2024 Men's Cross Country Season Preview

Written by Wells Mayes

The Tigers had a strong season in 2023 with highlights coming from new Tiger, Jacob Benoit (Windsor, NS).  The squad began the year with a runner-up team finish at the STFX Invitational, thanks to Benoit’s first-place finish in his inaugural race with the Tigers. Tigers Nick Robertson (Charlottetown, PEI) and Maksym Pokotylets (Polonne, Ukraine) also finished with impressive results, finishing seventh and ninth respectively.

Next up was the Acadia Invitational. Here, Dalhousie won the team event thanks to impressive depth in their results. Benoit went back-to-back, staying undefeated on the year, while Aiden Goslett (Toronto, ON) nabbed a bronze at the meet. Lukas Rudaitis (Mississauga, ON) and Robertson also achieved top ten finishes in Wolfville.

The team faced challenges from RSEQ runners at the UNB Invitational a few weeks later. Benoit was again the top Tiger crossing the line in sixth place.

Held in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax’s south end, the AUS championships showed that Benoit was the class of the field on the east coast. He won his third race of the year in a time or 25:34. The Tigers finished third in the team standings with Robertson snagging a second team all-star nod.

The end of the season came at the U SPORTS championship hosted by Western University in London, Ontario. Benoit placed fourth overall, running a personal best time of 24:42, making him Dalhousie’s first all-Canadian selection in nearly a decade.

We're returning Jacob and Aidan Goslett from last year,” says head coach Rich Lehman. “Both are coming off outdoor track seasons that saw them run personal bests in multiple events, so our front end is quite strong. Joining them is a talented group of rookies led by OFSAA 15th place finisher Ben Mundle. We believe we're quite a bit more talented than last year, but we'll want to keep pressure low as we are quite young.”

The 2024 cross country season kicks off in Wolfville on September 7 followed by the STFX Invitational on September 21. The Tigers will wrap up their pre-AUS championship competition in early October with a meet in Moncton.

Championship season will see Tigers runners go from coast to coast this autumn. The AUS title will be awarded in Newfoundland this year, while the U SPORTS event is held a handful of weeks later in Kelowna hosted by the University of British Columbia Okanagan.