Several St. Thomas University track and field records and personal benchmarks were broken at the Saint Mary’s University Open on Saturday, Feb. 11 in Halifax.
Fourth-year STU runner Brandon LeBlanc surpassed his own university record in the men’s 600-metre race with an all-time best finish of 1:27:20.
As well, LeBlanc’s time of 38.24 in the men’s 300-metre sprint was a second short of his own record.
First-year runner Ryan Terry of the Tommies set a personal best of 2:46:04 in the 1,000-metre competition after shattering STU’s 3,000-metre record two weeks earlier at the New Brunswick Indoor Championships.
In the men’s division, Connor Coelho set personal bests in the long jump (4.62), triple jump (9.62) and 300-metre (42.88).
Mathieu Dumont recorded an individual best in the 60-metre (8:14), while Connor Ryan achieved the same feat in the 600-metre (1:36:98) and posted a time of 41:83 in the 300-metre.
On the women’s side, first-year student Chelsey Hall broke her own 300-metre record with a time of 45:41.
Personal bests were also set by Hannah Albert in the 300-metre (49.06), Jensen Elliott in the 600-metre (1:59:97) and Kelly Brennan in the 300-metre (52.21).
LeBlanc, Hall recognized
LeBlanc and Hall were named the Tommies Coors Light Athletes of the Week for Feb. 13.
LeBlanc, who hails from Riverview, was acknowledged for his performances at SMU.
Hall, who calls Upper Kingsclear home, was also commended for her finishes at SMU.
Women’s hockey playoff schedules finalized
The Atlantic University Sport women’s hockey post-season schedules have been set.
The Tommies finished second in the conference and earned a first-round bye to the semifinals. They will play the St. Francis Xavier University X-Women on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at Grant-Harvey Centre.
Game 2 is set for Sunday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. in Antigonish, N.S. If necessary, Game 3 goes Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in Fredericton.
StFX swept the first-round best-of-three series against the Dalhousie University Tigers with a 7-1 win in Game 2 after downing the Tigers 6-1 on Thursday.
The top-ranked SMU Huskies also clinched a bye to the semis. SMU will face the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues for a shot at its second straight AUS final berth.
In quarterfinal action, UdeM swept the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers.
The Aigles Bleues edged the Panthers 5-4 in Game 1 on Saturday before earning a narrow 1-0 victory on Sunday in Game 2.
The Huskies and Aigles Bleues will face off Thursday, Feb. 23 in Halifax for Game 1, with the second contest scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25 in Moncton. If needed, Game 3 goes Monday, Feb. 27.
Hoops teams struggle in Farrington Memorial contests
The Tommies basketball squads dropped the Francis Farrington Memorial Games on Saturday at Lady Beaverbrook Gym.
The men fell 98-60 to MSVU after the STU women lost 89-64 to the Mystics.
In the men’s contest, the Tommies kept it close in the first quarter, but fell behind 51-28 at halftime and couldn’t come back.
Ashton Slawter led MSVU with 27 points, while Duan Fournier netted 15 and Derek Norris had 11.
Mitch Claybourn scored 16 points for STU, while Sam Drummond, Dylan Gallant and Travis Valanne each added eight.
In the women’s game, STU stayed within shouting distance in the first, but the Mystics’ 13 straight points early in the second put the victory out of the Tommies’ reach.
Kate Gallant paced MSVU with 21 points, while Marika Williams added 18 from the bench and Maddy Hiscock notched 10.
Jayme Hunt and Carissa McTague earned 12 points apiece for STU, while Sara Banks and Christina Richardson each chipped in with 10.
Farrington was a Bahamian student who played on three conference championship teams at STU in the early 2000s. He died in 2009.
A scholarship is still presented annually in Farrington’s memory to players who excel in the classroom and contribute positively to their communities. This year’s recipients were Banks and Dylan Gallant.
Volleyball teams split grad games
The Tommies volleyball squads split their final home games of the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association regular season.
The STU women fell 3-0 to the Mount Allison University Mounties on Sunday at Lady Beaverbrook Gym after the men beat the Université Sainte-Anne Dragons 3-0.
In women’s action, the Mounties won the first set 25-18, the second one 25-23 and the third 25-19.
On the men’s side, STU took the opening game 25-8, the second one 25-11 and the third 25-12.
The Tommies women also fell 3-0 (25-20, 25-14 and 25-22) to MSVU on Saturday at home.
Before Sunday’s games, graduating players Jonah Burridge, Douglas MacFarlane, Francis Sirois, Stephane Blinn, Marc Blinn and Jessica Barna were acknowledged in a brief ceremony.
