Toronto women, Guelph men claim OUA Track and Field Championships

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women and the University of Guelph Gryphons men were crowned the 2015 OUA track and field champions on Saturday evening (Feb. 28) at the Toronto Track and Field Centre at York University. 

The Varsity Blues claimed this year's banner decisively with 180 points, winning their first since 2004. They beat the second-place Gryphons by 51 points, followed by the Western Mustangs with 125. Rounding out the top five were the Windsor Lancers with 84.5 points and the York Lions with 83.

The Gryphons take home their first championship since 2013 and beat out the Lions for the title with 157.70 points. Trailing in third place was Windsor with ­135 points, followed by the Mustangs with 97 and the Varsity Blues with 78. 

The Lions dominated the first event of the day, the women's weight throw, as Brittany Crew broke the OUA record with a throw of 18.69m. Crew received the gold medal; Ekua Cudjoe from the Varsity Blues received the silver medal with 17.33m and Ashley Connell, from the Gryphons received the bronze medal with 17.07m.

Meet records continued to come down later in the day as the Lancers Corey Bellemore broke the OUA record in the men's 600m with a time of 1:18:47.  The Varsity Blues Sasha Gollish also broke the 600m OUA record for the women with a time of 1:30:41. 

The Lions Khamica Bingham tied her own OUA record from last season in the 60m run, finishing with a time of 7.23. In the men's 60m, Bismark Boateng finished with a gold medal and a time of 6.80; and Ike Omoruna finished with a silver medal and a time of 6.90 for a 1-2 York finish. Kristian Benjamin from the Gryphons won the bronze with a time of 6.93 seconds.

The Mustangs Caroline Ehrhardt won her second gold of the meet and broke the OUA record in the women's triple jump with a leap of 13.04m. Julia Stille from Toronto and Vanessa Oliver from Guelph rounded out the podium. 

The Varsity Blues dominated the 4x400m as the men's team topped the OUA record with 3:17:10. Their relay squad included Isiah Weathers, Sacha Smart, Greg MacNeill and Rayshaun Franklin. On the other side, the women's team of Maggie Hanlon, Ellie Hirst, Fiona Callender and Rachel Jewett cruised to gold with a time of 3:46.75.

A trio of Lions took home gold in the field as Nick Fyffe won the men's triple jump with 14.50m, Eric Brathwaite defended his shot put championship with a throw of 17.56m and David McKay won the men's pole vault for the fourth consecutive season with a height of 5.05m. 

The Lions men and women 4x200m relay teams also received gold. The men's team included Jameel Brown, Ayo Agusto, Lucas Watson and Xavier Jehovah, who made a time of 1:27:83. The women's team included Bingham, Sheereen Harris, Danielle Knight and Mikeisha Bobb, who recorded a time of 1:38:96.

In addition to the hardware won at the OUA championships, the top two finishers from each event, as well as all student-athletes who surpassed the automatic standards, have qualified for the CIS championships, which will take place March 12-14 at the University of Windsor.

Women's Standings

1. Toronto – 180

2. Guelph – 129

3. Western – 125

4. Windsor – 84.50

5. York – 83

6. Ottawa – 33.50

7. Waterloo – 14

8. Laurentian – 5

9. Queen's – 4

10. McMaster – 2

Men's Standings

1. Guelph – 157.50

2. York – 135.50

3. Windsor – 135

4. Western – 97

5. Toronto – 78

6. Ottawa – 22

7. McMaster – 20

T8. Lakehead – 5

T8. Waterloo – 5

T10. Queen's – 2

T10. Brock – 2

Women's Weight Throw

1. Brittany Crew, York (18.69m)

2. Ekua Cudjoe, Toronto (17.33m)

3. Ashley Connell, Guelph (17.07m)

Women's High Jump

1. Maja Naurscewiscz, Guelph (1.73m)

2. Danielle Delage, Toronto (1.70m)

3. Emilia Grala, Western (1.64m)

Women's 600m

1. Sasha Gollish, Toronto (1:30:41)

2. Rachel Jewett, Toronto (1:30:96)

3.Fiona Callender, Toronto (1:32:66)

Men's Triple Jump

1. Nick Fyfee, York (14.50m)

2. Riley Bell, Western (14.46m)

3. Angelo Bortolin, Windsor (14.40m)

Men's 600m

1. Corey Bellemore, Windsor (1:18:47)

2. Sacha Smart, Toronto (1:18:65)

3. Triphon Moodie, Western (1:19:78)

Men's Pole Vault

1. David McKay, York (5.05m)

2. Chris Waugh, Windsor (4.79m)

3. Nelson Cecereu, Ottawa (4.55m)  

Women's 60m

1. Khamica Bingham, York (7.23)

2. Joy Spear Chief-Morris, Western (7.48)

3. Hayley Warren, Toronto (7.49)

Men's 60m

1. Bismark Boateng, York (6.80)

2. Ike Omoruna, York (6.90)

3. Kristian Benjamin, Guelph (6.93)

Women's 60m Ambulatory

1. Leah Robinson, Guelph (9.68)

2. Virginia McLachlan (10.32)

Men's Shot Put

1. Eric Brathwaite, York (17.56m)

2. Jared Skeath, Guelph (15.70m)

3. Anojan Sivalingam, York (15.47m)

Women's 4x200 Relay

1. York: Khamica Bingham, Sheereen Harris, Danielle Knight, Mikeisha Bobb (1:38:96)

2. Western: Joy Spear Chief-Morris, Jen Barbon, Sarah Clancy, Rachel Muma

3. Toronto: Hayley Warren, Maggie Hanlon, Madeline Warren, Lindsay Brandys

Men's 4x200 Relay

1. York: Jameel Brown, Ayo Agusto, Lucas Watson, Xavier Jehovah (1:27:83)

2. Guelph: Kristian Benjamin, Brandon Shirk, Charlie Sutton,, Shawn Beaudoin (1:29:26)

3. Western: Keith Cyrus, Riley Bell, Chris Cauley, Anthony Dandie (1:29:39)

Men's High Jump

1. Sean Cate, Guelph (2:10m)

2. Branden Wilhelm, Windsor (2.03m)

3. Paysm Saboni, Western (2.00m)

Women's Triple Jump

1. Caroline Ehrhardt, Western (13.04m)

2. Julia Stille, Toronto (12.66m)

3. Vanessa Oliver, Guelph (11.44m)

Women's 1500m

1. Sasha Gollish, Toronto (4:22:15)

2. Gabriela Stafford, Toronto (4:22:16)

3. Carise Thompson, Guelph (4:28:46)

Men's 1500m

1. Ross Proudfoot, Guelph (3:45:84)

2. Aaron Hendrikx, Guelph (3:47:36)

3. Kyle Grieve, Guelph (3:47:93)

Women's 4x400m

1. Toronto: Maggie Hanlon, Ellie Hirst, Fiona Callender, Rachel Jewett (3:46:75)

2. York: Sheereen Harris, Christy Ihumaegbo, Mikeisha Bobb, Meira Dholakia (3:50:98)

3. Ottawa: Gift Okankwu, Charlotte Gardiner, Chelsea Gillies, Dominique Martel-Lamothe (3:52:92)

Men's 4x400m

1. Toronto: Isiah Weathers, Sacha Smart, Greg MacNeill, Rayshaun Franklin (3:17:10)

2. Windsor: Corey Bellemore, Jesse Drennan, Matt McLaughlin, Alex Ullman (3:17:44)

3. Guelph: Charlie Sutton, Tommy Land, Brandon Shirk, Shawn Beaudoin (3:19:28)