QUEBEC CITY – The University of Calgary Dinos successfully defended their Canada West cross country titles Saturday, reclaiming both banners on the Plains of Abraham at the 2008 CIS Cross Country Championships.

The Dinos women, who entered the competition ranked fourth in CIS, took home the national bronze medal in addition to their conference title. Team captain Heather Sim led the way with an eighth-place finish, garnering second team All-Canadian status. Debby Querengesser (16th) and Erin Sask (18th) also posted top-20 finishes for Calgary, while Lindsy McNicoll (41st) and Hilary Johnston (47th) rounded out the team scoring.

The Dinos men got a very strong performance from rookie Nyial Majock, who placed fifth overall to lead Calgary to a fifth place team performance. Gavin Hamilton posted an eighth-place finish, while Spencer Pootz (36th), Travis Cummings (54th), and Scott Nicol (56th) also scored for the Dinos.

Majock's performance landed him the CIS male rookie of the year award in addition to first team All-Canadian status, while Hamilton earned a second team All-Canadian nod in addition to the CIS Student-Athlete Community Service award.

The Guelph Gryphons captured both team titles for the third consecutive season.

Canada West does not hold cross country championships, but instead takes the results of the CIS championships with non-western schools removed. In the conference standings, Sim finished third for the women, while Querengesser landed in fourth position and Sask fifth. McNicoll (11th) and Johnston (14th) both landed on the second Canada West all-star team.

Majock took home the Canada West individual gold medal and conference athlete of the year nod in addition to the rookie of the year award, while Hamilton won the conference bronze medal. Pootz (10th), Cummings (13th), and Nicol (14th) each posted top-15 finishes in the Canada West race.

The women's title is the Dinos' third straight and fifth in six years, while the men won their third overall Canada West championship.

-UC-