SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Track & Field teams racked up a total of 13 medals this past weekend as they went head-to-head with the best in the country at the U SPORTS National Championships in Winnipeg, MB.
 
FULL RESULTS | DAY 1 & 2 RECAP
 
Five of those medals came on the third and final day of competition as the Huskies went out with a bang. The women's team claimed four of those five medals and, in the process, finished with a team total of 99 points earning them second place in the nation, their best finish since the 2005 season.
 
"Extremely proud of them women's team, we had a team of 12 athletes that went up against a Guelph team that had 29, so just the fact that we were able to get within that amount of points was pretty remarkable," said Huskies head coach Jason Reindl.
 
Both the 4x200- and 4x400-metre relay teams struck silver for Saskatchewan, while individually it was once again Julianne Labach and Courtney Hufsmith leading the way. Labach won gold in the 600-metre in a time of 1:28.70, good enough for the recently named U SPORTS Track Athlete of the Year to break Gwen Wall's Huskie record that had stood since 1984.
 
"All year the 600 has been a major focus, she came in, executed her race plan flawlessly and it was just an amazing accomplishment for her that we are so proud of," said Reindl.
 
While Hufsmith's medal was silver, the third-year runner also broke a Huskie record, finishing the 1500-metre in a time of 4:18.66.
 
Michelle Harrison, Ashlyn Mooney, Kendra Farmer and Katelyn Lehner claimed the silver medals in the 4x200-metre relay while Harrison, Farmer, Labach and Leadan Chartier ran to second place in the 4x400-metre relay.
 
With only 12 athletes competing, the Huskie women accumulated a staggering amount of medals. Harrison and Labach each had one gold and two silvers, Lehner two silvers and a bronze, Farmer two silvers, Hufsmith a silver and a bronze, Chartier and Mooney each a silver and Nicole Ostertag rounded out the medals with a bronze.
 
On the men's side the shot put was once again a strength for the Huskies as Brennan Degenhardt, Brett Lachance and Tyrell Sawatzky finished third, fourth and sixth respectively. Degenhardt's medal combined with the gold and bronze that Kieran Johnston and Landon Gill won in the heptathlon yesterday led the men's team to 31 points and a team finish of eighth.
 
The meet brings an end to the 2018-19 track & field season for a Huskies team that was near the top of the nation all year long. Earlier this month they staked their claim as best in the west by claiming both the women's and men's banners at the Canada West Championships.
 
 
Team Standings
 
Women
1. Guelph (139)
2. Saskatchewan (99)
3. Western (57)
4. Laval (46)
5. Toronto (43)
 
Men
1. Guelph (123)
2. Toronto (72)
3. Manitoba (60.5)
4. Western (53)
5. Alberta (43)
8. Saskatchewan (31)
 
Day 3 Huskie Results
 
M Pole Vault – Josh Websdale (8th – 4.50m)
 
W 600m – Julianne Labach (GOLD – 1:28.70)
 
M Shot Put – Brennan Degenhardt (BRONZE – 16.35m), Brett Lachance (4th – 15.58m), Tyrell Sawatzky (6th – 15.34m)
 
W 4x200m Relay – Michelle Harrison, Ashlyn Mooney, Kendra Farmer, Katelyn Lehner (SILVER – 1:37.88)
 
W 1500m – Courtney Hufsmith (SILVER – 4:18.66)
 
W 4x400m Relay – Kendra Farmer, Michelle Harrison, Leadan Chartier, Julianne Labach (SILVER – 3:45.56)
 
M 4x400m Relay – Jacob Murphy, Kaden Nilson, Jared Welsh, Landon Gill (11th – 3:25.62)