LU Cross Country Teams Sweep the Ramsey Tour 5km, Mrozewski and Leroux take top individual titles
The Laurentian Voyageurs cross country running teams opened their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) regular season this weekend, competing in the 47th Annual Ramsey Tour 5 kilometre race hosted by the Sudbury Masters Running Club on the Laurentian campus. The Ramsey Tour doubles as the Laurentian Open, an official OUA sanctioned cross country race with teams from Nipissing University, Algoma University and Cambrian College also competing.
Both LU squads earned the coveted team title with the lowest overall score of each team's top five runners across the line.
The LU women swept the top four positions enroute to a winning score of just 18 points. Fourth-year nursing student Kristen Mrozewski (Sudbury) took gold with a time of 18 minutes and 47 seconds over the five-kilometre course. Joining Mrozewski on the podium were fifth-year Angela Mozzon (Sudbury) who placed second in 19:04, and fifth-year education student Sarah Booth (Peterborough) who finished third in 19:48. Rounding out the scoring for the Vees were Charlotte Grenier (Sudbury), who placed fourth in a time of 19:57 and rookie SPAD student, Ariel Gibbons (Renfrew), who placed 8th in 21:03.
The LU men were able to avenge their narrow loss to Nipissing University at this meet last year by posting a nine-point victory over their northern rivals on Sunday.
Fourth-year Kinesiology student, Patrick Leroux (Wingham) who won the race in a new personal best time of 16 minutes and 32 seconds, led the Vees. After Leroux, Laurentian was able to keep its score low by placing their next four scoring runners in the top ten. Third-year nursing student, Brandon Radey (Sudbury), placed third in a time of 16:46. Third-year mining engineering student Travis Annett placed fourth in 16:51. Rounding out the scoring for the Vees was first-year kinesiology student TJ Green (Manitoulin), who placed ninth in a time of 17:39. Also competing for the Vees were Alan Wilkin (11th, 18:01), Renato Zegarra (12th, 18:02), Patrick Wiss (17th, 18:44) and Michael Homiakov (22nd, 20:56).
"Great to see Patrick have a breakthrough performance today", noted Vees Head Coach, Darren Jermyn. "He fully committed to his training over the spring and summer and he is now racing at a whole new level". Jermyn also noted, "Kristen and Angela remain a one-two punch on our women's squad but our team average time today was the fastest since 2018, so that is indicative of a stronger team as we move further into the season. We actually only ran partial squads today as we have had some early season injuries that we are addressing. But at the end of the day, it's always great to win a meet on our home course".
The cross country Vees will be back in OUA regular season action at the Western Invitational on September 21st in London.