U SPORTS Track & Field Championships: Guelph men, Sherbrooke women lead after Day 1

EDMONTON (U SPORTS) — It was a dream Thursday for rookie Sherbrooke sprinter Émy Béliveau. She kicked it off with two major awards and finished it by winning the women's 60 metres on the opening day of the U SPORTS Track & Field Championships at the University of Alberta's Universiade Pavilion in Edmonton.

 In the evening, she was mobbed at the 60m finish line by her teammates after sprinting to a personal-best 7.40 time to beat Guelph's Shyvonne Roxborough (7.51) and Western's Joy Spear Chief-Morris (7.51). 

"I just wanted to be first and I was aggressive and I did all I could," she said. "It's awesome. I wasn't expecting to win both (awards), but I'm really happy." 

As a result of her performance and a silver by Amelie Auge in the women's pentathlon, Sherbrooke sits atop the women's team standings after Day 1. With 27 points, they lead with Guelph (19) and Toronto (13). 

"It's kind of a surprise, but the girls did so well," said assistant coach Yves Roy. "With the win in the 60 meters and a very nice surprise in the pentathlon…that's very, very good." 

Although the men's competition is just one event old so far, Guelph leads with 13 points, ahead of Regina (8) and Waterloo (6). 

"We had a good day today," said Gryphons head coach Dave Scott-Thomas. "We have good teams. They're happy teams; they're tight. We've got 49 athletes here, so they're functioning well."

 In the men's 60 metres, Guelph's Kyle Thompson lunged at the line to edge out 2016 champion Tevaughn Campbell of Regina by a mere two one-hundredths of a second (6.75 seconds to 6.77). Waterloo's Mohammed Yassin was third in 6.84.

"I got the start that I wanted and I could see him just out of my peripherals," explained Thompson, who set a new personal best after finishing third at nationals last year. "I could see I was just in front of him the whole way. I knew at the end he was going to come with a nice dip as well, so I had to make sure I out-dipped his dip. That was pretty much what happened." 

Guelph's Ashley Connell capitalized on her fifth of six tosses in the women's weight throw (20 lbs), booming one out to 18.46 metres to beat the rest of the field by almost a full metre. Toronto's Ekua Cudjoe finished second (17.60), and Windsor's Jill Van Damme (17.56) rounded out the podium.

In the final medal event of Day 1, Calgary's Niki Oudenaarden wrapped up the women's pentathlon title with a strong triumph in the 800 metres. She finished with 4,134 points, ahead of Auge (3,926) and Western's Kaleigh Hole (3,878), who was the defending champion.

"It's good because it was a long season, so that's been the endurance test," Oudenaarden said of finishing in 2:18.00 to win the 800 metres, after also topping the high jump (1.74m) and shot put (12.86m), placing second in the long jump (5.80m) and sixth in 60m hurdles (9.18). 

"It was an all right performance, but I feel like there was so much more. But I'm really, really happy with this 800 today." 

With four of seven events in the books for the men's heptathlon, last year's silver medallist, Rostam Turner of Toronto currently leads the standings with 3,024 points. He was first in the shot put, second in the 60m, second in the long jump and third in the high jump on Thursday. Guelph's Mark Emode (2,962 points) and Carleton's Telvin Tavernier (2,906) round out the current podium with the 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1000m events set for Friday. 

TEAM STANDINGS: AFTER DAY 1 

Women
1. Sherbrooke, 27 points
2. Guelph, 19
3. Toronto, 13
4. Western, 12
5. Calgary, 10
5. Windsor, 10
7. Regina, 5
8. Carleton, 4
8. Laval, 4
10. Waterloo, 3
10. Alberta, 3
10. Manitoba, 3
13. New Brunswick, 2
13. McGill, 2

Men
1. Guelph, 13 points
2. Regina, 8
3. Waterloo, 6
4. Saskatchewan, 5
5. Trinity Wester, 4
6. St. Francis Xavier, 2
7. Toronto, 1
8. All others at 0 points

INDIVIDUAL MEDALLISTS: DAY 1

Weight Throw (W)

1. Ashley Connell, Guelph, 18.46
2. Ekua Cudjoe, Toronto, 17.60
3. Jill Van Damme, Windsor, 17.56

60m (W) 
1. Emy Béliveau, Sherbrooke, 7.40
2. Shyvonne Roxborough, Guelph, 7.51
3. Joy Spear Chief-Morris, Western, 7.51

60m (M)
1. Kyle Thompson, Guelph, 6.75 
2. Tevaughn Campbell, Regina, 6.77
3. Mohamed Yassin, Waterloo, 6.84

Pentathlon (W)
1. Niki Oudenaarden, Calgary, 4,134 points
2. Amelia Auge, Sherbrooke,3,926
3. Kaleigh Hole, Western, 3,878 

DAY 2 & DAY 3 SCHEDULE (Livestream available at USPORTS.LIVE)

All Times MT

Friday, March 10
2:00 p.m.        Weight Throw (M) Final
3:30 p.m.       60m (M) Heptathlon
4:30 p.m.       Pole Vault (M) Heptathlon
4:30 p.m.       60m Hurdles (W) Heats
4:45 p.m.        60m Hurdles (M) Heats
5:00 p.m.        Long Jump (W) Final
5:00 p.m.        High Jump (M) Final
5:00 p.m.        1000m (W) Final
5:10 p.m.         1000m (M) Final
5:30 p.m.        60m Hurdles (W) Final
5:40 p.m.        60m Hurdles (M) Final
5:50 p.m.        300m (W) Heats
6:05 p.m.        300m (M) Heats
TBD                 100m (M) Heptathlon
6:30 p.m.       Pole Vault (W) Final
6:30 p.m.       3000m (W) Final
6:50 p.m.        3000m (M) Final
7:00 p.m.        Long Jump (M) Final
7:00 p.m.        Shot Put (W) Final
7:40 p.m.        300m (W) Final
7:50 p.m.        300m (M) Final
8:00 p.m.       4x800m Relay (W) Final
8:15 p.m.         4x800m Relay (M) Final

Saturday, March 11
12:30 p.m.      Triple Jump (W) Final
12:30 p.m.      Pole Vault (M) Final
1:15 p.m.          600m (W) Final
1:30 p.m.        600m (M) Final
2:15 p.m.         4x200m Relay (W) Final
2:25 p.m.        4x200m Relay (M) Final
2:30 p.m.        High Jump (W) Final
2:45 p.m.        Triple Jump (M) Final
2:45 p.m.        Shot Put (M) Final
2:45 p.m.        1500m (W) Final
3:00 p.m.       1500m (M) Final
4:00 p.m.       4x400m Relay (W) Final
4:15 p.m.         4x400m Relay (M) Final 
5:00 p.m.        Championship Award Presentations