On Jan. 25-26, the UNB Varsity Reds track and field team, featuring students from both Fredericton and Saint John campuses, competed at McGill in the eighteenth annual Team Challenge. The Varsity Reds placed seventeenth overall out of 27 universities from all four CIS conferences (Quebec, Atlantic, Ontario and Canada West).
From the Varsity Reds, the top female finisher was Alexandra Black from UNBF who was fifth in women’s shot put with a throw of 12.05m. As of Jan. 28 she was ranked first in the AUS and twelfth in the national CIS rankings. From UNBSJ, Rachelle McDonald ran a new personal best in the 300m at 42.26s.
For the men, the top finisher was Ryan Larsen from UNBF. He placed twelfth overall in the high jump with 1.80m. He is also, as of Jan. 28, ranked third in the AUS. From UNBSJ, Dan Brown was second in the AUS as of Jan 28. and ran 36.73s in the 300m at the McGill Team Challenge.
Jason Reildel, the coach for the Varsity Reds, commented that the McGill Team Challenge had a high level of performance with upwards of four Olympians present. “While we didn’t come back with any medals, the student-athletes did learn a lot about what CIS competition is all about,” says Reindl, “seeing these Olympians who are also student-athletes, same as our athletes really, shows them that it is possible to achieve a high level of preformance.”
