SARNIA – The Lambton Lions Cross Country program is off and running.
With September just around the corner, there’s a renewed sense of excitement with the return of the Varsity Cross Country program at Lambton College. It was announced back on November 18th, 2021 that Cross Country was returning, and things are starting to unfold ahead of the 2022 season.
The Athletics & Recreation Department is excited to announce that Scott Burns has been named Head Coach of the Lambton Varsity Cross Country Program.
“There is great energy in Athletics at the college and I am really looking forward to getting in on it,” said Burns. “I’m honoured to be part of the program.”
Burns brings with him a wealth of experience, both as an athlete himself and through his years as a coach at various levels. He brings with him 25 years of high school coaching experience, the majority of which have come in and around Sarnia-Lambton. Burns’ high school coaching resume includes stops at Lambton Central Collegiate & Vocational Institute, North Lambton, St. Clair High School (now Great Lakes Secondary School), Wallaceburg, and Northern Collegiate Institute & Vocational School.
In addition to his local high school experience, Burns has also coached for six years at various international institutions all over the World.
Athletes that Burns has coached over the years have won a plethora of titles. His athletes have won LKSSAA, SWOSSAA, OFSAA, EMAC (Eastern Mediterranean), IASAS (Southeast Asia), and ISST (Europe) titles in competitions throughout Ontario and overseas.
Burns also has the distinction of winning conference championships on four continents: North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. He has won championships in Cairo, Paris, London, Dubai, Taipei, Bangkok, Athens, and Singapore.
As an athlete himself, Burns was an OFSAA Finalist during his high school days and raced at Western University.
Back in the late-1990s and early-2000s, the Lions enjoyed success on the course in OCAA competition. The Men’s Cross Country program picked up a Bronze Medal during the 1995-96 season and followed that up with a Silver Medal the following year. Melissa Vianne recorded the program’s first-ever individual medal during the 1996-97 season, bringing home a Silver Medal.
Through his own experiences, Burns also has connections with the Cross Country program of the past. Patrick Donkers, a three-time OCAA medalist for the Lions from 1999 to 2004, would train with Burns and his running group on occasion.
The 2022 season marks the first time that Lambton will compete in Cross Country since 2014-15.
With Lambton Cross Country gearing up for a return to OCAA competition in the Fall, Coach Burns is looking for athletes who may be interested in running this season. If you have an interest in competing for the Lions, fill out a Prospective Student-Athlete Form to get in touch with Coach Burns.