The Gryphon track and field teams continued their strong start to the season at the Can-Am Classic, this weekend in Windsor, Ontario. The meet which often serves as an early season barometer for Ontario based schools, offered the Gryphons strong competition and a chance to compete at the St. Denis Centre, site of this March's CIS Track and Field Championships.
Leading the way for the Gryphons were returning CIS medalists Dustin McCrank and Shaneista Haye. Both athletes achieved CIS qualifying standard in their respective events, with McCrank winning the weight throw in a meet record toss of 17 metres and 39 centimetres, breaking former Gryphon star Owen Willems' meet record by 19 centimetres. Haye equalled the CIS standard in the women's high jump with her jump of 1.69 metres, she finished second overall to defending CIS Champion Sarah Boyle of Toronto.
Also, bettering the CIS standard and assuring themselves of a trip back to Windsor in March were the Gryphon 4 x 800 metre relay teams. The women's team ran away from the field after a strong opening leg by Jess Vanhie and were never really challenged winning the race by 6 seconds and claiming the number one ranking in the country with their time of 9:04.42. The men's team were in a tight battle with arch rival Windsor and a surprisingly strong Toronto squad. As the race entered the final leg all three teams received the baton at roughly the same time, Gryphon anchor Dustin Gamble played the leg patiently waiting for the opportunity time to strike, as he entered the home stretch he pulled even with Toronto's Mike Del Monte, but Del Monte proved to strong as the Gryphons were relegated to second in a time of 7:42.42.
Gamble would return the next day to win the men's 600 metres handily in a time of 1 minute 21.03 seconds, fellow 4 x 800 metre relay anchor Rachel Aubry made it a clean sweep for the Gryphons in the 600 metres as she captured the women's race in 1 minute 35.18 seconds. Joining Gamble, McCrank and Aubry with event wins were Sarah Peirce in the women's 60 metres with a time of 7.65 seconds and Samantha Beattie in the women's 3000 metres with her 10:02.11 performance. Beattie would add a silver medal in the women's 1500 metres in a time of 4:47.44.
Other Gryphon medalists included Karoline Hoy who was third in the women's 3000 metres (10:13.06), the women's 4 x 400 metre relay which placed second in 3:59.00, Rob Jackson would was second in the men's 1000 metres (2:30.70), Tim Hendry who brought home a pair of silver medals, one in the weight throw (15.88 metres) and one in the shot put (15.47) and jumpers Guyson Kuruneri third in the men's long jump (6.99 metres) and Kevin Honig third in the men's triple jump (14.02 metres).
The Gryphons will have a small group of multi-event athletes competing this weekend in Toronto. While, Kyle Boorsma will be heading down to New York to run in the New Balance Games, where he will be trying to become the first indoor sub four minute miler in CIS history. The team will return in full force next weekend at McGill University.
Full results are available at GoLancers.ca.
Chris Moulton
University of Guelph
Track and Field
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