Lee Wesselius heads to 2017–18 U-SPORTS Cross-Country Championship in Victoria
As the best university men’s cross-country runners in Canada compete on Vancouver Island this weekend, UPEI’s Lee Wesselius will be right there with them. Wesselius has been the anchor for the UPEI Men’s Cross-Country team all season and is keen to wear the green and white at the University of Victoria.
The Panthers took the bronze at the recent Subway Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Men’s Cross-Country Championships in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. The team finished third in the 10-kilometre race, behind Dalhousie University and St. Francis Xavier University—UPEI’s best finish since returning to cross-country competition three years ago.
“The key to my success this year has been consistency and hard work,” said 23-year-old Wesselius. “I've managed to stay healthy and haven’t had any serious injuries. I also had my best summer of training to date and have been running more than I ever have in the past.”
Wesselius is trying to not let success go to his head. The native of River Glade, New Brunswick has stuck to the training routine that has worked for him all season. Still, the prospect of racing on the national stage is a big challenge, and an exciting one.
“It’s always nice when you get the opportunity to duke it out with the other top guys in the country and see exactly where you are,” he said. “The past several months have all been centred on having a good race at U-Sports so hopefully I can perform well once I get there.”
Coach Colin MacAdam was reflective of the team’s successful season after the AUS finals in Wolfville. He talked about his optimism with the Charlottetown Guardian, especially the prospect that potential cross-country stars will see UPEI as a place to train and compete.
“In years past there’s been quite a number of PEI athletes run for other universities,’’ MacAdam said. “Now we’ve got them at UPEI. We’re going to be moving up the ladder. It’s great.’’
Follow Wesselius’ progress this weekend at USPORTS.ca. Go Panthers Go!
