Racing in ideal fall conditions - a dry, fast course with minimal wind and temperatures near 9 celsius - Laurier's women's team finished ninth, falling just short of qualifying for the national championship. The men's team placed 12th overall.

On the men's side, fifth-year veteran Ian Young led Laurier with a 38th-place finish, completing the eight-kilometre course in 25 minutes 28 seconds.

Young was followed by a young roster featuring mostly first- and second-year athletes. Second-year runner Nathan Lemire placed 65th in 26:50, and classmate Nolan Kuhlberg finished 76th in 27:17.

First-year Tyler Klazek (83rd, 27:55), second-year Cohen Ledger (84th, 27:58), first-year Alex Petty (89th, 27:17) and second-year Om Nathwani (93rd, 28:52) rounded out the team's top seven.

The women's team also delivered a series of strong performances, led by fifth-year athlete Nicole Schindler, a former University of Waterloo runner, who placed 39th in a personal-best time of 30:19.

Fourth-year Sabrina Arena finished 46th in 30:49, followed by third-years Alyssa Zinn (57th, 31:32) and Tegan Ceccanese (67th, 32:14). Fifth-year Piper Lafayette placed 69th in 32:18, while fourth-year Maya Robinson (81st, 33:48) and first-year Alice Roy (82nd, 33:53) completed the lineup.

Laurier's coaching staff said both squads showed "tremendous grit" and continued improvement throughout the season in what remains one of the country's deepest conferences.