Written by Thomas Scott

The cross country season has come to a close, and the Tigers looked promising, with several first-year runners entering the spotlight.

The Tigers began the season competing in the StFX Invitational. First-year Maisyn Battams finished as the top Tiger in the race with a time of 34:04, placing thirteenth. In her first season, Battams proved herself a top competitor in the AUS. Battams says it was a big adjustment running at the AUS level, leaving plenty of room for improvement in the coming years.

The Tigers finished fourth in StFX, with a total time of 2:56:13. 

A couple of weeks later, the Tigers headed to Acadia. At the Acadia Invitational, third-year Danielle Keefe finished second with a time of 32:03. 

“I felt in control, and it was a good way to see how fit I was, which definitely boosted my confidence for the rest of the season,” says Keefe.

Battams finished fourth in the race, first-year Waverley Mulligan finished sixth, and third-year Renata Kingston finished tenth. 

The Tigers finished first as a team at the Acadia Invitational. 

“I think it brought us together. Everyone really enjoyed that race, and I know our rookies learned a lot from that race and realized how much more they have in them,” says Keefe.

In the AUS-RSEQ Interlock Cross Country Championships hosted by UNB, Mulligan was the highest-placing Tiger, finishing tenth and running a time of 31:34. Keefe finished with a time of 31:58, finishing thirteenth.

“I always like the interlock to see where we match up against those other schools outside of the AUS because it provides some insight for when we go into the championship,” says Keefe.

In the AUS Championship, Mulligan finished fifth with a time of 31:18. The Tigers finished third overall. Mulligan would go on to finish 23rd at the U SPORTS championship and Mackenzie Kitchen in 105 place out of 147 finishers to round out the Tigers contingent. 

With such a young team, the Tigers have made significant steps in laying the foundation for years to come. “We'll be adjusted better next year, which will obviously give us more confidence,” says Battams. Mulligan was named the team's MVP and Dalhousie's female athlete of the year. Hannah Trites was named the Tiger of the year and head coach Rich Lehman was named Dalhousie's coach of the year.