The Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association made its mark on the national stage this past weekend at the CCAA National Cross-Country Running Championships, hosted by Holland College in Brookvale, Prince Edward Island. With a hilly, technical course and a full dose of Maritime weather; cold winds during course inspection and steady rain on race day, our student-athletes showed resilience, competitive spirit, and pride in representing the ACAA.
A Historic Moment: Crandall’s Luke Purdy Earns All-Canadian Honours
The headline moment came from Crandall University’s Luke Purdy, who delivered an outstanding performance in the men’s race. Purdy finished 10th overall with a time of 26:35, earning ACAA’s first-ever Men’s All-Canadian designation in Cross- Country Running.
His achievement is not only a milestone for Crandall, but a historic accomplishment for the conference. With confident pacing and a strong closing speed, Purdy showed that ACAA runners are ready to compete with the best in the country.
“My mindset going into the national championship race was to be confident in myself and trust that the training I had done all season was going to pay off.” Luke Purdy reflected — read more in our Q&A below.
Top ACAA Women’s Performance: Mount Allison’s Tallulah MacNeil Leads the Way
On the women’s side, Mount Allison’s Tallulah MacNeil posted the ACAA’s top finish, crossing the line in 25:55 on one of the toughest national courses in recent memory. MacNeil’s performance capped off a strong season and showcased the depth of emerging talent in women’s cross-country within our conference.
Celebrating Holland College’s Exceptional Hosting
A championship is only as strong as its host and Holland College delivered.
The event was organized, welcoming, and student-athlete centered, with an intentional focus on course quality and hospitality. Coaches and student-athletes consistently shared positive feedback about the course layout, event flow, and the warm (and warm-hearted) support from the Holland College staff and volunteers.
Despite the weather, the atmosphere on race day was competitive, spirited, and memorable, a testament to the hard work behind the scenes.
ACAA Representation Across the Championships
The ACAA was proudly represented by student-athletes from:
- Crandall University
- Dalhousie University Agricultural Campus
- Holland College
- Mount Allison University
- Mount Saint Vincent University
- St. Thomas University
Every runner who toed the line demonstrated preparation, determination, and the values of our conference: compete hard, respect each other, and support one another on the national stage.
A complete list of results is available HERE.
Q&A with Cross-Country All Canadian Luke Purdy
Luke’s performance was years in the making. In this Q&A, he shares how he stayed focused through tough conditions, what fueled him in the final stretch, and why representing the ACAA matters to him.
1. Take us back to the start line. What was your mindset going into the national championship race, and did you have a specific race plan you wanted to execute?
Being on the start line was absolutely nerve racking. Huge competitions have a crazy atmosphere and when competing against the best runners in the country your nerves are a lot higher. With nationals being so close to home and having family and friends come to watch and support you, I really wanted to perform well and show people what I was capable of. My mindset going into the national championship race was to be confident in myself and trust that the training I had done all season was going to pay off. I knew once race day arrived, I was going to perform well because of the work I had done all season. My race plan was to get good positioning within the first 200 meters and keep 10th place in site the entire race. Having run this course before and knowing how deceiving it is definitely played to my advantage and as people faded in the second half of the race, I was able to make my move and gradually catch people.
2. The course in PEI had its own unique challenges. What stood out to you about the course, and how did you adapt throughout the race?
The PEI course was one of the toughest and most deceiving courses I have ever ran. The constant hills were so tiring, especially in the second lap of the race. The conditions being absolutely brutal with the mud, rain, and wind made this race so much harder, mentally and physically. I adapted to the conditions by continuing to stay strong mentally throughout the race and remembering that every other runner is suffering in the same conditions as well.
3. Finishing in the Top 10 at Nationals is an incredible accomplishment. What does that result mean to you personally, and to the Crandall Chargers program?
Personally, finishing top 10 at Nationals was unbelieve. To go from 48th my first year at nationals to 10th in my third year is an insane jump. Being an All-Canadian is a goal that I’ve had since I started my collegiate running career at Crandall so to finally check that accomplishment off is huge for myself and shows the true value of putting in the work day after day. For our Cross-Country program at Crandall, it shows how Coach LeBlanc has built this team from the ground up and has created a team that my teammates and I are proud to be a part of. To be the First All-Canadian from Crandall in the sport of Cross-Country just shows the support and countless hours of work my head coach and assistant coaches put in to make this team become recognizable at the National level.
4. Cross-Country is as much about the team as the individual. How did your teammates and coaches contribute to your preparation and performance this season?
Creating a good team culture is one of the many things we built our team on. This year’s team culture was amazing and every single teammate of mine was extremely supportive. Having these good relationships with teammates allowed for positive team practices and were one of the main reasons as to why not just me individually but our entire team was prepared for every regular season race, ACAA Championships and especially CCAA Nationals. The coaches put an enormous amount of work into my season every year. Without their endless hours of work and preparation, I would not have been able to reach the goals and accomplish what I have accomplished. Their endless support played a huge role in my preparation and overall performance this year and the performance of the entire team being amazing as well.
5. Looking ahead, what are your goals moving forward, either for the upcoming track season, next year’s cross-country season, or beyond?
For the upcoming indoor season our plan is to run some fast 800, 1500 and 3000 meter races. For the outdoor season we will continue to work on these distances as well as the 3000-meter steeplechase and the 5000 meter. For next year’s cross-country season, the biggest goal I have is to go win an individual medal at CCAA National Championships and win men’s team bronze at CCAA National Championships as well.