VANCOUVER – With seven automatic national championship qualifications and a slew of personal best performances, the UBC Thunderbirds have had one of their best opening weekends in the program's long and storied history.

Kicking off the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field season with a pair of meets in Arizona as well as competition closer to home at Simon Fraser's Emilie Mondor Invitational, the T-Birds' training seems to already be paying dividends.

"This was the most successful opening weekend for our power-speed group, bar none. Between school records, national rankings, NAIA 'A' Standards and personal bests, there was something for almost every athlete to come home happy about," said UBC head coach Laurier Primeau, now into his tenth season leading the program. "Our coaches are feeling pretty gratified too."



PVCC Invitational

Kicking off the year Thursday at the Paradise Valley Invitational in Phoenix, several of UBC's throwers put the Cascade Conference, if not the NAIA, on notice.

Senior Michelle Dadson had an outstanding start to her final season with the blue and gold, achieving 'B' Standard in women's hammer throw, her 52.68 metre top attempt winning the event and currently sitting as the number one throw in the NAIA thus far in 2025. Dadson also took first place in shot put, reaching 13.51 metres.

Bella Hall, Lauren Curtis and Katelyn Putz finished second through fourth, respectively, in women's hammer, Curtis' 50.39 metres just shy of 'B' Standard in her first collegiate meet.

Sophomore Lyle Lo met provisional NAIA Championship standard in men's long jump with a personal best of 7.25 metres to take first place.

Surpassing 50 metres in men's discus for the first time, William Kizell set a new personal best throw of 51.13 metres to take second place while earning NAIA 'B' Standard in doing so.

Tanya Dhanoa ran the women's 100 metre hurdles in 14.75 to set a new personal best time.

James Kerr's 47.54 in the men's 400 metres was just two one-hundredths off his personal best time, but good enough to secure first at the meet and 'B' Standard. Logan Peterson finished second with a 48.63, a new personal best while Nickolas Sebastianelli also made a new PB with a fourth place time of 49.63.

Mia Cameron was the only one to run sub one minute in the women's 400 metres, managing a new personal best of 58.02.


 
WILLIE WILLIAMS CLASSIC

Senior T-Bird Daniel Smart-Reed kicked off his final season with an exclamation point at the University of Arizona's Willie Williams Classic, setting a new personal best in men's javelin of nearly three metres. His top throw of 65.62 was good for a fourth place finish out of 36 competitors, easily surpassing 'A' Standard and currently holds the number one NAIA ranking. Sophomore Theo Manuel also met 'A' Standard with a solid 63.39 top attempt while Cameron Kuziak made 'B' Standard at 61.42 metres.

It was a terrific day for Amelia Cha who won women's long jump, her best attempt of 5.77 metres besting her previous PB set just a day earlier at Paradise Valley, while also meeting 'B' Standard for provisional qualification to the NAIA National Championship.

Kerr ran a 52.87 in the men's 400 metre hurdles to make 'B' Standard in a fifth place finish among a field of 34.

Cameron also made 'B' Standard in the women's 400 hurdles with a 1:02.51.

Sarah Pimblett met 'A' Standard on the nose in women's high jump, clearing 1.69 metres to equal her personal best height set last season.

The two time defending NAIA Women's pole vault champion, Sonya Urbanowicz, made a statement to start the new season, reaching 4.10 metres for a new personal best height, taking second place at the meet in doing so.



A day after setting a new personal best in long jump, Lo did the same in men's triple jump, his top attempt Saturday of 15.03 metres also booking his ticket to the NAIA National Championship.

Senior T-Bird Hanna Sobkowich finished the women's 100 metre dash in 11.87, meeting 'B' Standard by one hundredth of a second. She also ran her first 200 metres of the year meeting 'B' Standard with a time of 24.48.

Callum Hansen improved his Friday personal best time in the men's 100 metres by 15 one-hundredths, finishing in 11.17.

The Women's 4x400 metre relay team also had an exceptional day to start the season, meeting 'A' Standard with a time of 3:49.76 which currently stands as the number one NAIA ranking.

UBC's men's 4x400 relay team also earned an early season automatic qualification for nationals running a 3:13.03.

In their first relay competition of the season, UBC's women's 4x100 metre team met 'B' Standard time with a 46.65, currently the fourth fastest in the NAIA.

Following the team's tremendous start to 2025, the T-Birds will now get the opportunity to showcase their abilities on their home turf as the UBC Open takes place Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30 at the Rashpal Dhillon Oval.
 
PVCC Invitational Results

Willie Williams Classic Results

SFU Emilie Mondor Invitational Results