Cross country returns to Sheridan

Trafalgar Campus’s field where the cross country team practises

STORY BY MIKHAIL HELLER

After nine years, Sheridan College is reintroducing a cross country running team to its athletic program this fall.

Athletic director Jim Flack’s first act to restore cross country at Sheridan is hiring new head coach James Bulhman.

“He has an excellent work ethic as a coach and were confidant he can help build cross country at Sheridan back to what it was is the early ‘90s,” said Flack.

Buhlman’s background in college sports includes a period where he was head coach of Seneca College’s cross country team. Before that he was involved with athletics in P.E.I, B.C., and also coached men’s basketball at Redeemer College.

Buhlman will coach both men’s and women’s teams this year.

“Cross country is one of the top competing sports in colleges across Canada,” said Flack “It’s the only sport the college has right now that doesn’t focus so much on the team but the individual.”

During 1995 the college had to cut the cross country program due to then Ontario premier Mike Harris, after initiating his Common Sense Revolution Plan. Colleges across Ontario had to cut several athletic programs, including Sheridan.

Before the program was cut, the men’s team won three OCAA championships along with one championship coming from the women’s team.

The men’s team had also placed second and third in OCAA as well as the women’s team attaining a second place finish.
With the return of cross country, Sheridan now offers 10 teams at the college, both men’s and women’s.

Varsity marketing coordinator Ryan Kelly is responsible for advertising cross country to the college and community and having it be just as involved with the team as other varsity sports.

“The one thing I like about cross country is that it is a universal sport,” said Kelly “It’s something that isn’t focused towards one group of people and really tries to include everyone.”

Unlike basketball or volleyball, cross country can focus on an individual’s success and does not require every member of the team to be exceptionally well at running long-distances.

“Our goal right now is to promote awareness to the college about the cross country team so hopefully we can have a great student turnout at events like we do with basketball, soccer, and rugby.”

The marketing team has been requested a number of times by the communities surrounding the three campuses to have their varsity teams and the Bruins mascot to appear at local events.

In its first steps to help promote the return of the program, the cross country team will join Oakville’s Terry Fox community run Sept 14.