Its a move unrelated to COVID-19, but still a blow nonetheless.

Thompson Rivers University is folding the cross country running program, having competed competing in U Sports events since 2014/15.

The program was resurrected back in 2009/10, but it has a deep history going back to the College of the Cariboo dating back to 1980.

Wolfpack Athletic Director Curtis Atkinson says the cancellation is due to funding levels.

“Where we are currently at the, the current funding levels, we looked at some budgets from other institutions with similar sized programs, looked at where we were at,” he said. “That gap right now was just a gap that we weren’t able to close.”

In addition, head coach Carmin Mazzotta was leaving the program. He’d been in the role since 2015/16.

“It’s been a privilege to coach such a resilient and positive group of student-athletes over the past five-plus years,” Mazzotta said, in a press release.

“When I made the decision to step down from the coaching role, it was not one I made lightly. In an ideal world, I would be handing the reigns over to a qualified and talented incoming coach. We tried diligently to find a way to make that happen.”

There were 11 members on the team last season, six women and five men.

Records indicate that Peter Cederlof was the first cross-country athlete in school history, running for Cariboo College in 1980.

The program was resurrected in 1992-93 when Ed Baron coached the then University College of the Cariboo Sun Demons. It ceased operation after the 1995/96 season, and was later resurrected by Jack Miller as the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack in 2009/10.