REDS Grow At U SPORTS Championships
(WINNIPEG, MB) The UNB REDS women’s and men’s track and field teams are coming home from the 2024 U SPORTS Championships in Winnipeg with two medals, a ton of growth, and some valuable experience.
“It was another step up, across the board, for the full team this weekend,” said REDS’ head coach Chris Belof. “Everyone came in and performed on demand.”
The highlights of the weekend were UNB’s two bronze medal performances.
They came Friday, in the men’s 1000-metres, as Jared Howse beat Regina’s Jonathan Podbielski to the line by just 67/100ths of a second, and in the men’s 4-by-800-metre relay, where Howse anchored a brilliant run with teammates Benjamin Perrett, William Boyle and Mitchell Kean.
“Certainly, the highlight of the weekend was our men’s middle-distance group and the way they ended Day 2 with that bronze. It was very special for a number of reasons,” said Belof. “It’s the first relay medal at a national championship in the history of the program. Ben and William are both Manitobans and did it in front of family and friends, and after qualifying three men in the 1000-metres, both Ben and Mitch passed on their opportunity to run an individual event and focused instead on the team goals. That couldn’t be more true to their character and our team values.”
Other highlights, according to Belof, were Jillian Langille’s placing in the women’s 60-metres and Oliver Arnfast’s top 10 finish in the men’s indoor heptathlon.
“Oliver moved up to 10th in the country and Jillian moved up to 12th,” said Belof. “The women’s 4-by-400-metre relay team ran a great race to break the school record for the third time this season and exceeded their ranking.”
The women’s 4-by-400 team of Langille, Katrina Stefaniuk, Peighton Johnson, and Shelby MacIsaac, finished 7th in a time of 3:51.54.
“In 2019, Manitoba hosted this event. It was my second year with the program and my first U SPORTS Championships,” said Belof. “It was special to take the next here, with this group.”
Belof says the team is looking forward to growing and being better next season, but also recognizes how far they’ve come.
STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Manitoba Bisons Athletics