WINDSOR, Ontario – Trinity Western's women's track and field team finished second overall at the CIS national championships for the first time in program history, as the Spartans collected 79 team points and seven medals over the three-day competition at the St. Denis Sports Centre.
Full Results.
Fifth-year Fiona Benson (Dawson Creek, B.C.) led the way for TWU on Saturday as she captured gold in the 1500m with a time of 4:18.67 for her second individual medal of the meet. On Friday, Benson also earned a silver medal in the 3000m. Over the course of the weekend, Benson four medals, including bronze medals in the 4x400m and 4x800m to cap her Spartans career as the most decorated TWU track and field athlete at the CIS level. She finishes her career with six CIS medals, including a bronze in the 1500m in 2012 and a gold in the 1000m in 2014. Benson is also the first Spartans athlete to win a CIS gold medal in two different events.
Benson's impressive university career came to completion in the final women's race of the meet as she helped the Spartans 4x400m team to a bronze medal with a time of 3:50.56. Joining Benson were Anastasia Pearse (Victoria), Rachel Shuttleworth (Surrey, B.C.) and Maya Daly (Ajax, Ont.)
Earlier in the day, Sabrina Nettey (Surrey) broke her own Spartans triple jump record with a mark of 12.47m to win the bronze medal. Nettey had set the TWU record at 12.20m two weeks ago while winning Canada West gold.
As a team, TWU's previous best finish was third, which it achieved at the 2014 national championships after collecting 64 points. This year, the team's 79 points. Toronto was the only team to collect more points on the women's side as the Varsity Blues earned CIS gold with 131.50 points.
The Spartans team result was particularly impressive as they were competing without two-time CIS champion high jumper Emma Nuttall, who was unable to participate due to injury.
TWU Results
*Spartans Record
(Points)
Day 3
600m
Final
6th – Anastasia Pearse – 1:33.85 (3)
1500m
1st – Fiona Benson – 4:18.67 (10)
4th – Sarah Inglis – 4:22.32 (5)
9th – Regan Yee – 4:29.78
4x200m
5th – 1:40.80 (Claudette Allen, Sabrina Nettey, Hazel Ross, Rachel Shuttleworth)
4x400m
3rd – 3:50.56 (Anastasia Pearse, Rachel Shuttleworth, Maya Daly, Fiona Benson)
Triple Jump
3rd – Sabrina Nettey – 12.47m* (6)
7th – Claudette Allen – 11.70m (2)
Day 2
60m Hurdles
Preliminaries
5th – Hazel Ross – 8.56q
Final
6th – 8.58 (3)
3000m
2nd – Fiona Benson – 9:16.08 (8)
3rd – Sarah Inglis – 9:21.03 (6)
6th – Regan Yee – 9:33.14 (3)
4x800m
3rd – 8:48.00* (6) (Anastasia Pearse, Fiona Benson, Meg Harradine, Sarah Inglis)
Long Jump
1st – Claudette Allen – 6.20m (10)
5th – Sabrina Nettey – 5.93m (4)
12th – Hazel Ross – 5.42m
Pole Vault
7th – Madison Evans – J3.81m (2)
8th – Emma Li – 3.71m (1)
Day 1
600m
Preliminaries
6th – Anastasia Pearse – 1:33.79q
4x200
Preliminaries
5th – 1:41.05q (Claudette Allen, Rachel Shuttleworth, Hazel Ross, Sabrina Nettey)
2015 TWU SPARTANS MEDALS
GOLD
Fiona Benson – 1500m
Claudette Allen – Long Jump
SILVER
Fiona Benson – 3000m
BRONZE
Sabrina Nettey – Triple Jump
Sarah Inglis – 3000m
4x400m
4x800m
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Women
1. Toronto, 131.50 points
2. Trinity Western, 79
3. York, 73
4. Guelph, 68
5. Western, 59
6. Saskatchewan, 39
7. Victoria, 33
8. Windsor, 28
9. Alberta, 27
9. Calgary, 27
11. Sherbrooke, 22
12. Regina, 18
13. Manitoba, 16
14. Dalhousie, 12.50
15. Ottawa, 11
16. Waterloo, 7
17. Laval, 6
18. Moncton, 3
19. St. Francis Xavier, 2
Men
1. Windsor, 101 points
2. Guelph, 92
3. York, 73
4. Laval, 44
4. Victoria, 44
6. Toronto, 42
7. Trinity Western, 41
8. Western, 38.33
9. Sherbrooke, 29
10. Lethbridge, 26
11. Regina, 25
12. Dalhousie, 22
13. Manitoba, 19
14. Calgary, 17
15. McGill, 14.33
16. Alberta, 13.33
17. Saskatchewan, 13
18. Queen's, 6
19. Ottawa, 2
CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS
Women
Outstanding athlete of the meet: Sasha Gollish, Toronto
Coach of the year (Sue Wise Award): Carl Georgevski, Toronto
Men
Outstanding athlete of the meet (George Gemer Award): Ross Proudfoot, Guelph
Coach of the year (Bob Boucher Award): Dennis Fairall, Windsor
ALL-TIME SPARTANS MEDALS AT CIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
GOLD
Fiona Benson – 1500m – 2015
Claudette Allen – Long Jump – 2015
Emma Nuttall – High Jump – 2012 and 2014
Sarah Inglis – 1500m – 2014
Sabrina Nettey – Long Jump – 2014
Fiona Benson – 1000m – 2014
Laura Wilson – 60m – 2002
SILVER
Fiona Benson – 3000m – 2015
Emma Nuttall – High Jump – 2013
Rebecca Marchant – Pole Vault – 2013
BRONZE
Sabrina Nettey – Triple Jump – 2015
Sarah Inglis – 3000m – 2015
4x400m – 2015
4x800m – 2015
Fiona Benson – 1500m – 2012
Aleena Zibin – Shot Put – 2003
CIS TEAM CHAMPIONS (last 10 years)
Women
2013-14 Guelph
2012-13 Calgary
2011-12 Windsor
2010-11 Windsor
2009-10 Windsor
2008-09 Windsor
2007-08 Guelph
2006-07 Calgary
2005-06 Windsor
2004-05 Saskatchewan
Men
2013-14 York
2012-13 Guelph
2011-12 Western
2010-11 Windsor
2009-10 Guelph
2008-09 Windsor
2007-08 Guelph
2006-07 Sherbrooke
2005-06 Windsor
2004-05 Saskatchewan
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, over 11,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships.
-CIS-
-TW-
