VANCOUVER – With the Canadian Track and Field National Championships taking place last weekend at Langley's McLeod Athletic Park, it was only appropriate to see a large contingent of Thunderbirds current, past and future competing on the country's largest stage.
A total of 47 Thunderbirds competed at the 2023 championships, showcasing the growing prowess of UBC's programs and the athletes being developed at Point Grey.
One of UBC's most prolific endurance talents in recent years continued his collection of impressive hardware as former T-Bird
Kieran Lumb won gold in the men's 1500 metres with a time of 3:37.24.
Lumb's former teammate at UBC, Christian Gravel, finished 11
th in the 1500 final.
It was a Thunderbirds sweep atop the podium in the 20-kilometre race walk. 2023 NAIA Champion
Olivia Lundman is now also the 2023 Canadian Women's Champion, finishing in a time of 1:42:11.00. Teammate
Tyler Wilson claimed the Men's title with a 1:37:21.00.
It was an incredibly busy week for
Holly MacGillivray. On July 23 she found herself on the podium in Costa Rica where she took bronze in the 1500 metres at the NACAC U23 Championships. Less than a week later she was back in B.C. and finished ninth in the Canadian 1500 final.
MacGillivray's former teammate and 2022 U SPORTS Cross Country champion
Glynis Sim finished fourth in the 1500.
After taking bronze at the 2023 NAIA Championships in Indiana,
John Perrier finished tenth in the men's 5000 metres with a new personal best time of 13:58.95. UBC alumnus
Tyler Dozzi also competed and finished 12
th while current T-Bird
Matthew Thibodeau claimed 22
nd overall. Incoming freshman Andrew Davies claimed seventh with an impressive time of 13:51.83.
Dylan Uhrich ran a personal best in the senior men's 3000 metre steeplechase with an 8:45.62 to claim fifth place in a final that was full of blue and gold past and present. UBC alumnus
Cole Dinsdale finished fourth with a time of 8:39.41 while fellow former T-Bird John Gay finished sixth, just over five seconds behind Uhrich. Graduating T-Bird
Aiden Miller finished 10
th.
The women's 5000 metres saw a pair of T-Birds compete with sophomore
Katie Newlove crossing the finish line in 11
th followed closely behind by
Kyla Becker in 13
th.
Kiana Gibson set a new personal best time of 9:52.75 with a fifth place finish in the women's 3000 metre steeplechase while former Thunderbird
Jenna Melanson finished sixth.
Current T-Bird
Hanna Sobkowich and alumna
Katherine Lucas formed half of the gold medal winning 4x100 metre mixed relay team, edging Alberta's entry by nearly half a second with a final time of 45.96.
Hassy Fashina-Bombata finished eighth in the women's 100 metre hurdles final after the T-Bird alumna easy qualified through her preliminary heat.
2022 NAIA women's javelin champion
Hailey Kjaer earned a fourth place finish in Langley after her top attempt of 47.76 metres.
Another T-Bird javelin alum –
Roan Allen – took home bronze in the men's event on the strength of a 69.67 metre throw.
Fresh off winning the NAIA men's hammer throw championship for the third time two months ago,
Rowan Hamilton took national silver with his best attempt reaching 72.81 metres.
Teammate
Matthew Uliana took gold in the men's U20 hammer throw with a massive personal best of 70.81 metres. A soon-to-be teammate of Uliana's, incoming freshman Devon Marrero, placed fourth in the U20 hammer reaching 59.24 metres. Marrero also finished sixth in the U20 javelin with a top attempt of 51.05 metres.
Uliana made a multi-gold championship as he also claimed top spot on the podium in the men's U20 discus with a 52.12 metre throw, a new personal best.
Freshman
Lauren Friesen made it a Thunderbirds sweep atop the U20 hammer throw podium as she claimed gold with a 52.31 metre attempt, also a personal best.
Isabella Hall earned a sixth place finish in the women's U20 hammer.
Sophomore T-Bird
William Kizell finished seventh in men's discus reaching 47.48 metres.
Lyle Lo, who will be officially joining the blue and gold this fall, took a pair of fourth place finishes in the men's U20 long jump and triple jump.
Incoming Thunderbird recruit Sam Weston finished 12
th in the men's U20 pole vault having cleared 3.65 metres.
FULL RESULTS
