TRACK | Voyageurs Embrace Last Chance Opportunity in Ottawa
The Laurentian University Indoor Track and Field team competed in its final regular season competition this weekend in Ottawa at the Carleton University Last Chance Track and Field Meet. The meet served as a final opportunity for athletes to improve their marks prior to the Ontario University (OUA) Championships which will be held in Windsor, on February 23rd and 24th.
It was a solid day for the Voyageurs as they collected two medals and set fourteen personal bests. Twelve athletes eclipsed the OUA qualifying standard in their respective events.
The team was once again led by Heidi Tuszkiewicz (Ajax, ON) who claimed gold in the Women's 1500 metre event, setting a new personal best of 4 minutes 36.26 seconds. Teammate Megan Crocker (Mississauga, ON), finished just a second behind Tuszkiewicz to claim silver in 4:37.43 seconds, eclipsing her own personal best by seven seconds.
A trio of local Sudbury products turned in 4th place finishes. Caleb Beland in the men's 1000m (2:33.47), Liam Passi in the men's' 3000m race (8:44.94) and Skylar Savage-Perreault in the men's 60m sprint (7.12). Each of these performances were personal bests and qualified the trio to compete at the provincial championship next weekend.
"We asked our athletes to embrace the last chance theme of the meet and apparently they listened" commented Associate Head Coach, Darren Jermyn. "We now have 14 athletes qualified for the OUA Championships next weekend. That is the largest squad Laurentian has sent to OU's in the past twenty years, so we are excited for both the athletes and the program as a whole. We've worked hard to develop a program that supports the sprints right through to the distance events and that work is now paying dividends."
Complete Laurentian University Results
60m Women
7th – Hannah Merjavec – 8.02, Personal Best, OUA Qualifier
11th – Danielle Roy – 8.18, OUA Qualifier
13th – Kirsten Crowe – 8.33
36th – Esther Nabatanzi – 9.47
60m Men
4th - Skyler Savage Perreault – 7.12 (7.23 in Heat), Personal Best, OUA Qualifier
13th - Eric Roque – 7.32 – Season's Best, OUA Qualifier
300m Women
15th – Kirsten Crowe – 42.76
41st - Esther Nabatanzi – 49.73, Personal Best
300m Men
63rd – Ali El-Sahli – 40.74, Personal Best
600m Women
16th – Natasha Mayer – 1:38.87, Personal Best, OUA Qualifier
20th – Nicole Rich – 1:39.77, OUA Qualifier
600m Men
5th – Liam Pederson – 1:23.30, OUA Qualifier
16th – Walker Houghton – 1:29.31
1000m Men
4th - Caleb Beland – 2:33.47 – Personal Best, OUA Qualifier
15th - Jarod Milford – 2:42.20 – Personal Best
17th - Nick Orshinsky – 2:45.97 – Personal Best
1500m Women
1st – Heidi Tuszkiewicz – 4:36.26 – Personal Best, OUA Qualifier
2nd – Megan Crocker – 4:37.43 – Personal Best, OUA Qualifier
6th – Jenny Bottomley – 4:43.33 – Personal Best, OUA Qualifier
10th – Breanne Steven – 5:01.54 – Personal Best
12th – Lindsay Robinson – 5:11.37
1500m Men
16th – Jarod Milford – 4:31.94
3000m Women
5th - Lyndsay Greasley – 11:13.36 – Season's Best
8th - Kelsey Lefebvre – 12:08.04
3000m Men
4th - Liam Passi – 8:44.94 – Personal Best, OUA Qualifier