Nordic Skiing History 2017-2018 OUA Championships: Women - Silver, Men 5Th

Nordic Skiing History 2017-2018 OUA Championships: Women - silver, Men 5th

The Gryphons came into the new OUA season with high expectations – and rightfully so. Head coach Matt Underwood held the belief that his teams were some of the strongest in his tenure and that exceptional results were well within the realm of this talented group of athletes. He was right. Guelph had an excellent weekend of competition at the Ontario Cup in Sudbury late in January, winning a total of 12 medals, including a gold from second-year standout Robert Simpson-Spook in the senior men’s division. A month later, the Gryphons would shine on the conference stage. Guelph’s deep women’s team took second place at the OUA Championships, while the men came in fifth, marking the best combined team performance in over a decade. Fifth-year veteran Elise Huet led the way for Guelph in a tough field, finishing an impressive sixth in the 5km event. Simpson-Spook followed up his Ontario Cup performance with a fifth-place result in the men’s 10km event. In the relays the following day, Guelph’s A team of Huet, Celeste Noble and Allison Lull finished fourth, right ahead of the Gryphon B team comprised of Allison Caswell, Madeline Aarts and Mariah Hudec. Simpson-Spook, Graham Daly and David Laurie were fifth in the men’s relay. The event concluded the following day with the grueling men’s 15km and the women’s 10km events, which produced several strong Gryphon performances. Simpson-Spook earned OUA All-star honours, the first for a Gryphon male since 2011. And the women’s second-place team finish marked the first time in over 10 years that they placed higher than third.

Graham Daly 1L Nathan Johnstone 1L Lockhart McMann 2L Jacob Heroux 4H David Laurie 4H Rob Simpson-Spook 2L

Madeline Aarts 3L Mariah Hudec 3L Celeste Noble 4H Raylan Stroud 3L Samantha Allison 1L Elise Huet 5L Kate Richards 1L Katja Zbogar 2L Allison Caswell 1L Allison Lull 3L Brianna Sterling 2L

Team Awards Men’s MVP- Robert Simpson-Spook Women’s MVP- Celeste Noble

Head Coach: Matt Underwood Assistants: Luke Parsons, Janel Sauder

2016-2017 OUA Championships (team results): Women 3rd, Men 6th

After participating in a total of 12 races of the course of two months, the 2016-17 season officially came to an end for the Gryphons varsity Nordic Skiing teams at the OUA Championships in Midland, Ontario February 24-26.

For a second consecutive year, the Gryphons women’s team earned a podium spot, finishing 3rd in the overall team standings, while the men finished 6th in the team standings.

The 2016-17 season also marked the first year in charge of the Nordic program for head coach Matt Underwood. Underwood, who was an athlete on the Gryphon Nordic teams from 2010-15, was named head coach of the program in December of 2016.

Kai Bruce 3L David Laurie 3L Lucas Parsons 4H Jacob Heroux 3L Lockhart McMann 1L Rob Simpson-Spook 1L Shan Jones 1L Benjamin Morgan 1L Michael Solomon 4H

Madeline Aarts 2L Laryssa Kemp 5L Megan Smith 2L Mariah Hudec 2L Anne Krueger 1L Brianna Sterling 1L Ashley Huet 5L Allison Lull 2L Raylan Stroud 2L Elise Huet 4H Celeste Noble 3L Katja Zbogar 1L

Team Awards Men’s MVP – David Laurie Women’s MVP – Laryssa Kemp

Head Coach: Matt Underwood

2015-2016 OUA Championships: Men 7th, Women 3rd

At the 2016 OUA Nordic Skiing Championships in Gatineau, Quebec, the Gryphons men’s team of Lucas Parsons, Ryley Hilker, David Laurie and Jacob Heroux finished 7th out of 9 schools. Lucas Parsons blew away expectations with an incredible performance during his starting leg of the classic relay race (3x3 km) on the Saturday. Parsons was within sight of the leaders in 5th place when he tagged off to Ryley Hilker. Despite strong efforts from both Hilker and Laurie, the leading teams were able to fend off the Gryphon charge as Guelph slipped to 8th.

In Sunday’s 15km classic mass start, David Laurie had the race of his life and was rewarded for his efforts with a top 20 finish. Despite the 7th place finish in the overall team standings, the weekend as a whole was a hugely successful one for the Gryphons men’s team who were forced to train with limited amounts of snow in the Guelph area leading up to the OUA Championships.

For the first time in four years the nordic skiing team won a team medal at the OUA Championships. The women’s team earned a bronze medal at the three-day meet. The women finished third out of nine schools in the overall standings. Leading the way for the Gryphons was fourth year Ashley Huet, who on day one of the competition finished 10th out of 46 skiers in the women's 7.5km interval. The following day Huet joined forces with her sister Elise as well as Mariah Hudec to finish fifth out of nine schools in the women's 3x2.7km relay. Finally, on the last day of the competition, Ashley earned a ninth place finish out of 50 skiers in the women's 10km mass start. She was the only Gryphon, on either the men's or women's side, to earn OUA All-Star honours.

Jacob Heroux 2L David Laurie 2L Lucas Parsons 3L Michael Solomon 3L Ryley Hilker 5L

Madeline Aarts 1L Ashley Huet 4H Allison Lull 1L Marionna Studhalter 1L Sarah Creasor 2L Elise Huet 3L Celeste Noble 2L Rosamond Tutton 1L Mariah Hudec 1L Laryssa Kemp 4H Megan Smith 1L

Coach: Matthew Little Assistant: Shaun Guerin

2014-2015 OUA Championships: Men 4th, Women 4th

Under first year head coach Matthew Little, the Gryphons Nordic Ski team finished 4th in the overall team standings on both the men’s and women’s sides respectively at the 2015 OUA Championship in North Bay (hosted by Nipissing University).

On Day 1 of the OUA Championships, the athletes were forced to deal with some very difficult conditions as strong winds were accompanied by temperatures hovering around -18 degrees Celsius. Teams of two were competing in a relay format around an 800m loop with athletes tagging each other and alternating three trips around the loop. The Gryphons entered a total of seven pairings (four men’s, three women’s) with the top performance coming from the men’s relay team of Ryley Hilker and David Laurie who just narrowly missed out on qualifying for the final.

Day 2 featured a classic technique individual start race of 6.6km and was held at the Nipissing University trails. The Gryphons top male performer was Chris Blakeney who finished 20th out of a field of 51 athletes with a time of 3:10. Guelph’s top female performer was Ashley Huet who finished 14th in a field of 43 with a time of 2:49. Ashley’s sister, Elise, followed close behind in 16th.

Day 3 of competition at the OUA Championships was cancelled due to “extreme cold” temperatures. At 11am, it was -26 degrees Celsius (Cross Country Canada rules that races cannot be held if the temperature is below -20 degrees Celsius).

Chris Blakeney 1L Ryley Hilker 4H Connor Paul-Paddock 3L Kai Bruce 2L David Laurie 1L Mike Solomon 2L Jacob Heroux 1L Lucas Parsons 2L Matt Underwood 5L Ashley Huet 3L Laryssa Kemp 3L Celeste Noble 1L Elise Huet 2L Catherine Mallinger 4H Raylan Stroud 1L

Coach: Matthew Little

Team Awards MVP (M) – Ryley Hilker MVP (W) – Catherine Mallinger

2013-2014 OUA Championship Result: Women 4th, Men 5th

At the 2014 OUA Championships, the Nordic Skiing team finished fourth overall on the women’s side, while the men were fifth. The Gryphons earned two top 10 finishes with sisters, Ashley and Elise Huet, racing to a ninth place finish in the 2x1 km free relay. The Gryphon men's team of Connor Paul-Paddock and Daniel Kerr also finished ninth in the 2x1 km relay. Kerr was the top male skier with a 16th place finish in the Men’s 15 km free pursuit and a 20th place finish in the Men’s 6.5 km classic. Elise Huet led the women with a 16th and 17th place finish in the 6.5 km classic and the 10 km free pursuit respectively.

Bruce Kai 1L Zach McLaren 1L Lucas Parsons 1L Mike Solomon 1L Shaun Guerin 5L James Morton 2L Connor Paul-Paddock 2L Cameron Thompson 1L Ryley Hilker 3L Stuart Olesen Varnell 3L Kyle Smith 2L Matthew Underwood 4H Daniel Kerr 2L

Erin Creasor 4H Jennie Hissa 5L Elise Huet 1L Catherine Mallinger 3L Sarah Creasor 1L Ashley Huet 2L Laryssa Kemp 2L Ronena Wolach 2L

Coaches: John Ahokas, Ian Ritchie Assistant: Shaun Guerin

Team Awards MVP Male of the Year – Sean Guerin MVP Female of the Year – Erin Creasor

2012-2013 OUA Championship Result: Women 3rd; Men 4th

At this year’s OUA Championships, the Nordic Skiing team ranked third overall on the women’s side; while the men finished a respectable fourth place. The top female skier was veteran Mary Thompson (Woodstock, Ont.), who was fourth, just 50 seconds from the leader and 15 seconds from third place. Her top 10 finish earned her OUA First Team All-Star status. In the men’s 10km event, the Gryphons were led by Scott Weersink with a 13th place finish in a very strong field of racers.

Shaun Guerin 4H George McTaggart 1L Connor Paul-Paddock 1L Caleb Timmermann 3L Ryley Hilker 2L James Morton 1L Kyle Smith 1L Matthew Underwood 3L Daniel Kerr 1L Stuart Olesen Varnell 2L Thor Stewart 2L Scott Weersink 4H

Erin Creasor 3L Jennie Hissa 4H Laryssa Kemp 1L Claire Menendez 2L Hannah Day-Steele 1L Ashley Huet 1L Robyn Klinkman 3L Ronena Wolach 1L Leah Griffith 2L Melissa Jones 1L Catherine Mallinger 2L Mary Thompson 2L

Coaches: John Ahokas, Ian Ritchie Assistants: Shaun Guerin, Mary Thompson

Awards Summary: OUA All-Stars Mary Thompson

Team Awards MVP of the Year – Scott Weersink

2011-2012 OUA Championship Result: Men 4th, Women 3rd

The Gryphon men and women’s Nordic skiing team had another successful season. At the OUA Championships hosted in Sudbury, ON, all skiers raced their hardest. Overall, the Gryphons proved their team’s strength taking home fourth place for the men, while the women maintained their third place ranking from last year.

Top Guelph racers included Matthew Little (Whitefish, MT), Erin Purdon (Owen Sound, ON) and Scott Weersink (St. Mary’s, ON) from the men’s team and Mary Thompson (Woodstock, ON), Laura Hewitt (Orillia, ON) and Erin Creasor (Parry Sound, ON). Mary Thompson was recognized as an OUA All-Star.

Jordan Forsyth 3L Ryley Hilker 1L Stuart Olesen Varnell 1L Matthew Underwood 2L Shaun Guerin 3L Matthew Little 4H Thor Stewart 1L Scott Weersink 3L Julian Haayen-Madden 1L Erin McLean Purdon 4H Caleb Timmermann 2L

Erin Creasor 2L Laura Hewitt 5L Robyn Klinkman 2L Claire Menendez 1L Leah Griffith 1L Jennie Hissa 3L Catherine Mallinger 1L Mary Thompson 1L

Coaches: John Ahokas, Ian Ritchie Assistants: Shaun Guerin, Matthew Little

Awards Summary: OUA All-Stars Mary Thompson

Team Awards MVP of the Year – Matthew Little

2010-2011 Championship Results: Men & Women – OUA Bronze Medalists

The Gryphon men’s and women’s nordic skiing team posted top results at the 2011 OUA Championships, hosted by Laurentian University in Sudbury. The team continued to improve their overall performances of recent years, pulling in third place overall finishes for both the men’s and women’s teams.

Kyla Vanderzwet (Port Elgin, Ont.) led the women’s team finishing ninth in the 5-km classic, eighth in the 5-km skate, and fifth in the team sprint (2 x 3 x 1 km), paired with Laura Hewitt (Orillia). She was named an OUA all-star for her performance. Scott Weersink (St Mary’s, Ont.) led the men’s team finishing ninth in the 7.5-km classic, ninth in the 7.5-km skate and sixth in the team sprint (2 x 3 x 1 km), paired with Erin McLean-Purdon (Owen Sound, Ont.). Weersink was also named an OUA all-star.

Jordan Forsyth 2L Ben Muralles 1L Patrick Twohig 3L Michael Weersink 4H Erin McLean Purdon 3L Caleb Timmermann 1L Matthew Underwood 1L Scott Weersink 2L

Lindsey Chapman 5L Erin Creasor 1L Jennie Hissa 2L Nadine Perron 1L Aryn Clarke 1L Laura Hewitt 4H Robyn Klinkman 1L Kyla Vanderzwet 3L

Coach: Richard Lay Manager: Shaun Guerin Assistant: Ian Ritchie

Awards Summary: OUA All-Stars Scott Weersink Kyla Vanderzwet

Team Awards M.V.P. – Laura Hewitt

*****************

2009-2010 Championship Result: OUA – Men Silver medalists; Women 4th

Guelph had a busy schedule this season hosting the OUA Nordic Skiing Championships at Monora Park in Orangeville, Ontario. The event was a success highlighted by the men’s team finishing with the overall team silver. Meanwhile the Gryphon women collectively finished fourth overall.

Matti Little (Sudbury, ON) was the top Gryphon at the Championships finishing inside the top ten and being named an OUA all-star. He was fourth in the 10km classic and fifth in the 15km freestyle. Also finishing inside the top ten and being named an OUA all-star was Ian Ritchie (Penetanguishene, ON) finishing ninth in the 10 km classic race. He also finished 12th in the 15km freestyle. The Gryphon men also raced well in the relay event. The team of Erin McLean-Purdon (Owen Sound, ON), Ritchie and Little took bronze.

On the women’s side, Vesta Mather (Wahnapitae, ON) was the top Gryphon at the OUA Championships and was named an OUA all-star. She finished eighth in the 10km freestyle race and 10th in the 5km classic. Also being named an all-star was Laura Hewitt after a seventh place finish in the 10km freestyle and 17th in the 5km classic.

Jordan Forysth 1L Erin McLean Purdon 2L Patrick Twohig 2L Scott Weersink 1L Matti Little 3L Ian Ritchie 5L Michael Weersink 3L

Jessica Blenkarn 4H Laura Hewitt 3L Gillian Rockwell 2L Laura Campbell 2L Jennie Hissa 1L Kyla Vanderzwet 2L Lindsey Chapman 4H Vesta Mather 6L Annalee Winter 5L

Coach: Richard Lay Manager: Shaun Guerin Assistants: Jim Brogden, Curtis Donnahee

Awards Summary: OUA All-Stars Matti Little Ian Ritchie Vesta Mather Laura Hewitt

Team Awards M.V.P. – Ian Ritchie

*****************

2008-2009 The Nordic Ski team had one of the best seasons ever. Starting in mid-December this year, the team’s 17 athletes braved frigid winter temperatures to take part in competitions at several challenging venues including beautiful Haliburton, Sudbury and the Gatineaus of Quebec. At the OUA Championships, the men’s team earned a bronze medal place overall behind Lakehead and Carleton, while the women pulled in with a fourth place overall finish, behind the best from Lakehead, Carleton and Laurentian. Fourth-year skier Ian Ritchie earned OUA All-Star status with a fifth and seventh place finish in the men’s 10km and 15km Classic races respectively.

Shaun Guerin 2L Erin McLean Purdon 1L Brett Snider 1L Ben Machin 5L John Rennie 2L Patrick Twohig 1L Colin McKeen 4H Ian Ritchie 4H Michael Weersink 2L

Jessica Blenkarn 3L Lindsey Chapman 3L Stephanie Manios 1L Gillian Rockwell 1L Laura Campbell 1L Laura Hewitt 2L Vesta Mather 5L Kyla Vanderzwet 1L

Coach: Richard Lay Manager: Margot Aldis Assistants: Jim Brogden, Curtis Donnahee Awards Summary OUA Awards OUA All-Stars –Ian Ritchie Team Awards M.V.P. – Ian Ritchie

2007-2008 The Men’s Nordic Skiing team earned their best finish in over 20 years this season, with a silver medal at the OUA Championships with 76 points, placing three men in the top ten. Individually, second-year Matthew Little (Sudbury, Ont.) returned to his home course to haul in a bronze medal in the 15-km Freestyle race to place fourth overall at the championships to warrant OUA All-Star honours. Second-year Adam Lusk (Orangeville, Ont.) and third-year Ian Ritchie (Penetanguishene, Ont.) were also named OUA All-Stars. On the Women’s side, the team finished fourth overall with 156 points and has displayed steady improvement over the past few seasons. Individually, Vesta Mather (Wahnapitae, Ont.) was the top Gryphon finishing eighth in the 5-km Classic and earned OUA All-Star honours.

Misha Buob 2 Thomas Harding 1L Ben Machin -4 Justin Steeds 1L Matthew Cays 2 Matthew Little 2 Colin McKeen 3 Michael Weersink 1L Shaun Guerin 1L Adam Lusk 2 Ian Ritchie 3

Nicole Adams 2 Erica Bota 3 Laura Hewitt 1L Margot Aldis 3 Lindsey Chapman 2 Vesta Mather 4H Jessica Blenkarn 2 Taryn Ellis 2 Sherry Scott 2

Coach: Richard Lay Manager: Ben Machin Assistant: Jim Brogden

Awards Summary OUA Awards Team Awards OUA All-Stars – Matthew Little, Adam Lusk, Ian Ritchie & Vesta M.V.P – Matthew Little Mather

2006-2007 This year’s Nordic Ski team enjoyed their best-ever showing in 20 years at the OUA Championships in Gatineau, Quebec. Fourth-year Jordan Veenstra and rookies John Rennie and Matthew Little pulled off top ten finishes, placing 6th, 9th and 10th respectively. Later in the competition, the threesome took home a bronze medal in the 3 x 4 km relays. Jill Viejou led the charge for the women, placing 7th in the 5 km free technique race and 16th in the 10km classic race. The men’s classic race, which entailed three loops of the 5km course, illustrated the Gryphons’ consistent performance with three top ten finishes. The championship was a triumphant success with the men’s team achieving their goal of winning third overall in the competition and the women displaying their improvement this season.

Matthew Cays 1L Ben Machin 4H John Rennie 1L Philip Wiebe 1L Matthew Little 1L Colin McKeen 2 Ian Ritchie 2 Adam Lusk 1L Derek Pieper 4H Jordan Veenstra 4H

Nicole Adams 1L Erica Bota 2L Karla Janutka 5 Jill Viejou 4H Margot Aldis 2L Lindsey Chapman 1L Vesta Mather 3 Annalee Winter 4H Katie Bell 4H Taryn Ellis 1L Kate Ryan 1L Jessica Blenkarn 1L Katharina Fischer 3 Sherry Scott 1L

Coach: Gord Salt Assistants: Matylda Janutka, Jim Brogden

2005-2006 The bitter temperatures and harsh winds didn’t stop the Gryphons at the OUA Nordic Skiing Championships at Laurentian University in Sudbury. In the classic event, Steve Kilshaw was the first Guelph skier across the line in 15th place. Emily Lynes battled an injured hip for all five kilometres to come in 18th out of a strong field. In the skate race competition, Jill Viejou was the fastest female Gryphon, placing 12th and Jordan Veenstra powered his way to 13th place. On the men’s side, the Gryphons placed 4th overall matching last year’s results. The women’s team skied to a strong 5th place finish ending another strong season by edging out Waterloo. Number: indicates letters earned in that sport, 1L: indicates 1st Letter, H: indicates Honour Award (4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Neil Anderson 2 Neil Greenwood 2 Derek Pieper 3 Michael Ward 3 Graham Atkinson 1L Stephen Kilshaw 4H Ian Ritchie 1L Alex Bota 3 Ben Machin 3 Nick Uhlig 1L Michael Fadock 2 Colin McKeen 1L Jordan Veenstra 3

Margot Aldis 1L Karla Janutka 4H Emily Lynes 1L Airlie Robinson 2 Brittany Barclay 1L Matylda Janutka 4H Heather MacMillan 3 Jill Viejou 3 Katie Bell 3 Kathryn Junkin 4H Vesta Mather 2 Annalee Winter 3 Erica Bota 1L Katherine Knight 3 Jennifer Morgan 4H

Coach: Gord Salt Assistant: Matylda Janutka

2004-2005 At the OUA Championships in North Bay, the Men’s team finished a strong 4th place overall, 4 points out of 3rd and 13 out of 2nd. Brian Suke captured a bronze medal in the 10 km Skate which earned him OUA All-Star honours. This is the best result by a Gryphon skier in many years. The women’s team, led by Judy Condliffe, made a significant improvement by moving from 8th place last year to 5th spot. The team is a young one and will become a contender over the next 2 years. Judy Condliffe and Owen Gray will be leaving due to graduation; their contributions to the program be will be greatly missed. Number: indicates letters earned in that sport, 1L: indicates 1st Letter, H: indicates Honour Award (4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Neil Anderson 1L Neil Greenwood 1L Derek Pieper 2 Michael Wood 1L Misha Buob 1L Stephen Kilshaw 3 Gerard Pynenburg 1L Mike Fadock 1L Tony Lepage 2 Brian Suke 4H Owen Gray 4H Ben Machin 2 Jordan Veenstra 2

Katie Bell 2 Karla Janutka 3 Heather MacMillan 2 Jenn Morgan 3 Judy Condliffe 3 Matylda Janutka 3 Vesta Mather 1L Airlie Robinson 1L Sarah Cuddy 1L Katie Junkin 2 Krysta Matthews 3 Jill Viejou 2 Katharina Fischer 2 Katherine Knight 2 Sheila Meech 2 Annalee Winter 2

Coach: Gord Salt Manager: Sarah Webb Assistant: Kathleen Cameron

2003-2004 At the OUA Championships, both the Men’s and Women’s teams finished 6th in the team standings. On the Men’s side, the trio of Owen Gray, Stephen Kilshaw and Brian Suke came 6th in the Men’s 15km Relay while the group of Mike Ward, Alex Bota and Jordan Veenstra placed 9th. On the Women’s front, Judy Condliffe, Kathleen Cameron and Emily Lynes combined to finish 7th while the threesome of Jill Viejou, Matylda Janutka and Annalee Winter came 10th. Individually, the highest Gryphon finish was that of Suke who placed 11th in the 10km Classic race in 39:31. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Dan Babak 1G Allan Humphries 1G Ben Machin 1G Brian Suke 3 Alex Bota 2 Stephen Kilshaw 2 Derek Pieper 1G Jordan Veenstra 1G Owen Gray 3 Tony Lepage 1G Michael Shearwood 1G Michael Ward 1G

Katie Bell 1G Karla Janutka 2 Heather MacMillan 1G Jill Viejou 1G Kathleen Cameron 3 Matylda Janutka 2 Elin Marley 2 Annalee Winter 1G Judy Condliffe 2 Kathryn Junkin 1 Krysta Matthews 2 Katharina Fischer 1G Katherine Knight 1G Sheila Meech 1G Brianna Greaves 1G Emily Lynes 2 Jennifer Morgan 2

Coach: Gord Salt Managers: Judy Condliffe, Krysta Matthews

2002-2003 Seven men and seven women travelled to North Bay for the OUA Championships. In the men’s 10-kilometre event, Brian Suke, Owen Gray and Alistair Fabius, placed 12th, 18th and 21st respectively in a strong field of over 45 athletes. Over 15 kilometres, Suke finished 13th followed by Fabius in 18th and Gray in 22nd. On the women’s side, Johanna Martin finished in 6th place in the 5-kilometre skate amongst 48 competitors. In the 7.5 event, Martin placed 13th while Emily Lynes was 16th. Overall, Guelph was 6th out of 8 in both the men's and the women's standings. Martin's impressive performances in both the classic and skate races earned her a 10th place finish overall and OUA All-Star honours. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Alex Bota 1 Alistair Fabius 2 Stephen Kilshaw 1G Brian Suke 2 Liam Brennan 1G Owen Gray 2 Jeff Kirchner 1

Leanne Ashworth 1 Karla Janutka 1G Elin Marley 1G Jennifer Morgan 1G Kathleen Cameron 2 Matylda Janutka 1G Johanna Martin 3 Sarah Nathan 2 Emily Clegg 1G Emily Lynes 1G Krysta Matthews 1G Sarah Webb 1G

Coach: Gord Salt Manager: Johanna Martin Asst. Manager: Alastair Smith

2001-2002 This season was a success for the Nordic Ski Team on an administrative, athletic and emotional level. After struggling for a number of years to maintain its position as a varsity team, this year saw the re-instatement of its varsity status and the acquisition of a level-three certified non-student coach in Gord Salt. The men’s team proved its ability to compete at an elite level. Stephen Hart continually placed in the top ten and earned OUA All- Star honours. Brian Suke devoured course after course, finishing as the third senior man at the OUA Championship and was awarded first place as a junior man due to his age and finished 12th over-all. The women’s team displayed remarkably close results throughout the year, demonstrating that their training was entirely a team process, as was their racing. Notable athletes were rookie, Judy Condliffe, who demonstrated team spirit and enthusiasm time and time again, to spur on the women, and Sarah Nathan, a novice skier, who displayed extremely promising results. Veteran, Nicola Cameron, placed 14th in the Ottawa qualifier and Johanna Martin staged an incredible resurgence of drive at the end of the season to finish 14th overall in Sudbury. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Alistair Fabious 1G Susan Ambler 1G Carol Luttmer 2 Owen Gray 1G Kathleen Cameron 1G Johanna Martin 2 Stephen Hart 1G Nicola Cameron 3 Sarah Nathan 1G Tony Lepage 1G Judy Condliffe 1G Brian Suke 1G Meghan Corrigan 1G

Coach: Gord Salt Manager: Johanna Martin, Nicola Cameron

1999-2000 The Men’s Nordic Ski Team finished in 7th place at the OUA Championships in Haliburton. The Gryphon trio of Evan Firth-Eagland, Brian Northan and Peter Hook completed the 3 x 7km Classic Relay event in 11th position. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Team List: John Arthur 1G Andrew Hough -2 Evan Firth-Eagland 1G Bryan Kydd 1G Tristram Harrison 1G Brian Northan 1G Peter Hook 3

Coach: Kelly Wallace

At the Nordic Ski Championships in Haliburton, the female Gryphons finished 5th overall led by rookie, Johanna Martin, who posted two-11th place finishes and anchored the Relay team to a 7th place result. Martin was an OUA All Star as a result of her performances.

Team List: Nicola Cameron 2 Johanna Martin 1G Lindsay Core 1G Elizabeth Payer 2 Jenny Holliday 3 Haley Sadler 1G Christina Mark 3 Kelly Wallace 4H

Coach: Kelly Wallace

1998-1999 The Men’s Nordic Ski team came 6th at the OUA Championships in Ottawa. Tolly Bradford placed 11th in the Men’s Skate in a field of 53 skiers. The Skate Relay Team of Bradford, Rob Mansfield, Alasdair Bates and Charles Leduc finished in 6th spot amongst 11 teams. The same individuals placed 7th in the Classic Relay. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Team List: Alasdair Bates 1G Charles Leduc 1G Tolly Bradford 4H Robert Mansfield 3 Peter Hook 2 Andreas Wins-Purdy 1G

Coach: Stephanie Edwards

The Women’s Nordic Ski group ended up in 5th spot at the OUA Finals. In the Classic Race, Trisha Westman and Elanor Waslander placed 17th and 18th respectively in a field of 51 participants. The squad consisting of Waslander, Westman, Kelly Wallace and Robin Middleton were fourth in the Classic Relay in a pool of 10 teams while the Skate Relay team of Waslander, Nici Cameron, Christina Mark and Middleton came 6th out of 10.

Team List: Nicola Cameron 1G Robin Middleton 2 Lindsay Core - Elizabeth Payer 1G Jenny Holliday 2 Joleen Thomas 2 Carol Luttmer 1G Kelly Wallace 3 Christina Mark 2 Elanor Waslander 2 Frances McCoubrey - Trisha Westman 5

Coach: Stephanie Edwards

1997-1998 The Nordic Men’s Team finished in eighth spot at the OUA Championships hosted by Nipissing in North Bay. Tolly Bradford placed 13th in the Men’s Individual 16km Skate. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Team List: Tolly Bradford 3 Quentin Lewonas 2 Peter Hook 1G Robert Mansfield 2 Andrew Hough 2

The Women’s team were bronze medalists at the OUA Championships staged in North Bay. Linda Gilligan was the standout for the Gryphons with gold medal performances in both the 5km Classic Race and the Individual Skate Race. Gilligan as a result of her accomplishments was the overall champion and honoured as an OUA All Star. Stephanie Edwards finished 12th in the 5km Classic Race and 15th in the 10km Skate. The Relay team of Gilligan, Edwards and Trisha Westman placed third in a field of 14 teams.

Team List: Julie Doff 1G Erica Sprules - Stephanie Edwards 4H Joleen Thomas 1G Linda Gilligan 3 Kelly Wallace 2 Jenny Holliday 1 Elanor Waslander 1G Sarah Hunt - Trisha Westman 4H Robin Middleton 1G

Coach: Stephanie Edwards Assistant: Tolly Bradford

1996-1997 The Men’s team placed 7th out of 9 teams at the OUAA Championships at North Bay. The top individual performer is Tolly Bradford who placed 21st in the Free Technique and 31st in the Classical Event. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Team List: Tim Ader 1G Andrew Hough 1 Alfred Ball 1G Quentin Lewonas 1G Tolly Bradford 2 Robert Mansfield 1G Simon Francis 2 Michael McMullen 3

Coach: Mike Fletcher Assistant: Meg Smith

The Gryphons placed 4th at the OWIAA Championships in North Bay. Linda Gilligan placed 6th overall and earned an OWIAA All-Star Award.

Team Lists: Katherine Bingham - Christina Mark 1G Christy Cunningham 3 Susan Miller 4H Stephanie Edwards 3 Vivien Taylor 2 Linda Gilligan 2 Kelly Wallace 1G Sarah Hunt -

Coach: Mike Fletcher Assistant: Meg Smith Trainers: Meg Smith / Stephanie Edwards

1995-1996 The Gryphons placed 7th in a field of 12 teams at the Nordic Ski Championships hosted at Lakehead. Ray Corbutt was the top finisher in the 10 km Classic race placing 27th out of 67 competitors. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Tim Ader 1G Jay Cuylits Albert TenBruggencate - Tolly Bradford 1G Sim Francis 1G Ray Corbett 3 Mike McMullen 2

Coach: Mike Fletcher Assistant: Meg Smith

The Women's Nordic Ski team captured the bronze medal at the OWIAA Championships held at Lakehead. Linda Gilligan led the team with a 5th place finish in both the 5 km Classical and 10 km Freestyle categories to earn her All Star status. Stephanie Edwards placed 9th and llth respectively in those two events. Gilligan, Edwards and Trisha Westman skied to a 4th place finish in the Classic Relay event.

Stephanie Edwards 2 Marie MacDonald -1 Vivien Taylor 1G Linda Gilligan 1G Susan Miller 3 Danika Van Proosdij 5 Sarah Hunt 2 A Meg Smith 3 Trisha Westman 3

Coach: Mike Fletcher Assistant: Meg Smith

1994-1995 The Gryphons in a rebuilding season placed 10th at the Nordic Ski Championships hosted by Carleton. With such a young team and more snow the team is eagerly looking forward to next year. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

Jay Guy1its 2 Mark McGee Kim Schurtz 3 Sebastian De Haan 2 Michael McMullen 1G

Coach: Mike Fletcher Assistant: Noel Flatters

The Women's Nordic Ski team placed 5th amongst a field of 12 teams at the OWIAA Championships held at Ski Fortune in Ottawa. Christy Cunningham (22nd), Susan Miller (25th), Stephanie Edwards (26th) and Malia Perry (27th) completed the Freestyle Event in the top half of the finishers. In the Classical Event, Trisha Westman, Perry, Edwards and Meg Smith placed 21st, 25th, 27th and 29th respectively.

Amy Abbink 1G Sarah Hunt 1G Yvonne Shragge 1G Christy Cunningham 2 Susan Miller 2 Meg Smith 2 Stephanie Edwards 1G Malia Perry 4H Trisha Westman 2

Coach: Mike Fletcher Assistant: Malia Perry

1993-1994 The Gryphons came seventh out of thirteen teams at the OUAA Championships at Duntroon. Dave Adams placed ninth out of sixty-seven skiers in the Freestyle Event and also placed ninth in the Classic Event. This earned him OUAA All Star status. (No.: indicates letters earned in that sport, G: indicates Gold G - 1st letter earned, H: indicates Honour Award - 4 or more letters earned over 4 years)

David Adams 3 Jay Cuylits 1G Sebastian De Haan -1 John DeWitte 3 Andrew Henry 2H Kim Schurtz 2 Noel Flatters 4H Glen Marquardt 1G Scott Taggart 1G