After two disappointing years, Dominique Aulagnon made the most of this cross-country running season.
Aulagnon is leading a group of Lakehead Thunderwolves cross-country runners into the CIS national championships in London on Saturday.
The Thunder Bay born-and-raised runner struggled through his first year and made progress during his second, but found the charm in his third campaign.
“This year it all came together finally,” Aulagnon said. “I was aiming for top-14 and was able to squeeze myself in there.”
Aulagnon survived a sloppy course in Hamilton on Oct. 26 to place 12th at the OUA championships to earn a spot at the nationals, as well as an OUA team-all star nod.
“This year seems to be going a lot better than the last two years. The first year with school I was really overwhelmed and I found a balance,” Aulagnon said.
He is hoping for a top-25 finish on the 10-kilometre course in London.
The lone female representative is Danielle Thiel, that team’s captain.
Thiel, originally from Regina, earned her spot at nationals with a 13th place finish at the OUA meet.
That finish earned her two of her goals for the season- a berth to nationals and a spot on one of the conference’s all-star teams.
She is looking to repeat her results from two weeks prior when she takes to the 6-kilometre course.
“I’m hoping to run similar to how I ran at OUAs,” Thiel said. “I went out hard with the front groups and hung on so I’m hoping to do the same thing at CIS and finish top-14 again.”
Aulagnon and Thiel were rewarded with their respective team's athlete of the month honours for October.
