GULF SHORES, Ala. – Maria Bernard (Calgary) capped her university career in spectacular fashion, winning two individual titles and the women's Outstanding Performer award at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala., on Saturday.
 
Her golden Saturday began with the women's 3,000-metre steeplechase, which she dominated from the opening gun. The fourth-year senior jumped out to the lead on the first lap and never looked back, taking her second straight steeplechase national title in a time of 10 minutes and 12.44 seconds.
 
Bernard crossed the finish line nearly 28 seconds ahead of her closest rival, Katrina Nolan of Lewis-Clark State (Idaho). Saturday's time was also better than the 10:25.87 Bernard ran in last year's steeple final. In Friday's heats, she broke the NAIA national meet record of 10:12.31 set in 2009.
 
Three and a half hours after her first race, Bernard took to the start line in the 5,000 metres alongside teammates Amelie de Fenoyl (Toronto) and Kirsten Lee (Port Coquitlam, B.C.).
 
The reigning silver medallist in the 5,000 and the winner of this year's 10,000 earlier in the meet, de Fenoyl, a graduating senior, held a strong lead for most of the race. She was first until the last lap, when Bernard overtook her with about 300 metres to go to claim her second national title of the day. The pair gave UBC a 1-2 finish in the last race for head coach Marek Jedrzejek, who is retiring this summer.
 
Bernard's winning time was 17:13.83 while de Fenoyl came across in 17:16.44. Lee placed 15th in a time of 18:35.35.
 
Bernard's efforts this weekend earned her the NAIA's Herbert B. Marett Outstanding Performer award, which was handed out during the post-meet ceremony. It is the first time ever that a Thunderbird woman has won this honour. Jumper Mike Mason won the men's award in 2008.
 
"Today was a great ending to the amazing experience I have had with UBC track and field," said Bernard. "I didn't know how the double was going to go, but I'm glad I had the energy to contribute. And to share my last race with Marek, for him the last of his career, that was super special too.
 
"Being able to finish my last race with Amelie right there at the finish line was wonderful. It was really a team effort, as I was definitely propelled by my teammates' support and had great help recovering and preparing from Sean Cannon and the whole coaching staff."
 


The UBC women earned third spot in the team standings with 55 points. The Thunderbirds were also third last year, which is the best-ever placing for the school at the NAIA's.
 
Other strong performances on Saturday helped UBC earned a podium finish in the team competition.
 
In the 800 metres, defending champion Devan Wiebe (Vancouver) recorded a time of 2:08.04 to come through in fourth. Katherine Tourigny (Vancouver) earned a fifth-place finish by running 1:01.34 in the final of the women's 400-metre hurdles.
 
The UBC men tied for seventh in the team standings with 32 points, two spots lower than last year.
 
Senior Justin Kent (Surrey, B.C.) and Jack Williams (White Rock, B.C.) both had third-place showings in their events on Saturday.
 
Kent, the defending NAIA champion in the men's 3,000-metre steeplechase, ran 8:59.14 for a place on the podium, capping off his university track career.
 
Rookie John Gay (Kelowna, B.C.) finished 11th with a time of 9:47.72, while Michael Bourgeois (Stouffville, Ont.) was 29th, completing the race in 10:26.20.
 
Williams also ran his last race for UBC on Saturday. In the 1,500, the top five runners were separated by less than a second and Williams leaned in at the line to finish at 4:00.72, seven-hundredths ahead of the athlete (4:00.79) in fourth.
 
In his NAIA championship debut, Oded Aminov (Richmond, B.C.) came 12th in the men's triple jump. His leapt 14.07 metres on his best attempt, which was his second try. Aminov's first jump was a foul, while he recorded a mark of 13.53 metres on his third and final effort.
 
"I'm pleased with that," Jedrzejek of the women's team placing. "Last year, we were a little bit stronger. This year we had a few injury problems, we were not maybe as strong but position-wise, we didn't slip lower. And the guys finishing in the top 10? That's pretty good too."
 

The conclusion of the NAIA championship also marked the end of university track and field competition for the following athletes: Christine Ausman (Ottawa), Maria Bernard (Calgary), Will Cliff (Vancouver), Stephanie Dacre (Surrey, B.C.), Amelie de Fenoyl (Toronto), Justin Kent (Surrey, B.C.), Connor Smith (Grimsby, Ont.), Devan Wiebe (Vancouver) and Jack Williams (White Rock, B.C.).
 
They get to finish their Thunderbirds careers at the same time as Jedrzejek, whose 28-season head coaching tenure at UBC ranks as the second-longest in school history, behind Jack Pomfret. He took over the cross country program in 1988 before becoming head coach of track and field, as well, in 2001.
 
"I'm happy over my years coaching with how we did," said Jedrzejek. "I'm thankful to all the people who have been involved over the years working with me, starting from volunteers, coaches and my family and administration.
 
"I started coaching in Poland, coming through to Canada, coaching at any level of competition and finishing this at UBC was fantastic. I couldn't imagine I could be in any better place than UBC. I'm so happy here, finishing my work, retiring at UBC. I was blessed somewhere and I'm thrilled."
 
Before leaving Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium on Saturday, UBC athletes and staff lined up for what looked like a final team photo, but instead Jedrzejek got doused with a bucket of water in celebration of the season and the end of his coaching career. The ensuing laughs and hugs added to the memorable finish.