LA GRANDE, Ore. – For the second straight season and the fourth time in the last five years, the UBC Thunderbirds are Cascade Collegiate Conference Women's Outdoor Track and Field Champions.

With a total of five event wins on the day, the T-Birds leapt from their third place standing heading into Saturday to the overall victory by a 42 point margin, amassing 205 total to secure the squad's fifth conference banner since their inaugural CCC season in 2019.

The UBC men's team also had a solid final day of competition in La Grande, Oregon to finish in fifth place, the team's sixth consecutive top-five finish, closing out with a total of 72 points. The host Mountaineers edged College of Idaho by two-and-a-half points to claim the men's banner.

"We have every reason to be proud and excited about this squad," said UBC head coach, Laurier Primeau, who was named Conference Women's Coach of the Year. "We showed up for each other on and off the track in a way that will create forever bonds and I know that this team has made lasting memories. We also came away with some incredible performances and will ensure the next 12 days combine rest, recovery and good preparation for Nationals."



As the Thunderbirds women's team continued to rack up results Saturday, the coup de grâce came in women's javelin where all five UBC competitors finished in the top eight for a total of 24 points, led by junior Sarah Snell's massive new personal best to take the gold. Snell's fifth throw of the afternoon was launched 45.86 metres, setting a facility record and a share of the new number two NAIA ranking.

Freshman Catarina Bell also hit a new lifetime best throw of 44.26 metres for the bronze medal while Erika Burry reached 42.56 metres for fourth.

Mikayla Grant took seventh place with a best attempt of 41.60 metres followed by Liepa Bajaruanas' eighth place finish, the senior reaching 40.68 metres for a season best performance.

Led by freshman Nunu Ishaka's gold medal triple jump, the T-Bird women claimed the top two spots Saturday for a critical 18 total points including Alessandra Ionescu-Zanetti's personal best second place of 11.41 metres. Ishaka launched for 12.15 metres for the win, setting a new meet and facility record, both of which had been set by T-Bird alumna Allison Macdonald three years ago.



UBC's success in jumps only continued as the day wore on with Sarah Pimblett and Bridgette Hansen gaining another 13 points by finishing second and fourth, respectively, in women's high jump. Pimblett cleared 1.67 metres to claim conference silver, her second straight top-two finish at the CCC meet. Hansen took fourth with a top jump on the day of 1.58 metres.

Haley Martin smashed another meet and facility record in the women's 400 metre hurdles, winning with a time of 59.30. It's the third sub-60 second mark of the season for the sophomore from Nanaimo as she broke the existing EOU track record by more than two seconds.

Mia Cameron took second with a time of 1:01.39 which was also faster than the previous facility record. The junior T-Bird came within just three one-hundredths of her existing season best and grabbed another eight points for the team. Ionescu-Zanetti continued her busy weekend with a personal best eighth place time of 1:06.16.



A day after setting a new facility and program record in the men's 400 metres, junior James Kerr won his second gold of the weekend with a new meet and track record in the 400 hurdles with a 51.69.

Will Van Schagen took bronze in the 400 hurdles and another six team points with his 53.56. Paul Ude and Luc Primeau both set new personal best times finishing ninth and 12^th, respectively.

Sophomore sprinter Debbie Suleman is the 2026 CCC women's 100 metre champion. The native of Oakville, Ontario ran a season best 11.77 to meet 'B' Standard and earn provisional qualification to the upcoming NAIA National Championships.

Audrey Vennesland set a lifetime best with a time of 12.27 to take fifth place while earning another four points toward the team total. Gwyn Katics finished ninth with a personal best of 12.39.

Chase Haagensen picked up three points for the UBC men's squad with a sixth place finish in the 100 metre dash, crossing the line in 10.74.

Less than two hours following her 100 metre victory, Suleman earned her second gold of the afternoon, this time in the 200 metre dash. Her time of 24.50 claimed another ten team points. Katics and Vennesland grabbed another 11 by finishing third and fourth, respectively, both with personal best times of 24.85 and 25.03.



Haagensen earned fifth in the men's 200 with a new personal best of 21.61.

In the penultimate track event of the meet, the UBC women's 4x400 metre relay took second place and with the eight points to go with it, essentially sewed up the banner race. Suleman, Cameron, Ionescu-Zanetti and Katics combined for a 3:52.38.

UBC's men's 4x400 squad comprised of Van Schagen, Ude, Primeau and Kerr took conference bronze with a time of 3:15.49.

Thanks to Kerr's outstanding performance in the 400, 400 hurdles and the 4x400 relay, the junior T-Bird was named men's Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet.



Rachel McDonald and Alexandra Smith claimed fifth and sixth place in the women's 800 metres. Smith's time of 2:17.73 set a new personal best for the freshman by more than a full second.

Andrew Corbeil finished fourth in the men's 800, grabbing five team points with his time of 1:54.27.

This weekend at Eastern Oregon University saw so many season and personal best performances for the blue and gold, but even more importantly it showcased many more examples of athletes coming up in the clutch and continuing to ramp up their performances ahead of the NAIA National Championship meet.
 
The 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships take place May 20-22 in Asheville, North Carolina with the Thunderbirds heading to the Tarheel State as defending men's and women's champions.
 
CCC Championship Results