(SAINT JOHN, NB) There were no medals, not even a points-scoring finish, but for the UNB REDS, it was a historic day at the 2022 U SPORTS Track and Field Championships, presented by Saint John LNG.
Abigail Passy became the first UNB student-athlete to compete in the women's pole vault at the national championship meet.
"It was a super great opportunity," said Passy. "I enjoyed the atmosphere and even though today, the jumps did not go how I wanted them to, I am fired up for next year and I will be back stronger."
Passy finished 17th in the 17-competitor field.
"She came out and tried to, basically, crank off an AUS record on her first attempt," said Chris Belof, head coach of the REDS. "It was a big ask and she had some good attempts, but she was a little fatigued from the long warm-up and the delay from the men's event. It wasn't a perfect environment. She navigated it well, but not perfectly. I thought Abby displayed what we're looking for."
In the men's weight throw, the REDS' Christopher Grant was 12th.
"Chris didn't have a perfect day, but at the same time came out and competed, did his best in front of a home crowd, it was very exciting," said Coach Belof.
In the men's 4-by-800 metre relay, UNB ran 10th, in a school record time of 7:48.08, finishing just 12 seconds back of the winning team from Guelph.
"This is the first national championship for all four guys and they did a great job," said Belof. "It's good to see what those guys did."
The day, like UNB's hosting of the national championship, is seen as a huge step forward for UNB's track and field program. It will help in recruiting, but it will also serve as inspiration for current members of the team.
"The bar is now that much higher," said Belof. "The expectations go up. AUS is a nice introduction to things, but we need to prepare for what the national championships are looking like and that needs to be a regular thing that we talk about. It reaffirms that our process is on the right path."
The national championship meet concludes Saturday with the REDS in a number of events.
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Kevin Barrett/for UNB Athletics