StFX tracksters compete in final meet before AUS championship

The StFX track and field team competed at the Dalhousie Tigers Classic meet on Saturday at the Halifax Canada Games Centre. The meet marked the last competition before the AUS championship, slated for Feb. 22-23 in Moncton.

In the women's events, Eilish MacQuarrie ran 7.94 in the 60m dash final for a third place finish, while her X-Women teammates Jillian Murphy (7.96) and Abbi Finnan (8.02) were fourth and sixth. Four other StFX sprinters ran in the qualifiers including Candace Cruickshank (8.36), Bridget Brennan (8.40), Nadine Otten (8.49) and Jillian Nolan (8.79).

In the 300m race (aged 18-19), Cruickshank was fourth overall with a 43.52 clocking. Brittany Wadden (46.87) and Mary Catherine Thompson (47.88) were fifth and sixth. In the women's age 20-34 race, MacQuarrie came out on top with a 40.04 finish. Bridget Brennan (42.74) was fourth, followed by X teammates Murphy (43.07), Finnan (43.99) and Nolan (46.95).

Two StFX runners competed in women's 600m race. Elizabeth MacDonald was sixth with a time of 1:45.93, while Wadden was eighth at 1:47.44. MacDonald also ran the 1000m race (age 18-19) and came first with a 3:11.62 showing.

In the 1000m event for those aged 20-24, StFX's Liz O'Connell placed fourth with a time of 3:09.69. She also competed in the 1500m event where she came out on top with a 4:43.06 run. Lynette Manuel was seventh at 5:07.73.

Veteran runner Melissa Hardy came second overall (and first amongst AUS runners) in the 5000m event with a time of 9:51.44. Teammates Alexa Zarins (10:43.07) and Ginny Anderson (11:00.33) were fourth and fifth.

In the 60m hurdles, Finnan (9.56) and Otten (9.66) placed one-two for the X-Women.
In the jumping events, Thompson placed third in both the high jump and long for athletes aged 18-19. She posted a 1.45m in the high jump and 4.69m in the long jump.

Lauren Agnew was fifth in the high jump (age 20-34) with a 1.55m showing, while Bridget Brennan was second in the long jump (aged 20-34) with a 5.16m jump.

In the men's jumping events, StFX's Jake McKenna was first in the high jump (1.75m) and second in the long jump (5.89m). Teammate Ben Munroe won the long jump with a 6.09m result.

McKenna also competed in the 60m hurdles where he placed second overall with a clocking of 9.49 seconds.

X-Men sprinter Demetrius Ferguson took top honors in the 60m dash with a time of 7.09 in the final race, improving on his qualifying time of 7.21. Matt Murphy was fourth in the 60m dash with a 7.20 result.

Murphy also raced the 300m event where he was second overall at 37.13.

Thomas Faour (1:26.07) and Ryan Washburn (1:26.58) competed in the 600m (age 18-19) and came in second and third, respectively.

In the men's 300m (age 20-34), StFX had five competitors including Mackenzie Munroe who came second overall (first amongst AUS racers) with a 1:22.00 clocking. Andrew Bain was third at 1:23.22, followed by fellow X-Men Max Maund (1:25.38), Ben Munroe (1:26.32) and Alex Vanderlinden (1:29.24) in fourth, fifth and sixth positions.

Scott Donald won the 1000m event with a time of 2:32.36. Bryden Tate was third at 2:34.98, while Gabe Quenneville (2:37.02) was fourth, Will Forsey (2:40.30) placed fifth and Ryan O'Regan (2:48.63) was sixth.

In the 1500m race for age 18-19 runners, X-Man Matt Eliot (4:30.69) placed third with Alex Cyr (4:32.13) in fifth.

Bryden Tate won the 1500m race (age 20-34) with a 3:57.94 finish. Scott Donald was second at 3:58.79, followed by teammates Quenneville (4:13.72) and O'Regan (4:27.28) in fifth and seventh places.

Three X-Men competed in the 3000m event (age 18-19) including first place finisher Alex Neuffer with a time of 8:51.70. Nick Favero was second at 9:23.72 and Eliot was fourth with a 9:49.36 result.

In the 3000m (age 20-34) Cal DeWolfe came second at 8:54.37 while Stuart MacPherson was third with an 8:57.37 showing.

The X-Men and X-Women will have the coming weekend off as they prepare for the AUS championship on February 22nd and 23rd taking place in Moncton.