University of Guelph Track and Cross Country Team Introduces Incoming Class

The University of Guelph is pleased to announce 29 athletes who will be joining the men's and women's cross country and track and field programs this coming fall. The class is headlined by National Team members Ross Proudfoot (Sudbury) and Chris Dulhanty of Missisauga as well as BC High School Champion Connor Clerke of Kelowna. Overall the Gryphons brought in seven distance athletes who will look to help them continue their record streak of four consecutive CIS Cross Country titles for the men.

The five time defending CIS Champion women's cross country team also brought in a stellar group, landing five of the top eleven finishers at the Ontario High School Championships. Leading the class will be Dundas' Carise Thompson, the Ontario High School Champion over 3000 metres. Carise is joined by Georgetown's Emily Driedger and Jenn Dowling Medley of Fergus, who finished fifth and seventh respectively in the recent Canadian Junior Championships. Driedger and Dowling-Medley are both products of the Speed River Track and Field Club. Also joining the Gryphons is Pembroke's Melissa Jones, who is coached by former Gryphon coach Rick Schroeder and Port Hope's Dominika Jamnicky, who is one of the country's top triathletes and whose high school coach was Gryphon Hall of Fame wrestler Chris Crooks.

The defending champion Gryphon men's track and field team also added several talented athletes, particularly in the jumps. These include Kitchener's Sean Collette, Gibson BC's Clay Brown and vaulter Paul Worndl, also of Kitchener. Collette, who boasts a personal best of 7.19 metres, will make an immediate impact in the long jump, while Brown, the BC High School runner up in the triple jump, will team with fellow newcomer Pat Dufresne of North Bay to give the Gryphons four impact new athletes in the event group. Worndl, who finished fourth at the Ontario High School Championships in the pole vault, will continue the Gryphons growing reputation as a power in the vault events.

The women track class is led by a trio of Guelph natives: Kerry-Ann Cornwall, Heather Rayner and Julia Mirotta. Cornwall and Rayner are both products of the Speed River Track and Field Club and will be joining the vastly improved Gryphon sprint corps. Also joining them will be London's Lauren Jespersen, who was 10th at the Ontario High School Provincials in the 100 metres, and hurdler Mikhaila Loader of Unionville. Mirotta will be part of a trio of new jumpers joining the Gryphons along with Kara Griffths of Mississauga and Andrea Farkas of Brampton. Toronto Vaulter Christine King, who was sixth at the Ontario High School Championships, will join rookie Erika Fiedler, giving the Gryphs a strong 1-2 punch in the vault.

In addition to the stellar crop of incoming first year athletes the University of Guelph Track and Field Program is also pleased to announce seven transfers who will be joining their program. Leading this class is 2007 CIS Cross Country MVP Alex Genest, who joins the Gryphons after transferring from Universite de Sherbrooke and sitting out last year. After representing Lakehead University, 2009 OUA Cross Country Rookie Of The Year, Andrew Nixon, will also be joining the Gryphons and will also be eligible to compete this fall. They will be joined by multi-time National team member Jennie Biewald, who sat out last year after attending the University of Ottawa. Vanessa Piacante, from High Point University, and Jenn Wynands, from South Florida University, will provide depth in the middle distance events. Guelph native Andrea Seccafien has returned to the Royal City but will not be eligible to compete until the 2011 season after transferring from Samford University, while 2008 First Team All-Canadian Tommy Lecours will also wait until the 2011 season before suiting up for the Gryphons after completing his degree at the Universite de Laval.

The Gryphons will begin their cross country season Saturday at their home meet, the New Balance Vic Matthews Open. The track team will open their season November 19th at the Zoltan Tenke Field Classic hosted in the Gryphon dome.

Name School Hometown Personal Coach

Kerry-Ann Cornwall John F Ross Guelph, ON Maureen Hay

Valerie Cote Champlain St Lawrence Quebec City, QC Felix Antoine Lapointe

Jenn Dowling-Medley Centre Wellington Fergus, ON Jeff Haller/Brian Stride

Emily Driedger Georgetown Georgetown, ON Jeff Haller

Andrea Farkas St Thomas Aquinas Brampton, ON Austin Huh

Kara Griffths Mentor College Mississauga, ON David St. Bernard

Dominika Jamnicky Cobourg West Port Hope, ON Greg Kealey

Lauren Jespersen London Central London, ON Tara Paluzzi

Melissa Jones Fellowes Pembroke, ON Rick & Tammy Schroeder

Christine King Martingrove CI Toronto, ON Ian Anderson

Mikhaila Loader Unionville Unionville, ON Dave Hunt

Simone Mallett-Forde Hillfield Burlington, ON George Kerr

Julia Mirotta Centennial CVI Guelph, ON Zuzana Mares

Heather Rayner John F Ross Guelph, ON Maureen Hay

Carise Thompson Highland Dundas, ON Mike Smith

Clay Brown Elphinstone Gibsons, BC Elena Volshin

Ray Cadeau Mount Carmel Mississauga, ON Tim Bethune

Connor Clerke Kelowna Kelowna, BC Dean and Diane Childs

Sean Collette Grand River Kitchener, ON Janusz Tomko

Patrick Dufresne Algonquin North Bay, ON Patrick Lalonde

Chris Dulhanty Loyola Mississauga, ON Jim Van Buskirk/ Danny Webster

Luca Geiser John Cabbot Mississauga, ON Jim Van Buskirk/Danny Webster

Dustin Haenni Eastview Barrie, ON Paul Embrak/ Ben Rayfield

Chris Meyer Markham Markham, ON Nick Tsioris

Ross Proudfoot Lo-Ellen Park Sudbury, ON Darren Jermyn

Julien Rousseau Winston Churchill St. Catharines, ON Gerry Hinton

Jeff Stone Turner Fenton Mississauga, ON Jim Van Buskirk/Danny Webster

Paul Worndl St. Marys Kitchener, ON Janusz Tomko

Thor Stewart Perth Perth, ON Terry Stewart

Chris Moulton
University of Guelph 
Track and Field