EDMONTON – Back-to-back conference records in the 60m hurdles highlighted a thrilling opening day of the 2024 Canada West Track & Field Championship in the Universiade Pavilion.

Calgary Dino Sienna MacDonald blazed through the field with a time of 8.19 seconds, narrowly breaking the record of 8.21 seconds set by UofS Huskie Michelle Harrison in 2020. 

Not five minutes later, Golden Bear Justin Rose set the men's record with a time of 7.92 seconds, besting the previous record of 7.94 set by Calum Innes in 2014. Rose, the 2023 Canadian 400m hurdles champion, set two new personal bests in the event on the same day, placing first in the preliminaries with a time of 8.04 seconds. 

MacDonald, who has earned a pair of U SPORTS Athlete of the Week honours this season already, was far and away the best athlete in Edmonton on Friday, winning gold in three events, adding the top spot in the women's pentathlon and long jump to go along with her 60m hurdles win. 

The third-year Dino bested teammate Aly Edwards by 271 points in the pentathlon, before capping off the night with a win in the long jump at 6.03m with a story-book finish. MacDonald had jumped 6.02m on her second attempt. It looked like that would be good enough for the win until Saskatchewan's Taylor Schultz leapt 6.03m on her penultimate attempt. On the final jump of the night and 23rd competition across all events on the night, the Airdrie, Alta. product did just enough, clearing 6.03m to tie for the lead and claim gold based on her next-best mark.

Thanks to MacDonald's heroics, the Dinos trail the two-time defending champion Huskies by just one point in the team standings through Friday. The Huskies were led by gold medals from Avery Pearson (1000m), Paige Willems (300m), and their 4x800m relay team. 

The Alberta Pandas sit in third with 38 points, and were led by rookie Rachel Grenke, who earned gold in the women's pole vault with a jump of 4.11m, one centimetre off a program record. 

On the men's side, the host Golden Bears and defending champion Manitoba Bisons are living up to expectations with an ultra-competitive battle for first. The Bears hold a slim two-point gap, thanks to a gold medal performance from Ron MacLean (3000m), and a silver from Josh Li in the 300m. Manitoba received a bulk of their points from Graham Wright and their 4x800m relay team, who both captured gold medals. Wright was one of four athletes who improved on silver medal performances from 2023 to capture gold in 2024. 

Day 2 of the Canada West Track & Field Championship will get underway at 10:40 a.m. MT on Saturday in Edmonton, with both team banners and 18 gold medals still up for grabs. 

TEAM STANDINGS – DAY 1
WOMEN
Pos.    Team    Points
1    Saskatchewan    102
2    Calgary    97
3    Alberta    64
4    Trinity Western    31
5    Manitoba    18
6    Victoria    17
7    Regina    11
8    Lethbridge    4

MEN6
Pos.    Team    Points
1    Alberta    68
2    Manitoba    65
3    Saskatchewan    34
4    Regina    29
t5    Calgary    26
t5    Victoria    26
7    Trinity Western    16
8    Lethbridge    7
  
DAY 1 RESULTS (FRIDAY, FEB. 23)

Men's Long Jump
1. Okewoma Okumo, Trinity Western (7.26m)
2. River Sanoy, Calgary (7.13m)
3. Graham Hutchison-Campbell, Manitoba (7.11m)

Women's 1000m
1. Avery Pearson, Saskatchewan (2:47.54)
2. Olivia Cooper, Alberta (2:48.02)
3. Jenica Swartz, Alberta (2:48.05)

Men's 1000m
1. Jonathan Podbielski, Regina (2:25.08)
2. Calvin Reimer, Manitoba (2:27.31)
3. Brayden Mytopher, Regina (2:27.40)

Men's Weight Throw
1. Graham Wright, Manitoba (18.02m)
2. Josh Suelzle, Manitoba (17.90m)
3. Parker Lavoie, Saskatchewan (16.26m)

Women's 3000m
1. Chloe Turner, Calgary (9:46.35)
2. Elise Coates, Victoria (9:47.95)
3. Constance Nankivell, Trinity Western (10:00.31)

Men's 3000m
1. Ron MacLean, Alberta (8:27.55)
2. Daniel Damian, Victoria (8:28.30)
3. Will Cebuliak, Alberta (8:36.15)

Women's 60m Hurdles
1. Sienna MacDonald, Calgary (8.19) *New Canada West Record
2. Timi Adelugba, Saskatchewan (8.35)
3. Joely Welburn, Saskatchewan (8.39)

Men's 60m Hurdles
1. Justin Rose, Alberta (7.92) *New Canada West Record
2. Adam Andreas, Manitoba (7.97)
3. Tiago Dimande, Saskatchewan (8.14)

Women's 300m
1. Paige Willems, Saskatchewan (37.79)
2. Grace Igbiki, Saskatchewan (38.81)
3. Dawn Richardson Wilson, Calgary (39.46)

Men's 300m
1. Devon Zuchotzki, Calgary (34.11)
2. Josh Li, Alberta (34.41)
3. Evan Essapa, Alberta (34.80)

Women's Pentathlon
1. Sienna MacDonald, Calgary (4069)
2. Aly Edwards, Calgary (3798)
3. Shelaine Pritchard, Regina (3719)

Women's Pole Vault
1. Rachel Grenke, Alberta (4.11m)
2. Ana Fonseca, Trinity Western (3.50m)
3. Sierra Leonard, Alberta (3.40m)

Women's Long Jump
1. Sienna MacDonald, Calgary (6.03m)
2. Taylor Schultz, Saskatchewan (6.03m)
3. Sheleena Wiley, Trinity Western (6.01m)

Women's Shot Put
1. Anna McConnell, Manitoba (14.12m)
2. Alexis Johnson, Calgary (13.50m)
3. Kira Comfort, Saskatchewan (12.16m)

Women's 4x800m Relay
1. Saskatchewan (8:55.91)
(Alyssa Roney, Kaitlyn Harrison, Jenica Swartz, Avery Pearson)
2. Alberta (9:03.55)
(Ethne James, Madison Ford, Grace Cook, Olivia Cooper)
3. Manitoba (9:06.27)
(Arianna Fulcher, Dana Poulton, Lena Klassen, Angela Kroeker)

Men's 4x800m Relay
1. Manitoba (7:38.64)
(Alejandro Civetta, Calvin Reimer, Dawson Mann, Tristan Allen)
2. Regina (7:39.18)
(Omer Labrie-Boulay, Jonathan Podbielski, Scott Fenton, Daniel Eiswerth)
3. Alberta (7:41.58)
(Clay Grattidge, Leif Pougnet, Matthew Water, Tyler Sharpe)

-UC-