UNB captures third straight AUS men’s cross country title
Howse repeats as Athlete of the Year
(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) The UNB REDS claimed their third consecutive AUS men's cross country championship banner Saturday afternoon at the 2025 Bell AUS Cross Country Championship, hosted by Acadia University at Hennigar's Farm Market.
Led by individual champion Jared Howse, the REDS scored 30 points to take gold, edging STFX (36) and Dalhousie (72) in the team standings.
Howse successfully defended his individual title, capturing gold in 24:50 — eight seconds clear of teammate Silas Conlin-Morse, who took silver in 24:58. The victory also earned Howse his second straight Boston Pizza AUS Athlete of the Year honour.
STFX's Brett King finished third in 24:59 to secure the bronze medal, followed by teammate Luke MacDonald in fourth (25:07) and Liam Patterson in sixth (25:16). UNB's William Boyle placed fifth (25:09) and Dalhousie's Alex Rogers finished seventh (25:18) to round out the top seven and the AUS first-team all-stars.
The REDS packed the front of the field, with rookie Steph Snyman finishing eighth in 25:19 to earn AUS Rookie of the Year, while Liam Palmer placed 14th (25:39). STFX's depth kept the X-Men close, with Liam McCullagh tenth (25:31) and Mathew Lawton 13th (25:38). Dalhousie's balanced lineup was led by Rogers' seventh-place finish, with Ben Mundle 11th (25:36), Lukas Rudaitis 17th (26:02), and Isaac MacLean 18th (26:07) securing the team bronze.
Top 7 – AUS First Team All-Stars
-
Jared Howse, UNB REDS – 24:50
-
Silas Conlin-Morse, UNB REDS – 24:58
-
Brett King, STFX – 24:59
-
Luke MacDonald, STFX – 25:07
-
William Boyle, UNB REDS – 25:09
-
Liam Patterson, STFX – 25:16
-
Alex Rogers, Dalhousie – 25:18
AUS Second Team All-Stars (8–14)
-
Steph Snyman, UNB REDS – 25:19
-
Luc Doucette, UPEI – 25:24
-
Liam McCullagh, STFX – 25:31
-
Ben Mundle, Dalhousie – 25:36
-
Joel Gallant, UPEI – 25:37
-
Mathew Lawton, STFX – 25:38
-
Liam Palmer, UNB REDS – 25:39
AUS All-Rookie Team
-
Steph Snyman, UNB REDS — 25:19 (8th overall)
-
Luc Doucette, UPEI — 25:24 (9th overall)
-
Liam Palmer, UNB REDS — 25:39 (14th overall)
Major Awards
Boston Pizza AUS Athlete of the Year – Jared Howse, UNB REDS
For the second consecutive season, UNB's Jared Howse was named Boston Pizza AUS Athlete of the Year. The third-year runner from Fredericton, N.B., defended his AUS title with a winning time of 24:50 and helped lead the REDS to their third straight team championship.
Rookie of the Year – Steph Snyman, UNB REDS
UNB's Steph Snyman was named AUS Rookie of the Year after an outstanding debut season. The first-year runner from Fredericton finished eighth overall in 25:19, securing second-team all-star status and playing a key role in the REDS' championship victory.
Student-Athlete Community Service Award – Conlan MacKenzie, STFX X-Men
STFX's Conlan MacKenzie is the AUS Men's Cross Country Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner for 2025.
A second-year business student from Antigonish, N.S., MacKenzie is a U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian and a two-time Gerald Schwartz School of Business National Scholar Scholarship recipient.
He serves as the varsity athlete coordinator for STFX Motion Ball, organizing "Unified at X" sport activities connecting university athletes and local Special Olympics participants. MacKenzie is also an assistant coach with the Dr. J.H. Gillis High School varsity boys soccer team and a coach with the STFX Track Club Trail Blazers youth program. His additional volunteerism includes work with the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home, L'Arche Antigonish, community litter cleanups, and local youth sport programs.
Coach of the Year – Chris Belof, UNB REDS
UNB head coach Chris Belof was named AUS Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading the REDS to their third consecutive conference title. His squad placed five runners in the top 14 and claimed three of the top five individual positions to secure another team banner.
The 2025 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships will be hosted Nov. 8 by Université de Sherbrooke in Sherbrooke, Que.