Number six on our list of top OFSAA cross country performers goes to Mike Woods of Hillcrest High School – one of only two men in Club history to come home from the provincial championships with a medal every time.
While a “work to rule” occurrence in Mike’s first year of high school prevented a run in the high school championships, a gold that fall at the Ontario club championships hinted at he would be a force to reckon with.
After having sat dormant for a number of years, Woods was the driving force behind the revival of Hillcrest’s cross country program in his grade 10 year. Personally leading the recruiting efforts, Woods corralled five teammates to join him on the Hawks team and he began his push to OFSAA gold. The 15 year old Woods was a comfortable winner over the five-kilometre midget boys race at the Hornet’s Nest in 17 minutes and 56.2 seconds, nearly 10 seconds ahead of second place Lucas McAneny and almost 40 seconds ahead future Pan Am Junior teammate Mark Steeds in third.
Returning a year later in search of another gold medal, Woods was part of the lead pack that broke away early on, creating a more than 30 second gap on the rest of the field. However, it was Braden Novakowski of Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, an individual Woods would battle countless times on the track, that would emerge victorious on the day. Woods would take bronze, 28 seconds clear of fourth.
It would be bronze again for Woods a year later in his final year of high school cross country race. In a tough battle with Henok Lechebo of West Toronto Collegiate Institute for gold, Woods went with Lechebo as the pair broke free of the field early on. However, near the halfway mark of the seven-kilometre race Woods was over taken by Club mate Joshua Karanja while Lechebo continued to expand his lead. Lechebo would win by a minute over Karanja while Woods would cross another 21 seconds later.
At the conclusion of his high school career, Woods accepted a scholarship to run for the University of Michigan where he would study English. After his freshman year he would set Canadian U20 records on the track in the mile and 3000 metres that still stand. After his senior season at Michigan was cut short by injury, Woods would spend the next four years trying to find a way back to top form and reaching his goal of representing Canada at the Olympic Games. During successive setbacks Woods’s cycling rehab evolved into a labour of love, and the rest, they say, is history. Since joining the professional cycling circuit, Woods has represented Canada at the Rio Olympics, taken home bronze from the 2018 World Championships and last season became the first person in history to have run a sub four minute mile and compete in the Tour de France.