Whitehorse cross-country runners Kendra Murray and Zoe Painter are gearing up to represent the Thompson Rivers University (TRU) WolfPack at the USPORT cross-country Nationals in Kingston, Ont. this weekend. Teammate and fellow Yukoner Jasper Martin will not be making the trip with them.

Murray and Painter, who will be competing in the 8-kilometre women’s race, will be joined by teammates Calum Carrigan and Troy Morgan, who will be competing in the in the 10-kilometre men’s race.

Head coach Carmin Mazzotta said in an email sent by Larry Read, sports information officer for TRU, that the decision to bring the four athletes came down to their October performances.

“We look at performance throughout the season, but especially at the bigger races we compete at in October,” said Mazzotta in an email. “Attitude and commitment also play a role in our decision-making. Ultimately, as it is a self- selection process, we only bring athletes who are ready to compete at the highly competitive level one would expect from a National university championship.”

Both Murray and Painter competed in last year’s Nationals. Murray placed 118 overall while Painter crossed the finished line 148. Mazzotta wants the racers to compete with confidence, expecting positive finishing positions if they follow the game plan.

“The main thing is for each athlete to go out there with strength and confidence, and put themselves in a position that allows them the opportunity to see what their potential is on the day,” said Mazzotta. “This means staying focused and sticking to the race plan even in the difficult moments where the body is not entirely cooperating. I think each one of them has a shot at the top 100 this year.”

In the B.C. Provincial championships, Painter finished in 43 place in a time of 31.27. Due to hamstring issues Murray was pulled from the race, because the team did not want to risk further injury leading into the Nationals.