The Windsor Lancers are closing the gap.

Article content

The Windsor Lancers are closing the gap.

Article content

Article content

The Lancers waited six years to get back on the podium at last year’s OUA track and field championships with the men’s team and women’s team each claiming the bronze medal.

On Saturday at the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse, it was team bronze medal again for the men and women, but the Lancers are fast closing the gap on the teams ahead of them.

Article content

“Seeing the progression every year, but there’s been nothing like this on both men’s and women’s side, it’s been amazing,” said the Lancers’ Mandy Brunet, who won gold in the women’s triple jump with a best effort of 12.54 metres. “Unbelievable performances. A lot of people showed up, that’s for sure.”

Last year, Windsor got on the team podium with just three individual medals and 70 points, but responded this year with 10 medals, including four gold medals, to finish with 117 points, which is a 47-point improvement.

“The OUA is very, very competitive, so it’s an exciting competition,” Lancers’ head coach Colin Inglis said. “Last year, having success, showed the kids we can do it.

“We wanted to score (in the top eight) in 88 per cent of our events that we competed in this year. Then, I wanted to have multiple people score in 53 per cent of the events. We tracked it and we met that standard with one and when it got to having multiple, we actually surpassed it.”

Western took the women’s title with 194 points with Guelph second with 141.5 points and Windsor just 23.5 points back.

Article content

Article content

On the men’s side, Guelph took the title with 156.5 points with Western second at 139 points and Windsor also improving from a year ago to finish just 27 points back at 112 points. All three teams, in both the men’s and women’s competition, are ranked in the top five nationally.

“We were fifth my first year and worked up to bronze last year and improved (in points) this year,” Windsor’s Ben Tilson said. “We’re getting closer to returning the program.” 

Tilson was a big part of the men’s success. He moved from third to track down the leader and claim the 600 metres in one minutes and 1:18.49 seconds, which was a win by 6/100th of a second. He quickly turned around to anchor the men’s 4×400-metre relay team to gold in 3:19.25 along with Ryan Holly, Mohammad Alkaaby and Noah Waldmann.

“Probably the bronze (team) medal,” Tilson said when asked about the medal that meant the most to him.

A.J. Stanat joined Tilson as a double gold medalist. Stanat won the shot put on Saturday with a best effort of 17.77 metres after taking the weight throw on Friday with a throw of 17.48 metres.

Caleb Keeling had the other gold medal on the men’s side. He won a jump off to take the high jump by clearing 2.05 metres.

Article content

“I feel like I was on the bronze-medal curse,” said the 23-year-old Keeling, who earned his first gold medal at the high school or university level. “I think I have six of them, team and individual wise, in three years.”

The five gold medals were a jump from three a year ago. The team also got a bronze medal from Owen MacNeill after a leap of 14.44 metres in the triple jump and the 4×800-metre relay team of Andrew Taylor, Abdiaziz. Ali, Noah Costa and Waldmann also won a bronze medal in a time of 7:40.22.

“We have a rally really solid team high-end wise,” Keeling said. “We’re definitely on the rise, which is really, really fun.”

On the women’s side, Mikayla May took a silver medal behind Brunet in triple jump with a leap of 12.23 metres. She also set a school record in taking gold in the long jump with a best effort of 6.13 metres.

The Lances also got gold-medal efforts from Jordan Badley-Castello, who set an OUA record with a throw of 18.86 metres in the weight throw, and from Madelyn Eybergen, who won the 3,000 metres in 9:25.69.

Grace Elford won a silver medal in pole vault by clearing 3.95 metres while Nicole Seagris, Natalie Fortier, Ella Heredi and Isabella Goveia teamed to win the 4×800-metre in 9:04.48.

Nadia Pupatello, Heredi, Maya Metivier, Goveia also won bronze in the 4×400-metre relay in 3:52.06, Jadyn Luna took bronze in the shot put with a throw of 12.22 metres and Riley Robitaille earned a bronze medal in pentathlon with a total of 3,589 points

[email protected]

twitter.com/winstarparker

Article content