Cross Country places well at Fanshawe Invitational

By: Jake Thomson
Humber Athletics Communications

LONDON – The OCAA saw its first bit of cross country action in 693 days with the last race being the 2019 CCAA cross country championships. The Humber Hawks entered the race a much different team than when the association last saw them with the newly appointed head coach, Scott Skimming. Skimming came into the role during the lockdown in 2020.

"The administration at Humber showed great foresight by hiring me in the middle of a pandemic knowing full-well the [2020] season was going to be cancelled," Scott said regarding the athletics department and his excitement to get to work with his new team. "This is our first race today. Really pumped to see what we've accomplished in the short amount of time I've had with this cohort of athletes".

The day of races started off with the women's race at noon. The athletes would take on the same three-kilometre loop twice to fill out their six-kilometre race. Leading the way for the women's squad was Sofia Vozza finishing in the top-10 and pulling off an impressive 6k personal best by roughly a minute. Megan Raso fought hard to keep her teammate in her sight finishing 20th.

By 2 p.m. the men's race was off, with a completely revamped Hawks troop looking to take advantage of the flat, dry course. All of whom, getting their first taste of OCAA racing. The men would challenge the same three-kilometre loop followed by a five-kilometre to hit their eight-kilometre total. Umberto Lopardo lead the way for the team with an impressive sixth-place showing while dipping under the 28:50 mark. The remainder of the Hawks team showed some significant racing instincts to stick close to one another with Brendan Woolley, Kenyon Beaty and Julian Zamparo finishing 25, 27, 28 respectively, to round out the scoring team.

The team displacers had notable performances as well. Waldon Moreau, Umar Butt and Manny Sigal all finishing 39, 45 and 54 respectively, with the team finishing one team place shy of the podium.

Coach Skimming said they're "really optimistic about what we're going to be able to do this year and in future years".

FULL RESULTS

WOMEN

• 10th, Sofia Vozza, 26:37
• 20th, Megan Raso, 27:36

MEN - 4th 77 points

• 6th, Umberto Lopardo, 28:47
• 25th, Brendan Woolley, 32:02
• 27th, Kenyon Beaty, 32:45
• 28th, Julian Zamparo, 32:48
• 39th, Waldon Moreau, 35:42
• 45th, Umar Butt, 37:31
• 54th, Manny Sigal, 39:52

What's Next?

Humber cross country will run at the Centennial Invitational on Oct. 16. It will be the final race before the 2021 OCAA Championship hosted by Humber College.