Cross-country team loses head coach, deals with injury to start season

Updated Sept. 18 at 5:51 p.m. with results from the OCAA Invitational on Sept. 16. 

Updated Sept. 20 2:15 p.m. with announcement of new Huskies coach.

With the departure of their head coach and an injury to one of their returning runners, the start of the Huskies cross-country team’s season might be off to rough start.

Jack Huang, who is a returning runner from last year, said that he has a stress fracture in his right foot. He ran at the team’s first tryout before the injury was diagnosed.

“I’ve been injured for almost three weeks and I’m not sure how my season will go,” Huang said.

Huang added that he was sad that former head coach Michael Lavigne was leaving the team, but that Edgar Malchic, the team’s assistant coach has stepped up to keep the team running.

Lavigne left to team to be with his wife, Catriona Revell, who has started graduate school in Washington, DC. 

Revell also served as the team’s assistant coach for the last three seasons.

After 11 years as a coach and three more as a George Brown College student, Lavigne said the decision to leave was tough but necessary.

“I know I wouldn’t be able to coach the team to the standard that I have set and expect for myself due to the mental and emotional stress of being separated from my wife,” said Lavigne in an email.

Lavigne added that the team is set for a great season, and that he will be cheering them on.

Athletics and recreation recently announced Nelson Njeru  as the team’s new coach.

Branden Thorburn, a returning runner for the team said that the practices have been well organized under assistant coach Malchic.

After running with shin splints for most of last season, Thorburn said he is aiming to finish a lot higher in races than last year.  

At the team’s first competition is at Fanshawe College on Sept. 16, GBC’s women’s team placed fourth lead by Jenna Freeman who placed third in the women’s individual with a time of 23:48.5.