Track team opens competitive season in Halifax

The X-Women and X-Men track and field teams kicked off their 2013-14 schedule this past weekend competing at the Saint Mary's Open in Halifax at the Canada Games Centre.

StFX athletes were represented in numerous events including the men's and women's 60m dash, 300m dash, 600m, 1000m, 3000m, 60m hurdles, 4x200m relay, high jump, long jump and triple jump.

For a complete list of results, click here.

In the women's 60m dash (age 18-19), Jillian Murphy placed third overall for the X-Women with a time of 8.06 while teammate Candace Cruickshank was fourth at 8.20. Mary Catherine Thompson (8.52) was sixth and Jillian Nolan (8.58) was eighth.

StFX's Eilish MacQuarrie placed second in the women's 60 m dash (age 20+) with a time of 8.03. Bridget Brennan was seventh at 8.30.

In the men's 60m dash (age 18-19) freshman X sprinter Adam Mitchell was third with a time of 7.25, while Jake McKenna (7.56) placed seventh and Thomas Faour (7.67) was tenth. Matt Murphy (7.33) and Colin Thompson (7.84) competed in the men's 60 m dash (age 20+) and crossed the line in fourth and seventh places, respectively.

The women's 300m sprint featured four X-Women in the age 18-19 race and two in the age 20+ race. Murphy (43.45), Cruickshank (44.42), Brittany Wadden (46.51) and Nolan (46.55) placed second through fourth in the first race, while MacQuarrie (41.41) and Brennan (42.58) claimed the top two spots in the second race.

Faour was the lone X-Men competitor in the men's 300m dash (age 18-19), and his time of 38.51 was good enough for second spot overall amongst seven sprinters. Mackenzie Munroe sprinted to a second place finish in the men's 60m dash (age 20+) for the X-Men at 36.92. Murphy (37.68) was seventh, with Bennet Munroe (38.16) and Alex Vanderlinden (39.46) in ninth and tenth positions.

Three of the same X-Men runners also competed in the men's 600m race (age 20+). MacKenzie Munroe was again the top StFX finisher, claiming the top spot clocking in at 1:22.55. Andrew Bain placed second at 1:23.47 and Bennet Munroe (1:27.28) and Vanderlinden (1:30.04) were third and fourth for a StFX sweep. Ryan Washburn ran in the 18-19 year old 600m race for StFX and was first with a time of 1:29.22.

In the women's 600m run (age 18-19), two X-Women placed first and second as Beth MacDonald broke the tape at 1:47.08, followed by Wadden at 1:50.28. In the age 20+ race, Kathryn Tuck was the lone X competitor in second place with a time of 1:49.60.

Tuck also competed in the 1000m race (age 20+) and was second overall (3:15.80) behind her teammate Liz O'Connell who posted a time of 3:02.79. In the age 18-19 race, MacDonald was first at 3:13.33 while Kendra MacNeil as third at 3:23.46.

In the men's 18-19 year old 1000m race, Washburn was the sole X-Man and he took top spot with a time of 2:45.03. Gabe Quenneville ran for the X-Men in the age 20+ 1000m race and was first overall at 2:35.41.

Five X-Men swept the top five placements in the men's 3000 race (age 18-19). Lee Wesselius was first crossing the line at 9:10.15. He was followed by Cal DeWolfe (9:10.41), Warren Ferguson (9:35.07), Ryan O'Regan (9:42.94) and Matt Eliot (9:47.86)

In the men's 3000m (age 20+), Bryden Tate was second overall with an 8:53.66 showing, followed by Quenneville in third at 9:37.78).

In the women's 3000m race (one event), AUS individual cross country champion Melissa Hardy won the event with a time of 10:00.72. She was followed by four X-Women teammates in second through fifth positions: Lynette Manuel (10:41.16), O'Connell (10:50.56), Alexa Zarins (10:54.04) and Ginny Anderson (10:56.74).

There were no X-Women competitors in the 60m hurdles, but on the men's side Jake McKenna was the top finisher with a time of 9:47 while Colin Thompson was disqualified.
Both teams competed in the 4x200m relay races with the X-Women winning their race in a time of 1:46.83 and the X-Men winning at 1:35.06. The X-Men also ran a 'B' team in the relay race that placed third at 1:43.72.

In the women's high jump (age 18-19), Mary Catherine Thompson placed second with a jump of 1.40m. She was followed by Stephanie Brennan in third at 1.30m.

Thompson also competed in the women's age 18-19 long jump and was second overall with a 4.77m jump. Brennan was third in the women's 20+ long jump with a 5.18m showing.

Brayden Murphy (1.90m) and McKenna (1.75m) competed for the X-Men in the men's 18-19 high jump, placing first and second.

McKenna (5.85m), Murphy (5.80m) and Mitchell (5.79m) placed second, third and fourth in the men's 18-19 long jump event, while Colin Thompson (6.00m) and Bennet Munroe (6.00m) were first and second in the men's age 20+ long jump.

Both Murphy and Thompson competed in their respective triple jump events as well. Murphy placed third in the 18-19 event with a jump of 11.24m, while Thompson was second in the 20+ event at 12.37m.

Both the X-Women and X-Men teams will break from competition until the New Year. Their next scheduled meet is the Moncton Open on January 11-12, 2014.