Yach And Morrow Joining REDS

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS women’s track and field team is naming long-sprinter Koree Yach and standout thrower Ashley Morrow to their recruiting class of 2024.

Yach, from Arnprior, Ontario, and Morrow, from Pilot Mount, Manitoba, have signed U SPORTS Letters of Intent and will join the REDS ahead of the 2024-2025 Atlantic University Sport season.

“Koree is a special talent and we’re excited to have her joining us in the fall,” said Chris Belof, head coach of the REDS track and field and cross country teams. “She’s an exceptional athlete, having developed with a successful club, and we see her being an immediate contributor and big part of our long sprints and middle-distance program.”

“Ashley comes to us from a great development club in Manitoba and will make an immediate contribution at the AUS and U SPORTS levels, said Coach Belof. “Our women’s throws group is excited to have her joining the group.”

“Coach Belof was the first university coach to reach out to me and I jumped for joy seeing that my hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed,” said Yach, completing her Grade 12 year at Arnprior District High School. “Since the day I met him, I knew I wanted him to be my coach. He is down to earth, honest and caring, and gave me an outline of what he knew I could accomplish.” 

In 2021, Yach was a member of the Ottawa Lions U18 girls team that won a national title at the Canadian Cross Country Championships. During the 2023 outdoor season, she was ninth at the Ontario high school championship meet in the 400-meter hurdles and sixth in the same event at the Athletics Ontario U20 Championships and part of the silver medal-winning team in the 4-by-400 metre relay.

At the 2023 Canadian Track and Field Championships, Yach cracked the top-10 in the 400-metre hurdles in the U20 category, and fifth in 400-metre hurdles in the U18 girls category at the Legion National Youth Championships.

“After talking to Chris and learning about the opportunities involved in being a part of the team, I knew this is where I wanted to be,” said Morrow, finishing her Grade 12 year at Pilot Mound Collegiate Institute. “The resources and opportunities I will get at UNB, as well as the chance to live in such a beautiful place, are something you can’t get anywhere else.”

Morrow was the bronze medallist in the shot put at the 2023 Legion National Youth Championships and fourth in the hammer throw.

She was also a member of Team Manitoba for the dual provincial championships where she won gold in the hammer throw, silver in the shot put, and bronze in the discus. She was the gold medallist in the shot put at the 2023 Manitoba high school championships and broke the meet record in the weight throw at the 2023 Boeing Indoor Classic.

“With my limited access to training, I’ve been able to continue improving,” said Morrow. “I believe with a dedicated training schedule I’ll continue to improve and be an asset to the team.”

Yach and Morrow say their goals include winning medals at the AUS Championships and putting UNB in the U SPORTS rankings.

Yach will study Kinesiology while attending UNB while Morrow will study Psychology.

STORY BY: UNB Athletics

PHOTOS: Submitted