The 2025 U Sports activities cross-country season concluded on Saturday, with the perfect collegiate athletes from throughout Canada hitting the grass and getting muddy as they chased nationwide glory. The nationwide U Sports activities Cross-Nation Championships returned to Sherbrooke, Que., on Nov. 8 for the primary time in 15 years; Canadian Operatingin partnership with Beneath Armour, will highlight the nation’s standout performers every week because the Beneath Armour Athlete of the Week.
This week, we’re highlighting Madelyn Eybergen of the College of Victoria and Philippe Morneau-Cartier of Université Laval for claiming the person championship titles.
Madelyn Eybergen, College of Victoria (CanWest)
Victoria Vikes athlete Eybergen surprised cross-country followers by securing her second profession U Sports activities gold since transitioning from excessive soar over the summer season of 2024. The 24-year-old accomplished the 8K course in a blistering 27:10, edging out the sector by a 14-second margin.
The reigning champion and 2025 CanWest convention champion, UBCO’s Lauren McNeil, needed to accept silver, clocking 27:24, whereas the College of Guelph’s rising star, Alex McDougallthe 2025 OUA champion, grabbed bronze in 28:06.
“I loved the race fairly a bit,” Eybergen instructed Canadian Operating. “It was a enjoyable course and felt considerably simpler than final yr’s U Sports activities, which simply goes to indicate my health enchancment since final season.”
Final fall, Eybergen made her cross-country debut representing the Windsor Lancers, taking OUA gold and U Sports activities bronze. She went on to win the three,000m title at March’s U Sports activities Indoor Observe and Discipline Championships, and two weeks in the past, claimed CanWest XC silver.
“My objective was to win,” Eybergen revealed. “CanWest gave me a good suggestion of how shut I used to be, health and pace-wise, in relation to my strongest competitor, Lauren McNeil. After that race, I felt like I had an excellent probability of successful with just a few tactical modifications and tapering.”
Eybergen’s efficiency additionally led the Vikes to an total group title with 99 factors, upgrading their earlier third-place end. Total, 2025 marked a breakthrough season for the group, which secured the 2025 CanWest Championship title for the primary time since 1998.
Subsequent up, Eybergen says she is going to both compete on the nationwide cross-country championships (ACXC) in London on the finish of November, aiming to make the Canadian World XC Championships group, or simply deal with representing Canada on the FISU XC Championships in Italy in March. (The highest 9 qualify for FISU.) On the observe, she’s additionally aiming to higher her performances from final yr and run her first 5,000m.
Philippe Morneau-Cartier, Laval College (RSEQ)
Saturday’s occasion additionally noticed Université Laval’s Morneau-Cartier full a U Sports activities hat trick, breaking the tape in 23:14 to seize his third straight nationwide gold medal. The win caps off his third straight undefeated season.
Thomas Laviolette of the Montreal Carabins took silver in 24:19, whereas OUA Champion Jude Wheeler-Dee of the Queen’s Gaels captured bronze in 24:24.
“I felt fairly good a lot of the race,” Morneau-Cartier instructed Canadian Operating. “I’d say for the primary 4 km, we have been just about jogging. Then the tempo picked up, and I managed to remain quite comfy till across the final 500m. Then I needed to go exhausting to drop Thomas Laviolette–large congrats to him.” The pair additionally confronted off on the latest RSEQ championships on Oct. 25 in Saint-Lazare, Que., the place Morneau-Cartier grabbed his fourth straight RSEQ title.
The strain to finish the three-peat was there, but when something, it helped push Morneau-Cartier to the end. “If there’s no strain in any respect, it will probably’t be thrilling or enjoyable,” he mentioned. “So I believe that more often than not, strain is one thing that drives me towards my objectives.”
Like Eybergen, Morneau-Cartier is now shifting his focus to the upcoming ACXC Championships, the place he additionally hopes to qualify for the Canadian worlds group. After that, he’s nonetheless undecided what’s subsequent. “I do know I need to focus extra on college sooner or later,” he mentioned. “However I’m not prepared but to say that I’ll disappear from the operating scene. Nevertheless, I do know there might be some modifications in how a lot and the way exhausting I practice.”
See right here for a full recap of the 2025 U Sports activities Cross-Nation Championships.
