VANCOUVER – Day one of the 2026 UBC Open didn't disappoint for the Thunderbirds who boasted six NAIA 'A' Standard performances along with a pair of meet records and personal bests, all highlights of the program's only home meet of the season.
The sun even made a surprise appearance above the Rashpal Dhillon Oval as athletes from more than a dozen schools and athletic clubs from both sides of the 49
th parallel took advantage of the pleasant early season forecast.
The day began in typical UBC Open fashion with a combined two 'A' Standard results in the 5000 metre race walk. Defending NAIA men's national champion
Lowell Solmes set a new UBC Open record time of 20:33.56.
Chantelle Dass also earned a spot back at nationals with an 'A' Standard time of 26:42.44 in the women's race which was won by four time NAIA champion and T-Bird alumna,
Olivia Lundman's 22:03.97, a new meet record.
Junior T-Bird
James Kerr booked an early season trip to May's NAIA National Championship meet, setting a new UBC Open meet record in the men's 400 metre hurdles. His time of 52.41 now sits as the number one ranking in the NAIA.
It was a 1-2-3 UBC finish as Willem Van Shagen and
Paul Ude claimed second and third behind Kerr, crossing the line in 55.18 and 55.51, respectively.
Haley Martin set a personal best time of 1:00.17 in the women's 400 metre hurdles, also setting a new UBC Open record. The 'A' Standard qualifying time is now also ranked number two in the NAIA so far this season.
Amelia Cha was flying in her first long jump entry of the season, the junior T-Bird setting a new personal best and program record reaching 6.05 metres. Punching her ticket back to the National Championships, Cha's jump is now the number one ranking in the NAIA.
Competing in the 5000 metres for the first time in her collegiate career, senior
Sarah MacGillivray earned 'A' Standard Saturday to claim sixth place with a 16:45.58.
Elysse Fleming finished with a strong 'B' Standard time of 17:02.62 and ninth out of 26 competitors.
Sarah MacGillivray's sister, Holly, earned the win in the gruelling 5000, the UBC alumna and 2025 NAIA silver medallist crossing the line in 16:16.05. Another former T-Bird, Jenna Melanson, took second place while
Amelia Pfohl earned fifth.
Maximilien Filion took third place in the men's 5000 metres, his 14:25.70 easily meeting 'B' Standard and less than four seconds off automatic national championship qualification.
Sarah Pimblett won women's high jump having cleared 1.65 metres, just two centimetres shy of her season best set last weekend at the SFU High Performance Meet.
Nunu Ishaka's first meet as a Thunderbird saw the freshman from Calgary win women's triple jump, reaching 11.63 metres, the new eighth ranked jump in the NAIA.
Lauren Curtis took second place in women's hammer throw, her first attempt on the day proving to be her best at 51.01 metres, just seven centimetres shy of 'B' Standard.
Bella Hall claimed third reaching 50.30 metres while
Katelyn Putz made it three T-Birds in the top four with a top throw of 50.10 metres.
Freshman
Will Curtain's first collegiate hammer throw competition saw the Vancouver College product earn third place on the men's side Saturday at 49.43 metres.
Chase Haagensen and
Nickolas Sebastianelli took first and second in the men's 400 metres. Haagensen crossed the line in 48.67 for the number one CCC ranking on the year.
Sophomore
Samuel McGee had a solid first day of the decathlon, his point total of 2994 just 15 behind the overall leader. McGee took the win in the opening event, a time of 11.31 in the 100 metres. He also finished second in shot put (9.50m) and the 400 metres (53.88). Day two of the UBC Open will begin with the 110 metre hurdles.
Alessandra Ionescu-Zanetti sits first in the heptathlon through four of seven events. The sophomore T-Bird claimed first place in the 100 metre hurdles (15.29), shot put (10.04m) and the 200 metres (26.61). Her point total of 2658 is currently 269 ahead of second place Claire Nichol from Trinity Western.
Mackenzie Campbell finished second in the women's 1500 metres with a 'B' Standard time of 4:31.02.
Tanya Dhanoa set a new personal best in the women's 100 metre hurdles for the UBC Open win. The junior from New Westminster's time of 14.34 is currently ranked second in the Cascade Conference.
UBC's women's 4x100 metre relay team of Dhanoa,
Audrey Vennesland,
Gwyn Katics and
Amelia Cha took first place in 47.71, now the number one ranking in the conference.
The UBC Open continues Sunday with some prominent T-Bird performances yet to come including men's and women's pole vault, javelin and the 3000 metre steeplechase.
UBC OPEN RESULTS
