The Dalhousie Tigers men’s cross country team is coming off their third consecutive AUS title, this year with a younger squad, looking to defend their banner. Seeking a fourth straight championship, it would be the first time since 2002-05 that the Tigers have been able to achieve that.

Last season, the team entered with hopes of once again defending the title. With another strong campaign, Dalhousie raced to team finishes of third, second, and second leading up to the 2022 AUS championship. It was there where the Tigers would put on a commanding performance, placing five racers in the top 11 to secure the third straight championship. Hudson Grimshaw-Surette led the way for the Tigers, crossing the line in fourth, just out of the medals. Nick Robertson was hot on his heels in fifth, followed by Will Cox and Aidan Goslett in sixth and seventh, respectively. All four runners were named AUS all-stars. Rosen crossed the line in 11th and the Tigers secured their third consecutive team title.

Two weeks later, Dalhousie co-hosted the 2023 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships and was ranked seventh in the nation ahead of the meet. The team had five runners finish in the top 69, to earn a respectable 6th place finish.

At the end of the 2022 season, it was clear that the men’s team was going to see a transition phase with several key members graduating. Coach Rich Lehman explains.

“We graduated Dan Rosen, Will Cox, and Hudson Grimshaw-Surette who were our top three guys last year at U SPORTS”.

That being said, there are very capable returning athletes as well as new additions that will look to make a big impact.

“We still have Aidan Goslett and Nick Robertson who were first-team all-stars last year and we added transfer Jacob Benoit who was a second-team All-Canadian. Our top three is probably the best in the conference but we'll be relying on a few younger guys to step up if we're going to have a shot at defending our title”.

Coach Lehman understands that the leadership of returning players will be a very important part of the greater team's success.

“Aidan and Nick on the men's side bring a ton of leadership to our group. They've both been on multiple AUS winning teams and teams that have placed top 8 in the country so they know what it takes. Knowing we have those guys on the line should help some of the younger guys relax and do their jobs”.

Returning athlete, Aidan Goslett, knows he and his teammates are going to have to step up for the younger recruits.

“Aside from setting goals and team bonding events, Nick, Harmon, and I are taking the approach of looking back at our rookie years and coming up with important tips we wish we knew to help better prepare our younger teammates.”

Having experience, Goslett knows it can be a lot to juggle if you are not used to it.

“This goes for academics, athletics, and social life because it is a big jump in workload, training, and navigating social life, going from high school to university.”

The team knows that the new recruits can make an impact as well.

“We'll likely be looking for Isaac MacLean to score for us at our conference championship”, says Lehman. “He's young but already has a fair amount of big race experience and has been impressive in training”.

The Tigers kicked off their schedule on September 9th when they travelled to Antigonish to participate in the first invitational of the year. The next event was in Wolfville on September 23rd and new transfer, Jacob Benoit, is undefeated winning both the StFX Invitational and the Acadia Invitational. The final meet is on October 7th in Fredericton, as the Tigers travel for the UNB Invitational. Then the AUS Championships come back to Halifax, being held at Point Pleasant Park on October 28th, where the Tigers will fight for the four-peat.

The team will then come back home to prepare for the U SPORTS championships on November 11th at Western University.

“One thing the entire team is really pumped about is the AUS Championships being hosted in Halifax at Point Pleasant Park on October 28th” says Goslett. “We are really hoping to get as many supporters as possible from Dal and the neighbourhood to come out and cheer.”