Breakout Performances at SFU Emilie Mondor Open

Burnaby, BC- A clear and relatively warm day atop Burnaby Mountain produced a string of breakout performances from some of UBC’s top middle-distance runners. Leading the charge was the ladies team duo of Catharine Farish and Heather Slinn. In the first section of the women’s 800m, Farish set an aggressive pace from the gun and held on until the line to finish in a new personal best time of 2:14.66. Her time meets the NAIA ‘B’ standard of 2:16.00 and just misses the NAIA ‘A’ standard of 2:14.50 by .16 seconds.  In the second section of the women’s 800m, Heather Slinn was able to take advantage of a fast first lap, set by pacer Helen Crofts, as she too dipped under the NAIA ‘B’ standard of 2:16.00 in a new personal best time of 2:15.22.  The 800m excitements did not stop with the ladies as Jordan Smith and Theo Hunt, both of whom were stepping down in distance, produced good results that will certainly bode well in preparation for the upcoming series of meets in California. Smith laid down a gutsy performance earning himself an NAIA ‘B’ standard in the process with his time of 1:54.41. Smith’s performance can only mean good things for the men’s 4x800m relay team that will take part in the Mt. Sac relays next week. Among other top performers on the day, Erin Templeton, switching things up from her specialty of triple jump, jumped 5.09m in the women’s long jump.  Anne-Mari Nano ran 64.40 in the women’s 400 hurdles which meets the NAIA ‘B’ standard. Nano had already achieved NAIA ‘A’ standard two weekends ago in Belingham.

Up next

The T-Birds are sending a group to the Mt. SAC Relays, the Azusa Pacific Bryan Clay Invitational and Beach Invitational in the Los Angeles, CA area next week to face some of the best competition in the country and earn more NAIA Championships qualifying times and marks.