| Category: | Team |
| Sport(s): | Women's Cross Country |
| Years Active: | 2004 |
| Year Inducted: | 2019 |
The 2004 Dalhousie Tigers women’s cross country team became the first and only AUS team to ever win a national university championship.
The Tigers got off to a great start that year, sweeping the top four spots in their first race on September 18 at the team’s home meet in Point Pleasant Park, and put a fifth runner in sixth-place to score a near-perfect 15 points. Janice Ashworth led from start to finish for the win with Leanna MacLean, Hilary Burn and a late-surging Karen Forward following her across the line.
A few weeks later, they flew to London, Ontario to race in Canada’s most competitive mid-season university cross country meet. The Tigers placed third behind Guelph and Western, with Ashworth leading from start to finish to earn her second win of the season. Burn and MacLean ran the first kilometre in deep amongst the other runners, before moving through the pack together and out-sprinting everyone but Ashworth to give the Tigers an unheard of 1-2-3 sweep. Forward finished in 13th and Cathy French also scored, placing in the top 85.
The next weekend’s meet saw the Tigers facing the best NCAA schools in New England and nationally ranked teams from as far away as Texas. Once again, the Tigers answered the challenge. Ashworth passed several NCAA all-Americans to finish second behind a two-time all-American from South Africa. MacLean, Burn, Forward and Sophie Williams all came up with amazing best-ever runs to give the team a fifth-place finish.
The final regular season race was held in the cold rain and mud at l’Université de Moncton. Although times were slow, Ashworth pushed through the elements to her earn her third victory of the year. Forward and MacLean were close behind, finishing in third and fourth respectively. Williams, Cathy French and Caroline McInnes crossed the line in sixth, ninth and 13th to secure the Tigers second AUS meet team win.
Hundreds of supporters came to Point Pleasant Park for the AUS championships. The Tigers came close to a perfect team score, with Ashworth leading MacLean and Burn to a podium sweep. Forward finished in fourth with Williams coming on strong over the final kilometre to place sixth. McInnes and French rounded out the scoring, crossing the line in ninth and 13th respectively, giving the Tigers their 17th conference championship win. Ashworth was named the AUS MVP for the second year in a row in addition to being an AUS all-star along with Burn, Forward, MacLean and Williams. Head Coach Dan Hennigar earned his second-consecutive AUS coach of the year award.
It was a magical day for the Dalhousie Tigers at the CIS championship held at the University of Guelph two weeks later. The skies were bright blue, the air was cold and the five-kilometre course was grassy with rolling hills. Despite a delayed start to the race, the team stayed focused and ready go.
Ashworth quickly distanced herself from the rest of the field along with the eventual champion from Guelph. She would cross the line in second to earn her second-consecutive CIS silver medal. Burn, MacLean and Forward, finished in fifth, seventh and 16th. Williams rounded out the scoring finishing in 29th while Cathy French and Caroline McInnes were 70th and 71st.
At the end of the day, the Tigers collected 59 points to become the first and only Atlantic University Sport school to ever win a national cross country championship title. Ashworth, Burn and MacLean were all named CIS first-team all-Canadians and Hennigar earned the honour of CIS coach of the year.
