Cross Country locked in for provincial championship
By J. Pascoe
Humber Athletics Communications
The Storyline
The Humber Hawks cross country program travels to Marydale Park in Hamilton this Saturday for the 2025 OCAA Championships, carrying immense momentum and high expectations. The women's team enters the event as the province's top-ranked squad, while the men have climbed the national rankings, solidifying their place as a podium contender. With both teams performing at an elite level, the Hawks are looking to punch their tickets to the CCAA National Championship in Prince Edward Island.
Women Look to Build on a Championship Season
The Humber women's team has cemented its place as the team to beat in the OCAA, currently ranked No. 3 in the CCAA—a significant jump from their No. 8 ranking last year. The squad has been dominant this season, clinching back-to-back Invitational victories, including a convincing win at the Marydale Park course (40 points) just two weeks ago. This consistency marks a strong upward trend from their 2024 season, where they finished with one major Invitational win and a narrow miss of the OCAA podium (fourth place).
Catherine Irwin, the women's captain, is having a historic season. After dominating 2024 with a 2.0 average finishing position across four races (first place, followed by two second place finishes, and a third place finish), she continued her stellar performance this year with a second-place finish in the recent Mohawk Invitational (22:46). Irwin is set to go down as one of the most decorated women's cross country athletes for Humber, joining a legacy that includes seven team titles and four individual titles (the last from Lindsay Webster in 2014).
Adding to the championship potential is rookie sensation Jennifer Hartnell, who crossed the line in eighth place (24:38) at the pre-Provincial meet. Her consistent high finishes make her a frontrunner to be named the OCAA Rookie of the Year. The team will also celebrate the final provincial race for veteran Zoë Collat. Collat is set to end a long-tenured career in which she was a solid contributor to the team and a consistent top-20 runner in the OCAA, rounding out the Hawks' scoring in key races this year.
Men Aim to Deliver on CCAA Top-5 Potential
The men's program has shown remarkable improvement and depth this year, moving from being unranked in the 2024 CCAA polls to an anticipated Top 5 CCAA ranking ahead of the Championships. Last season, the team consistently finished in the top five but failed to
achieve a team podium finish. This year, they have secured two podium finishes, including a strong third-place showing at the Mohawk Invitational (53 points).
Team captain Liam Bauman has once again led the charge. After a solid 2024 campaign with a 9.3 average finish, Bauman recently set a new personal best (26:56) to finish ninth overall at Marydale, demonstrating he is peaking at the right time. The addition of rookie Chino Rodney (12th place) has provided necessary depth, bolstering the team's chances to add to the men's historical legacy of two provincial titles (2006, 2015). This will also be the last provincial race for Jaivir Singh Sandhar, a veteran runner for the Humber men's cross country team, who is nearing the end of his fourth season with the organization. He has been a consistent scorer and a highly-regarded athlete, having been named an OCAA All-Ontarian and a 2023 CCAA Academic All-Canadian.
The Race Day Schedule
The OCAA Provincial Championships will take place at Marydale Park in Hamilton on Saturday, October 25th, with the women's race taking place at 11 AM EST followed by the men's race at 12 PM EST.
