ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Following a dominant performance all week long on the track and in the field, the UBC Thunderbirds are women's NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Champions for a fifth straight year!
Concluding the three-day meet at Asheville's Karl Straus Track with 57.5 points on Friday, the women's squad won their latest red banner by a margin of 49.5 with a final score of 101.5, capping the meet off with gold medal performances by
Elysse Fleming in the 3000 metre steeplechase and
Mackenzie Campbell in the 1500.
The UBC men's squad finished eighth with 31 points, outperforming their expected total of 27, also bolstered by
Maximilien Filion's 3000 steeplechase title and an historic first win in 400 hurdles, courtesy of junior
James Kerr.
The first five-peat by a woman's team since Prairie View A&M (Texas) won nine in a row from 1982 to 1990, UBC has won in each of their last six trips to nationals dating back to 2019.
"I think from 10-thousand feet up looking at it overall at that plus/minus and how our athletes just continued to outperform their ranking and when you take care of business like that, points just start to amass, and that's what happened for us," said UBC head coach,
Laurier Primeau, who was named NAIA Women's Coach of the Year for the sixth time. "I have many fond memories and really like this venue, too many to really name and it's always that fear you're going to forget someone, but I think it's also important to recognize I have an incredible coaching staff that supports me in more ways than just coaching. They're always looking to fill gaps, to drive, to make sure kids have enough to eat; it's just truly remarkable we have that level of giveback."
In addition to Primeau's Coach of the Year award,
Sonya Urbanowicz was named female Outstanding Performer of the Meet after setting a new NAIA meet record securing her fourth straight pole vault on Wednesday.
Entering the meet ranked number one in women's steeplechase,
Elysse Fleming successfully defended her NAIA title Friday afternoon, running a 10:22.95 for her second straight gold and UBC's third consecutive win in the event. The senior T-Bird was challenged in the final lap but was able to comfortably outlast her challenger from Milligan (Tenn.) by just over a second.
A year after earning silver in the men's steeplechase, Filion successfully raised the bar to win gold on Friday with a time of 9:01.15, claiming victory by a margin of nearly three-and-a-half seconds.
The T-Bird women gained 16 points in the 1500 metres alone on Friday with
Mackenzie Campbell claiming 10 points and the win, clocking in at 4:22.31.
Sarah MacGillivray took bronze in 4:27.95.
It was an incredibly busy day for both seniors who combined for 28 points in individual events alone.
Campbell earned her second All-American status of the afternoon by finishing second in the 800 metre final, crossing the line in 2:07.58, less than half a second the gold medallist from Life (Ga.)
Less than 90 minutes after completing the 1500, MacGillivray was back on the track in the grueling 5000 metres where she ran a 17:25.02 and a fifth place finish.
Fleming also ran the 5000 for the first time at nationals and claimed ninth with a 17:34.73.
Kerr's gold medal in the men's 400 metre hurdles capped off a remarkable season for the junior T-Bird who qualified for the final with a new personal best and program record time. Friday, the Burlington, Ontario product won the first event gold in the program's history with a time of 50.30.
The 'Birds earned 14 hurdles points Friday thanks to
Haley Martin who earned All-American by finishing fifth in 58.99.
Sarah Pimblett equalled her personal best high jump mark of 1.70 metres to finish with a share of sixth place, tied with Anna Jeannin of Huntingdon (Ind.), both splitting the difference for 2.5 points.
Similar to Campbell, Fleming and MacGillivray, Martin was busy to say the least in Asheville, running the final leg of UBC's 4x400 metre relay, securing a silver medal and the 'Birds' final eight points on the track. Along with
Gwyn Katics,
Mia Cameron and Campbell, UBC ran a program record 3:43.06.
"When we dive into the weeds a little bit, what
Mackenzie Campbell did with gold, silver, silver and stepping up in that 4x400 after probably feeling pretty fatigued with the 1500 and the 800 under her belt," said Primeau in admiration. "Haley was also a really bright spot with a gold, silver, and a fifth in her events, and stepping onto that track six times in three days is pretty remarkable. Also adding in Sonya, a four-time champion from freshman to senior, pretty remarkable."
The men's 4x400 relay got a tremendous kick from freshman
Will Van Schagen whose final leg of 48.68 clinched seventh and two team points. It was a fantastic way to finish the week for the men's squad as along with senior
Chase Haagensen, the relay had two legs run by freshmen in
Luc Primeau and
Paul Ude.
Delayed to Friday thanks to numerous thunderstorms rolling through western North Carolina a day earlier, the T-Bird women gained five points in javelin with freshman
Catarina Bell hitting a new personal best of 44.37 metres for fifth place.
The end of another terrific NAIA National Championship meet marks the official end to another season of UBC Track and Field, but it's far from the end for many of the program's athletes both with the blue and gold and otherwise. Many will be competing throughout the summer at events across the country and what is a very young program, especially on the men's side, will see many of those who got their first taste of NAIA action this week be all the better for it going forward.
"We're scoring points in events we haven't been traditionally powerful in. What we're seeing is NAIA depth too, the top-end just keeps getting better, but we're progressing with that and I think there are good things in our future too."
For those who officially close out their UBC careers in Asheville, what a memorable way to end a remarkable chapter.
NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
