Keon Wallingford ended his university cross-country career in style this weekend, cracking the top 30 at the U Sports National Championships in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
The Laurentian Voyageurs veteran placed 26th overall out of 163 of the country’s best distance runners, completing the grueling eight-kilometre course in 25:27 — his best national finish to date.
For Wallingford, a North Bay native and four-time national qualifier, the performance was the perfect cap to a breakout season that also included gold medals at the Laurentian Open and Waterloo Open, as well as a 15th-place finish at the OUA Championships.
“The race went pretty much as planned,” said Wallingford. “I didn’t have the best start-line position, so I went out hard to avoid getting boxed in. After that, I settled into a good rhythm.”
As the final kilometre approached, Laurentian head coach Darren Jermyn gave him the cue that he was just outside the top 30 — and that was all the motivation he needed.
“I put my head down and started moving,” Wallingford said. “I managed to pass seven guys in the last 600 metres. I’ve had another gear at the end of races this year, and that gave me the confidence to push through the pain.”
Coach Jermyn praised the senior’s discipline and long-term commitment to the program. “Keon is a man of his word,” said Jermyn. “He set his goals — top 15 at OUAs and top 30 at U Sports — and he did exactly that. His success shows how our program can develop athletes both physically and mentally to perform when it matters most.”
With cross-country season officially wrapped, the Voyageurs now turn their focus to the indoor track and field season, set to begin later this month.