A UBC Okanagan athlete was named to the U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian after a gutsy cross-country race in London Ontario.

Tori Bouck, the UBCO Heat superstar, is originally from London Ontario and on Nov. 12, she dawned in the blue UBCO uniform to give her hometown crowd an exciting performance.

Bouck is a graduate student in the UBCO Masters of Exercise Science program and is racing in her third year of eligibility.

Her role as a leader on the cross-country team is evident in her confidence and decisive race strategy.

From the gun, Bouck led the way. She focused on her personal goals and was determined to leave everything she had on the course. Bouck led the pack for the majority of the first five kilometres of the eight-kilometre race.

At U SPORTS nationals, every one of the hundreds of athletes lining up to race has the goal of being named to the prestigious All-Canadian team. The first seven finishers are named First Team All-Canadians and finishers eight through 14 are named Second Team All-Canadians.

As the finish line approached after eight gruelling kilometres, Bouck鈥檚 spot on the All-Canadian team was challenged by two athletes from the UBC Thunderbirds.

Bouck dug deep and out-kicked her competitors down the finishing chute to place 14th, earning the final spot on the All-Canadian team.

She finished the eight-kilometre cross-country course in a time of 29 minutes, 37.3.

Her success marks the third consecutive year that a UBCO athlete has been named to the prestigious team.

Bouck follows in the footsteps of Lauren McNeil and Joanna Brown, who were First Team All-Canadians in 2021 and Brown who was a Second Team All-Canadian in 2022.

Two other members of the Heat also competed at the event. Brooke Lawlor of Vernon, B.C., ran in her second nationals and achieved a personal-best 59th place with a time of 31:05.5.

Kristen Smith of Georgetown, Ont., rounded out the Heat finishers, placing 96th in a time of 32:06.7

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