Vikings women’s cross country running team captures bronze

Makayla Sheppard, Serena Isley, Caitlin Debree, Mia Spreen, Chloe Funnell and Reese Bendiksen (left to right).

Heading south for the weekend, the Vikings took on some of the nation's best runners at the 2021 CCAA Cross Country Running Championship in Calgary, Alberta, hosted by St. Mary's University.

With a slight familiarity of the course from earlier in the season, the Vikings hit the trail on a course that took the women on a six-kilometer route, while the men completed eight kilometers.

In another stellar performance, the Vikings Women's team secured a national bronze medal in their effort.

Reese Bendiksen (23:38) anchored the Vikings to bronze and placed fifth in the race. The remaining Vikings to join the podium were Caitlin Debree (24:39), Makayla Sheppard (26:12), Chloe Funnell (26:30), Serena Isley (28:25) and Mia Spreen (31:22).

Rounding our podium, Volontaires de Sherbrooke (RSEQ) claimed gold for the women's team event while fellow ACAC competitors and 2021 women's team champions, Concordia Thunder earned silver.

Meanwhile, the men finished in a well-positioned 10th place at nationals. Leading the charge was Nathanael Tabert (27:33), crossing the line in 20th and being the fifth ACAC conference runner to cross the finish line.

SAIT Trojan Makenna Fitzgerald and Concordia Thunders Leonard Chesoo continued their winning streaks, both capturing gold once again. Fitzgerald and Chesoo's successful season saw them cross the finish line in first place in every ACAC race they competed in this season. The 2021 national gold medal makes Chesoo a two-time, back-to-back national champion.

Nationals marked the end of the cross country running season for the Vikings. After a short rest, the team will begin working towards the 2022 running season.

This update was originally posted on the Augustana Vikings website. See the full results here.