CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The Holland College Hurricanes travel to Sackville, N.B., Saturday to start the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) cross-country running season.
The first meet of the year, hosted by Mount Allison University, will take place at the Beech Hill Park. It will be one of three regular meets the Hurricanes will compete in this season along with the ACAA championships, slated for Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park in Brookvale.
The Hurricanes teams consist of five women and seven men.
Men’s returning runner Benjamin Nwaogazi-Awuja is looking at this weekend’s meet as a good test to start the season.
“From the last training run we did it looks like we will have a good men’s team, and our women will be eager to win too,” he said. “Being the first meet of the year, it will be a good test to see what our competition is like.”
Six schools will join the Hurricanes in the circuit including Crandall, Mount Allison, Dalhousie A-C, Mount Saint Vincent and the Université de Sainte-Anne.
The women will compete on a six-kilometre course while the men race on an eight-kilometre course.
“I foresee the meet going really well,” said Teanna Letkeman, a member of Holland College’s women’s squad. “It’s always exciting to get out there for the first time and see what our new runners can bring to the competition. I expect us to do well despite our team including many first-year runners.”
The women start their race at 11:15 a.m. in a field of 37 runners while the men will commence at noon with 26 runners competing.
Hurricanes open cross-country season Saturday in Sackville, N.B.
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