CROSSLEY STRIKES GOLD ON DAY 12010-03-11

WINDSOR, Ont. (CIS) – The 2010 CIS Track and Field National Championships opened up with a bang on Thursday with an exciting day on the track at the St. Denis Centre in Windsor.

University of Saskatchewan veteran track & field athlete Chris Crossley earned his team's first medal and first gold with a solid performance in the pentathlon. Teammates Keegan Sharp and Evan Neufeldt finished fourth and eighth respectively in the pentathlon. Graeme Rinholm finished in fourth place in the 60-metre sprint clocking in at 6.78 and sophomore Taryn Suttie had a rough day in the circle fouling out of the weight throw competition. Kristen Mackie fnished sixth in the event with a throw of 15.47-metres. Veronika Smits finished 11th in the pentathlon with 3136 points.

The men’s pentathlon finished in dramatic style with Crossley from the University of Saskatchewan setting a St. Denis Centre record for points with a total of 4126 on his way to claiming the gold medal.  Crossley finished first in all three field events to help lift him and his team to the top of the day one podium.  

University of Windsor’s Anthony Dandie grabbed the silver medal after a very strong overall performance.  Dandie started the day off on the right foot winning the 60 metre hurdle event with a time of 8.27.  Rounding out the top three was Guelph’s Jason Diston.

It didn’t take long for the first spectacular moment of the 2010 championships to unfold.  In the second heat of the men’s 60 meter preliminary round, men’s track athlete of the year Sam Effah  eclipsed an eight year old CIS record with a blazing time of 6.57 en route to winning his third CIS 60 meter gold.  In the finals, the University of Calgary sprinter continued to show off his lightning speed as he finished with a time of 6.59 seconds.

Tyrone Halstead of York University took home the silver medal finishing on Effah’s heels with a time of 6.65 seconds.  Rounding out the top three was Western’s Jason Kerr finishing with a time of 6.76 seconds.    

On the women’s side of the track, the women’s 60 metre sprint saw Laval’s Geneviève Thibault complete the three peat grabbing her third gold medal in as many years.  Thibault continued her dominance of the 60 meter event with a time of 7.35 seconds, only 0.04 seconds short of her 2009 CIS record.  

University of Guelph sprinter Sarah Pierce grabbed the silver medal.  Rounding out the top three, the recently named CIS Women’s Track Athlete of the Year Noelle Montcalm from the University of Windsor captured the bronze medal with a time of 7.54 seconds.  The Windsor native equalled her performance from 2009 and adds another CIS bronze to her ever growing medal collection.

After a long day on the track in the women’s pentathlon, Western’s Jen Cotten brought home her third straight CIS National title in the event.  Cotten dominated the five events,  finishing first in all but the 800 metre and shot puts. Cotten finished with 3947 total points to claim the pentathlon crown.  

Finishing second in the women’s pentathlon was Pascale Delisle from Sherbrooke with a total of 3717 points. Delisle finished first in the shot put event with a toss of 11.26 metres to vault her into second place.  Grabbing the bronze medal was University of Toronto’s Tory Merrill who finished with 3631 points.  Merrill’s time of 2:26.55 in the 800 metre was good enough to win the event and eventually claim the bronze.  

In the women’s weight throw, York University’s Kristin Obrochta captured the gold medal in the first event on Friday afternoon.   The OUA Champion won the gold with a throw of 17.76m, while her teammate Cynthia Appiah tossed 17.10 to secure the bronze.  The 2009 silver medalist Annie Larose added another silver medal to her total with her throw of 17.51.  The Sherbrooke athlete also won silver at the QSSF Championships back in February.   

Championship Website

TEAM STANDINGS: AFTER DAY 1 (of 3)
Women
1. York, 16 points
1. Sherbrooke, 16
1. Western, 16
4. Windsor, 14
5. Guelph,12
6. Laval,10
7. Toronto, 6
8. Manitiba,5
8. Montreal, 5
8.Mcgill, 5
11.Dalhousie, 4
12.Saskatchewan,3
12. Alberta, 3
14.Victoria, 0
14.Brock, 7
14.Laurentian, 4
14.McMaster, 4
14.Queens, 4
14.Saint Mary's, 3
14.Waterloo, 2
14.Calgary, 2
14.Lethbridge, 0
14.StFX, 0
14.Ottawa, 0
14.Regina,0

Men
1. Saskatchewan, 21
2. York, 14
3. Calgary, 10
4. Windsor, 8
5. Western, 6
5. Guelph, 6
7. McGill, 4
7. Sherbrooke, 4
9. Regina, 3
10. Ottawa, 2
11.Dalhousie, 0
11. Alberta, 0
11.Victoria, 0
11.Brock, 0
11.Laurentian, 4
11.McMaster, 4
11.Queens, 0
11.Saint Mary's, 0
11.Waterloo, 0
11.Lethbridge, 0
11.StFX, 0
11.Ottawa, 0
11.Regina,0
11. Laval, 0
11. Toronto, 0
11. Manitoba, 0
11. Montreal, 0

INDIVIDUAL MEDALLISTS: DAY 1
60m (W)
1. Geneviève Thibault, Laval, 7.35        
2. Sarah Peirce, Guelph, 7.45            
3. Noelle Montcalm, Windsor, 7.54                

60m (M)
1.Sam Effah, Calgary, 6.59
2.Tyrone Halstead, York, 6.65
3.Jason Kerr, Western, 6.76

Weight Throw (W):
1. Kristin Obrochta, York, 17.76m
2. Annie Larose, Sherbrooke 17.51
3. Cynthia Appiah, York, 17.10m

Pentathlon (W):
1. Jen Cotten, Western, 3947 
2. Pascale Delisle, Sherbrooke, 3717
3.Tory Merrill, Toronto, 3631

Pentathlon (M):
1. Chris Crossley, Saskatchewan, 4126
2. Anthondy Dandie, Windsor, 3771
3. Jason Diston, Guelph, 3757

CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Friday, March 12
13:30        60m Hurdles (W) Heats
13:45        60m Hurdles (M) Heats
14:00        4x200m Relay (W) Heats
14:20        4x200m Relay (M) Heats
15:30        Weight Throw (M) Final
18:00        60m Hurdles (M) Final
18:00        Pole Vault (W) Final
18:05        High Jump (M) Final
18:10        Long Jump (W) Final
18:15        60m Hurdles (W) Final
18:30        300m (W) Heats
18:45        300m (M) Heats
19:00        1000m (W) Final
19:15        1000m (M) Final
19:30        3000m (W) Final
19:50        3000m (M) Final
20:00        Shot Put (W) Final
20:05        Long Jump (M) Final
20:30        300m (W) Final
20:35        300m (M) Final
21:00        4x800m Relay (W) Final
21:15        4x800m Relay (M) Final

Saturday, March 13
12:00        Triple Jump (W) Final
12:05        Shot Put (M) Final
13:00        Pole Vault (M) Final
13:30        600m (W) Final
13:45        600m (M) Final
14:00        High Jump (W) Final
14:00        4x200m Relay (W) Final
14:05        Triple Jump (M) Final
14:15        4x200m Relay (M) Final
14:45        1500m (W) Final
15:00        1500m (M) Final
15:30        4x400m Relay (W) Final
15:45        4x400m Relay (M) Final