Physical Education student Anne Mackie first competed on UBC's track team in 1975/76, helping it win the '76 Canada West track and field championship. Mackie's reputation had preceded her as earlier she recorded Canada's second fastest time in her specialty, the 400 meters. At the '76 Canada West meet the 400 meters was not run but Mackie did capture bronze in both the 40 yards and 300 meters.
It was September of 1976 that Mackie, now married to UBC soccer player Claudio Morelli, would be crowned Canadian 400 meter champion winning the event at the Canadian outdoor championships.
In 1976/77 Mackie-Morelli was Canada West's outstanding 800 meter runner winning the title at the Canada West championships at which UBC finished second. At a March '77 tri-country meet in Toronto, the "determined and unassuming" Anne finished second to American Robin Campbell in the 600 meters. And a bit of Canadian history was made this same year as she ran the year's fastest 800 meters and what was Canada's third fastest ever (2:01.6) – a university record that stands to this day.
Later in 1977 Mackie-Morelli competed internationally finishing with a bronze in the 800 at a meet in Berlin and a bronze in the 400 at a Melbourne meet.
A highlight for Anne came March 17, 1977 when the local media announced "Anne Mackie-Morelli came away the big winner at the UBC women's athletics windup banquet Thursday night . . . was chosen the outstanding UBC female athlete of the year." Mackie-Morelli was the UBC's 1976/77 winner of the Marilyn Pomfret award.
Anne came back in '78 to pace UBC women to another Canada West championship – her second – as she won gold in the 300 meters, gold as part of UBC victorious 4 x 400 meter relay team and a bronze in the 60 meters. Her performance earned her the title of Canada West's overall individual women's champion.
Mackie-Morelli was also a member of Canada's 1978 Commonwealth Games team winning a bronze as part of Canada's powerful 4 x 400 meter relay team.
She also captured a bronze as a member of B.C.'s 4 x 400 team at the Pacific Conference Games. She then represented UBC at the World Student Games in '78 where she was a semi-finalist in the 400 meters.
Four of Mackie-Morelli's marks remain UBC track records; her 400, 600, 800 and 1000 meter times. "She still would be today a top athlete in the country with those times" exclaims UBC high performance track coach Marek Jedrzejek. In fact this 1978 B.P.E. graduate's athleticism at UBC is reflected in the fact her name appears more times in UBC's track and field record books than any other female.
Mackie-Morelli's UBC career under coach Lionel Pugh had launched a successful national and international career. In 1979 she won Canadian titles in the 400 meter indoors, 800 meter indoors and 800 meter outdoors. She won a Pan Am bronze with the 4 x 400 meter relay team and won gold in the 800 at the '79 Edmonton Journal Games.
Her career climaxed in 1980 as she won an 800 meter silver at the World Cup, an 800 meter silver at the Edmonton Journal Games and was selected to Canada's 1980 Olympic team.
Two Canada West titles, several UBC records, Pomfret award, Canadian title holder, international medals, Olympic status – one of the shining lights among UBC's 1970s track and field stars.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
