StFX track team opens AUS competition in Halifax

Halifax, NS – The StFX track & field team competed in their first meet of the AUS season at the Tiger Track Classic on Saturday at the Canada Games Centre. The X-Men are defending AUS champions heading into the 2014-14 circuit.

In the men's age 17-18 events, freshman Timothy Brennan (Beechwood, NS) placed first in the 300m (37.79) and 600m (1:26.18) events and was third in the 60m hurdles (9.41).

Cameron Glover (Murray River, PE), another freshman on the X-Men squad, placed first in the men's age 17-18 high jump with a 1.75m showing, and was third in the long jump (5.53m).

In the men's age 19+ high jump, Jake McKenna (Calgary, AB), in his third season with the X-Men, tied for sixth overall with a 1.75m jump. He placed fourth in the long jump (5.97m) and was second in the 60m hurdles (9.21 seconds).

Sophmore Matt Murphy (Halifax, NS) also competed in the long jump and was fifth overall (7.75m). He placed fourth in the 60m final with a time of 7.25 seconds and was sixth in the 300m dash (37.49).

Also competing for X in the 300m was second place finisher Mackenzie Munroe (Yarmouth, NS) who clocked in at 36.47. Andrew Bain (Gatineau, QC) was seventh (37.50), followed by teammates Thomas Faour (St. John's, NF) in eighth (37.81) and Miguel Hosking (Dartmouth, NS) in 13^th position (38.20).

Bain placed second in the 600m race with a time of 1:23.50, while Munroe (1:25.31) was fourth and Faour (1:28.31) sixth.

Two X-Men competed in the 1000m event including fourth year veteran X runner and race winner Bryden Tate (Heatherton, NS) who crossed the line at 2:31.38. Freshman Ed MacDonald (Antigonish, NS) was fourth at 2:43.86.

A total of 10 X-Men ran in the 3000m event, including 2014 AUS individual cross country champion Scott Donald (Ottawa, ON). Donald placed second at 8:35.69, edged out at the end of the race by Saint Mary's runner John Kuto (8:34.22).

Other StFX results from the 3000m race were:

Cal DeWolfe (Bridgewater, NS), 4^th, 8:55.56
Bryden Tate, 5^th, 9:03.33
Nick Favero (Rockland, ON), 6^th, 9:05.24
Ryan O'Regan (Cornwall, PE), 7^th, 9:21.87
Matt Eliot (Kingston, ON), 8^th, 9:24.84
Ed MacDonald, 9^th, 9:27.52
Warren Ferguson (Ottawa, ON), 10^th, 9:37.28
Pat Marlow (Antigonish, NS), 11^th, 9:45.05
Corey McNamara (Halifax, NS), 14^th, 9:55.50   

In the women's events, freshman sprinter Allie Flower (Lunenburg, NS) competed in three events in the age 17-18 category including first place showings in the 300m (43.28) and 600m (1:41.91) events. Flower was also third in the 60m dash (8.45).

In the women's age 17-18 1000m race, Olivia MacDonald (Antigonish, NS) placed first with a time of 5:51.13. Liz MacDonald (Bedford, NS) ran in the women's age 19+ 1000m and was second with a 3:07.60 showing.

Eight X-Women competed in the 60m dash (age 19+) including Hayley Wilson (Skye Glen, NS) who was fourth overall in the final race, clocking in at 8.10.

In the 60m preliminaries, the results were as follows:

Candace Cruickshank (Dartmouth, NS), 6^th, 8.13
Eilish MacQuarrie (Antigonish, NS), 7^th, 8.17
Beth Lawrence (Ardois, NS), 9^th, 8.28
Nadine Otten (Clinton, ON), 10^th, 8.30
Bridget Brennan (Beechwood, NS), 11^th, 8.10
Mary Catherine Thompson (Antigonish, NS), 12^th, 8.52
Jillian Nolan (Truro, NS), 13^th, 8.65

Otten also competed in the 60m hurdles, placing first with a 9.43 clocking.

Defending AUS champion Eilish MacQuarrie won the 300m dash with a time of 41.34. Brennan (42.19) was second, followed by Lawrence (43.09) in fifth, Cruickshank (43.16) on sixth and Nolan (48.56) in 11^th.

Beth Lawrence came fourth in the 600m race with a time of 1:41.11, followed very closely by MacQuarrie in fifth at 1:14.12.

Three X-Women competed in the 1500m event including second place finisher Ginny Anderson (Antigonish, NS) at 5:05.50. Alyson Woods (Halifax, NS) was fourth with a time of 5:09.01 and Kendra MacNeil (Antigonish, NS) was fifth at 5:19.80.

In the jumping events, Thompson placed sixth in the high jump with a 1.40m jump and was eighth in the long jump (4.68m). Wilson came first in the triple jump (11.44m) and was fifth in the long jump (4.89m), while Brennan was the top X finisher in the long jump registering 4.90m.

The StFX team will not have another meet prior to the holiday break. Next on their AUS schedule is the Athletics Nova Scotia meet slated for January 17^th in Halifax, also at the Canada Games Centre.