Vozza and Umberto running through the trails

Posted: Oct 30, 2021

Lopardo, Vozza earn OCAA all-Ontario honours

By: Jake Thomson
Humber Athletics Communications

CALEDON – Spirits were high and the energy was bright, despite a dark rainy day at the Albion Hills Conservation Area. After a two-year hiatus from any activity, the OCAA Cross Country Championships made their return for the 2021 season, hosted by the Humber College.

The Hawks were cherishing the chance to return to competition as well as the opportunity to host a championship.

Fourth-year graduating veteran and women's co-captain Kayleigh Bush said, "we were super excited [to host]. In my four years, we've never had that kind of experience."

Bush went on to cite the support that comes with hosting. "Everybody's cheering us on, and we have a big group of support here, like Humber softball and all the other volunteers. It was so good to see."

The course consisted of a series of rolling hills and turns that were made extra muddy and slippery due to the conditions. The women's six-kilometre race started at noon and the crowded field took off through the swampy field and into the forest and came out ready to cap off their stellar returning season. Humber's Sofia Vozza found her place early on in the race and stuck with the top-ten crowd and fought her way to a well-earned 11th-place finish, earning Second All-Star team for her efforts. Teammates Megan Raso and Kayleigh Bush battled the field while displaying that classic Humber team racing strategy. The graduating pair earned 24^th and 27^th placings respectively. Humber did not have enough athletes in the women's race to form a full team but Vozza and Raso's efforts did earn them a set of individual qualifications to the national race.

The men's race took off at 1 p.m. ready to take on the same course the women had previously torn up, making their race interesting to spectate. Running the same course as the women with an additional two-kilometre loop the Hawks brought their full team out ready to conquer their home course and challenge for a national berth. Men's captain Umberto Lopardo led the way challenging nearly all competitors in the top ten grouping at one point or another through the eight-kilometre contest. Lopardo found his way into eighth place also earning a Second Team All-Star nod. The Hawks instinctively ran as a pack for as much of the race as they could, bringing their team score down significantly. Julian Zamparo, Brendan Woolley and Kenyon Beaty came 23^rd, 25^th, 27^th respectively, putting an impressive, team-minded finish on their rookie campaigns. Waldon Moreau and Umar Butt finished as the team displacers, demonstrating tremendous grit doing their job to assist their team, finishing 34^th and 47^th. The Hawks put together an impressive crusade, ultimately finishing fourth as a team putting up 77 team points. The men will not be sending a team to the national competition but will be sending Lopardo, Zamparo and Woolley to compete as individuals.

The Hawks as a collective were happy to potentially wrap up their season at home and it was not lost on them how special this day was. "It was tough coming back from COVID for everyone," said Kayleigh Bush. "My entire goal this season was to just come out and have fun, enjoy it with my teammates." Bush jumped at the opportunity to boast about her teammates "Sofia, she went out there and showed everyone what she's capable of," Bush continued "Meg has been a staple on this team. She came out there and gave it everything. And the men did really well as well, they had such a good team this year."

To officially cap off the season the individual qualifiers for the Hawks will be heading to Calgary for the CCAA Cross Country National Championship race hosted by St. Mary's University where five of the Hawks will get to test themselves against the country's best. The race takes place November 12^th – 13^th, 2021.