The kids who can haul

If you ask an average Michigan student to rattle off some notable Canadian names on campus, you might be prone to hear "Molson" or "Labatt" before anything else.

But those who have followed the Michigan men's and women's cross country teams' remarkable ascension to Big Ten prominence this season know that there are other Canadian names fueling the good times - Jay Cantin, Sam Dorri, Julie Froud, Steve Lawrence and Lisa Oulette.

The Kids Who Can Haul.

Going into the season, the men's team looked about as threatening as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Super Bowl. Now, the Wolverines are possibly the biggest surprise in the NCAA and are a volatile threat in this weekend's Great Lakes Invitational.

The women's team has survived a rash of injuries and a roller coaster season. But coming off a courageous second-place showing at the Big Ten meet, the Wolverines could rip their dreaded "hard-luck" label to shreds with a strong showing in Terre Haute, Ind.

And what powers this blue, high-combustion cross country engine?

Maple leafs, of course.

'M' - A Southern School?

Though each Canadian on the team emphasizes the academic advantages of attending Michigan, the word that comes up over and over in conversation about making the decision is "opportunities."

"When I first got here, I traveled to Arizona, San Diego, all these places I never would have seen if I had stayed in Canada," Cantin said.

Collegiate athletics in Canada is either an honorable, forthright institution or a wholly old-fashioned one, depending on who you talk to.

The governing body of collegiate athletics in Canada, the CIAU, does not allow scholarships or financial reimbursements of any kind for their athletes. In turn, the revenue generated by sports, miniscule in comparison to the NCAA system, goes back into funding academic resources.

While some athletes in the United States are leading the grandstand cheer for "pay for play," many Canadians find themselves paying to play.

"If I stayed in Canada, they would have said 'here's your uniform, return it at the end of the season,'" Oulette said. "Canadian athletes need to buy their own shoes, warm-ups and they need to rent out the course themselves."

What's worse, the traditionalists see the exodus as a form of defection.

Because of the strict academic standards of the Canadian job market, few universities in the United States offer degree programs applicable for Canada.

Michigan is one of them.

"There are hardcore people who are really stupid about (our decisions)," Dorri said. "But it's a letdown if you aren't a good enough athlete to come to the states."

Cold Enough for ya?

As a sport, running is generally the most popular in the southern part of the North American continent because the climate is more conducive.

In Canada, most of the running is done from the car to the house and vice versa.

Oulette is a native of Sudbury, Ont. - 10 hours due north of Ann Arbor.

"We've had our pipes freeze before it was -52 degrees on Christmas Day last year. Up there, you are either born on skates or skis," Oulette said.

In the land of the Great Gretzky, it takes a special breed to want to take off the skates, lace on the shoes, and brave everything the Great White north can throw at you.

"I remember meeting with my club team at 5 p.m. everyday in the winter, just freezing my ass off," Cantin said.

Once again, money is an issue. Though the interest in America's mega-sports - football, basketball and baseball is marginal, hockey's stranglehold on community financing left even high school phenoms Cantin and Lawrence without an indoor track.

"The winter is a weeder for those who don't want to take it seriously," Consecon, Ont. native Lawrence said. "I used to drive to Toronto twice a week just to train.

"Two hours there, two hours back, twice a week, eight hours in the car."

Sullivan for Prime Minister

When you mention the name "Kevin Sullivan" to any of the Canadian runners, you might as well sit back and listen. You aren't going to get a word in edge-wise for a while.

"Kevin Sullivan is like a God in Canada," Dorri said.

Currently an assistant coach for the men's team, Sullivan is arguably the best distance runner in the history of Michigan, and possibly, Canada.

Sullivan was a four-year All-American in cross country in the mid-90's and has set countless records in his native Canada ever since his prodigal beginnings as a 14-year-old.

How appropriate he is from the same town - Brantford, Ont. - as Gretzky.

"Growing up, everybody our age became excited about running because of Kevin Sullivan," Cantin said.

Sullivan's secretariat-like leads in his teenage years, up to 100 meters or more, are the stuff of lore and fond sentiment among the Canadian cross country contingent.

More importantly, Sullivan's rampant success during his years at Michigan muffled the intimidation tactics of the "hardcore" traditionalists and made the decision to compete in the United States easier for Canadian athletes in every sport.

"He's kind of given us this sense that 'Yeah, we can compete with the Americans,'" Lawrence said. "He's proven that coming over here can work out."

"A Special Bond"

If you spend enough time in the classrooms, on the sidewalks, or in the Diag at Michigan, you notice a kinship between the athletes.

Often, two athletes on different teams will say "hello" in passing, though they've never met before.

For Michigan's Canadian athletes, the connection is that much stronger.

"When I see another Canadian going to class I think 'awesome,'" Froud said. "There's another one choosing to pursue their goals.

"There's a little bit of a special bond."

You probably couldn't tell a Canadian athlete from an American athlete at first glance. But the little things come out - the accents, the 'M' maple leaf tattoo on Steve Lawrence's leg, the Canadian Olympic ring on Shannon Shakespeare's finger.

When Michigan's cross country teams line up for the biggest race of their season on Saturday, the Canadian connection the pride isn't just maize and blue.

It's red and white too.

11-11-99