Women win first CIS title since 2008; men capture silver medal
It’d be an understatement to say that the expectations were high headed into last weekend’s Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Track and Field Championships. Despite three disqualifications and a relay team crash, the women captured their first gold medal since 2008 and the men, losing the team totals by just six points to the York Lions, captured silver.
“It was a great weekend, right from day one to day three,” said Guelph coach Dave Scott-Thomas, who earned the Sue Wise Award as the women’s coach of the year. “Even though the final team standings came down to the results of the 4x400m, which is great because it’s an exciting event, we had done the math and knew that if we performed well in that event, we would win the title. I really thought that right from Day 1 our depth really carried us through. We had someone competing in every event, and for the most part we scored points in those events. Everyone on our team really contributed to this victory, which really validates the work these athletes put into the season.”
Katelyn Ayers – Guelph’s rookie track phenom, the CIS rookie of the year, the Dr. Wendy Jerome Trophy winner as top female performer in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season, and Canadian Junior record-holder for the 1000m – had a weekend like no other.
After being such an integral part of the Gryphons’ successes at the OUA Championships, Ayers experienced the weekend’s biggest controversy when she was disqualified in the 1000m. Coming into the final stretch of the race, Ayers got tangled up with Trinity Western’s Fiona Benson, who delivered multiple elbow blows to the Guelph runner before both runners tripped. Ayers was the quickest to hit her stride after the incident and pulled away for the win. Trinity Western filed a protest and Ayers was disqualified, even though no penalty was immediately called on the track.
Then, in the women’s 4x800m (another event Ayers participated in), Guelph was disqualified after finishing third overall after runners got tangled on a transition. Fortunately, this was overturned, and Guelph was reinstated as bronze medalists.
The grit of Guelph’s track and field program was on full display in Edmonton and the student-athletes refused to let misfortunes damper their quest for CIS titles. The Gryphons brought home a slew of medals including:
Anthony Romaniw, silver, 1000m; Carise Thompson, silver, 3000m; Ross Proudfoot, gold, 3000m; Jared Skeath, bronze, weight throw; Emily Gordon, Sophie Watts, Genevieve Lalonde, Ayers, bronze, 4x800m; Tommy Land, Drew Anderson, Christian Gravel, Romaniw, bronze, 4x800m; Sarah Dougherty, bronze, weight throw; and Marissa Kurtimah, silver, 60m.
A total of 15 medals were brought home by Gryphon athletes, and five athletes were named All-Canadians in what ended up being a monumental season of track and field for the red, black, and gold.