(MONTREAL, QC) Victoria Leblanc, a member of the UNB Reds track and field team, triple jumped on to the medal podium at the Canadian Track and Field Championships, in Montreal, on the weekend.
“It’s a great feeling standing on the podium knowing that all your hard work and dedication has paid off,” said Leblanc.
Leblanc’s leap of 11.74 metres was a new personal best and good for third place and the bronze medal in the senior women’s triple jump.
“The jump that put me on the podium was my fifth attempt and I’d already improved my personal best on the second attempt, so I was really going for it as I had nothing to lose,” she said. “When I finished my jump and saw how far I was into the sand pit I knew it was a good jump and got pretty excited.”
In covering 11.74 metres, Leblanc added 18 centimetres to her previous personal best.
“This is big for her development,” said Chris Belof, the head coach of the Reds track and field team. “To perform on this stage and come away with a bronze medal is outstanding. She’s progressed quickly in this event, and will continue to grow with more time.”
Leblanc also jumped to a 10thplace finish in the women’s long jump, with a leap of 5.47 metres.
Other Reds performances saw Jarod Manuel finish 7thin the men’s shot put, with a throw of 14.64 metres, and 12thin the hammer throw, with a heave of 43.19 metres. Braden Harrison ran 39thin the men’s 100 metres and 29thin the 200 metres.
In the junior division, Erin McCavour leapt to 21stplace in the long jump and 13thplace in the triple jump.
Belof says all the Reds who competed in Montreal can be proud of their performances. He looks forward to the coming season and says Leblanc is just one of the student-athletes who’ll lead UNB’s program in 2019-2020.
“The performance this weekend speaks to the work that Victoria and coach Carl McIntosh have put in over the year,” said Belof. “Their management of the tough conditions really showed how driven and mentally tough an athlete Victoria is, and what a great technical coach Carl is.”
Like Belof, Leblanc is buoyed by her Canadian championship medal and is looking forward to making further gains in the coming Reds’ season.
“My technique is still far from perfect, but I’m looking forward to start back in a couple of weeks to start training for the indoor season,” she said.
The Reds track and field season kicks off in November, with the Red & Black Open, in Saint John.
UNB will host the Subway Atlantic University Sport Championships, in Saint John, February 21stand 22nd.