Putdowns & Prognostications: Chapter 2.5 - The Women

TEAMS

Guelph
We heard from an anonymous tipster that DST takes advice from P&P on who he should run for championship meets. If this team wasn’t so deep, this might be reason enough to question this team’s place atop the P&P rankings. But as it is this team’s deeper than Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays, or a Mary Brown’s Pot Pie for us less cultured folk, and we’re pretty confident coach Dave Scott-Thomas could pick his team using The Price is Right’s Plinko game and still place on the podium. Steeplechase stalwart Gen Lalonde (3rd last year, top returning runner) and the tenacious transfer Andrea Seccafien are the team’s superstars of a group loaded with them: Furtado (11th last year), Thompson, the two Frosts, and Brown seem to be the likely candidates for the team’s remaining spots.

McMaster
After last year, we were anticipated a more epic clash in 2011 than that witnessed between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. However the Gryphs’ addition of Seccafien and the loss of Pearo hit this team where it hurts, and will almost certainly leave them with their second silver in as many years. Still there are a lot of good things to be said about this team: Victoria Coates (5th last year) and Lindsay Carson (2nd in 2009) pack a one-two punch like Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan from the Pokemon series. Wyman, Haliburton and MacNeill, while just a wee tad weaker than some of the girls Guelph’s herding, are still competent runners and real threats for AC honours.

Victoria
It’s hard to compare the Vikes to teams further east, especially with finishing times that look like those from the UBC Classic. Quite frankly, these results make us giddier than Speed Goggles at London's 1500 night. Rookie Ellen Pennock is a phenom; not just ROTY material but a serious threat to shock the world and take the overall title. She tallied the fastest run at World Junior Triathlon Championships in September, a minute faster than OUA ROTY Joanna Brown, and crushed a capable field at UBC in her debut a couple weeks back. The rest of the team are no slouches either: Trenholm, Moran, and Roske are gems at 2, 3 & 4, and the last spot could easily turn out a run reminiscent of Mitic’s 8th place finish last year. We don’t think they have a chance to catch Guelph, but Mac better watch their back when the Vikes hit the track and lay the smack down on November 13th.

Western
Frankly we’re somewhat taken aback that this squad hasn’t been fizzled since a 3rd place finish at Western International as so many of UWO’s teams do. Standout Jen Bays however proved last weekend that she and the rest of the grapes are just getting revved up and that she is not just a one-season wonder – watch for her to earn AC honours. Becky Pieterson really works over the comp in the corners and will be relied upon to help pull the young, but talented, Caruso through her first CIS. The team is almost a lock for 4th but, barring some sort of miracle, they lack the depth to catch the Vikes or Marauders.

McGill
La crème de la crème du Québec, the Martlets are no pushovers as they have been in the past. La pièce de résistance of this year’s team is Jess Porfolio who leads a strong rookie class that gives this team a lot more depth than it has had in past years. Veterans Mccuaig and Puel give the crew a bit of an extra je ne sais quoi that should help them into the top 5.

Saskatchewan
At first glance, this team looks older than Stonehenge, but unless the whole team suffers from osteoporosis, the experience should pay dividends on game day. Cait Warkentin and CanWest champ Jodi Souter basically define clutch running (4th last year and 7th in 2009 respectively) and Richards has proven throughout the season that she can stay with these two provided her arthritis doesn’t flare up. The fourth and fifth runners will be relied upon heavily to pull this team into the top 5.

Dalhousie
The Tigers have been reduced to mere pussycats in the off-season, losing both Schlosser and Belliveau (15th and 18th respectively). Still, Van Gestel proved she has bite by running away with the AUS title and could be an AC candidate in Quebec. Ryer beared her claws in 2009 (10th), but apparently lost them last year on account of her scratching up all the carpet so it should be interesting to see how she fares.

Calgary
The loss of Maddy MacDonald (6th last year) is basically the equivalent of a meteor for this year’s Dinos. Stenning stunned last year (12th) but hasn’t been all too impressive this season. We’ll just have to wait and see if Grace Kary is forced to carry this team on her back.

INDIVIDUALS
AC #1: Jewett, Pennock, Lalonde, Seccafien, Coates, Cormier, Létourneau
AC #2: Carson, Van Gestel, Souter, G. Kary, Bays, Porfolio, Thompson
Rounding out the Top 20: Warkentin, L. Frost, N. Frost, Roy, Trenholm, Moran