McGarvey scores first podium finish as Huskies men finish third at St. FX Cross Country Invitational
Posted: Sep 17, 2022

McGarvey scores first podium finish as Huskies men finish third at St. FX Cross Country Invitational

By Jonathan Peverill / Huskies Athletics - Antigonish, N.S.

The SMU Huskies Men's and Women's Cross Country teams opened their season on Saturday in Antigonish at the St.FX Invitational.

With a veteran squad of returning athletes, the men's team placed 3rd overall, boding well for them as the team continues to strive onwards, ultimately leading to the AUS Championships on October 29th in Charlottetown, and U Sports Championships on November 12th, which will be co-hosted in Halifax by SMU and Dalhousie.

The men's race kicked off at 12:00pm, circling the St.FX course on campus four times of the 2km loop to total the 8km distance. Early on, Andrew Peverill, Rory McGarvey, and Teagan Scott, situated themselves in the lead pack, putting space between themselves in the chase pack, with Joe Stewart in tow. Peverill and McGarvey would gap the field at the mid-way point of the race, putting pressure on the field.

In the end, McGarvey would cross the line in 3rd place in a time of 26:18, scoring the first podium of his AUS career. Peverill would finish just behind in 4th place, crossing the line in 26:21. Teagan Scott would be the third Huskie to score for the team, placing 11th in 27:34. Joe Stewart and Eli Ford rounded out the scoring-five for the Huskies in 22nd and 36th, respectively.

Jacob Benoit of St.FX (1st, 26:12) and Will Cox of Dalhousie (2nd, 26:16) rounded out the race's podium, with Dalhousie taking 1st overall in the team standings, followed by St.FX, and SMU in 3rd.

On the women's side, the Huskies completed the 8km race led by Gael Cameron, who would place 31st in a time of 35:40. Cameron quickly jumped off the line to situate herself in the chase pack as the field maneuvered their way through the 2km loop. As the race continued on, first-year athletes Ashley Brady and Jacqueline Moore, moved up in chase of Cameron. They would finish closely behind Cameron, with Brady crossing the line in 33rd and Moore in 34th. Madeline Murphy rounded out the women's team with a 40th placing.

Eileen Benoit (1st, 31:36) and Allie Sandluck (2nd, 31:36) both of St.FX, and Lauren Lowther of Dalhousie (3rd, 31:46) completed the podium for the women's race, with St.FX taking 1st overall in the team standings.

The Huskies compete next in two weeks time at the Université de Moncton on Saturday, October 1st.