CBU's Akachukwu and Singh Sethi excel at Reds Track & Field Invitational

(SAINT JOHN, NB) The majority of Atlantic University Sport track and field teams gathered at  Saint John's Irving Oil Field House Friday and Saturday, for the 2022 REDS University Invitational.

It was the first real taste of conference competition for the teams after the long, pandemic-induced layoff.

"It was a good weekend overall," said Chris Belof, head coach of the REDS' track and field team. "Everyone was excited to get back to competition and it showed."

In the men's 60-metres, Cape Breton's Promise Akachukwu won in 7.03 seconds. That was 1/100^th of a second better than Dalhousie's Matthew Aftanas' 7.04. UPEI's Zach Wilson was third in 7.14 seconds.

Aidan MacDonald, from St FX, won the women's 1000-metres and mile. In the mile, MacDonald out-ran UNB's Ivy Bialowas by 4/10ths of a second.

Saint Mary's Andrew Peverill won the men's 1000-metres, while UNB's Jared Howse won the men's mile.

Other highlights on the track saw Dal's Abbi Gaudry win the women's 60-metre hurdles and Cape Breton's Balwinder Singh Sethi finished first in the men's 60 hurdles.

On the field, UPEI's Habiba Abdelhalim won the women's high jump with a jump of 1.55 metres. Dal's Tobi Oshikoya was the men's high jump winner, at 1.90 metres. He also won the men's triple jump.

UNB's Lexie Shannon won both the women's long and triple jumps. In both events, Shannon beat teammate Erin McCavour.

Moncton's Kyla Hughes was best in the women's shot put, with a distance of 12.16 metres, while Dal's Toba Oluboka won the women's weight throw.

In the men's shot put, Andre Hendricks, of Dalhousie, beat Moncton's Samuel Bourque by a centimetre. Bourque was able to rebound though, winning the men's weight throw.

In the women's pentathlon, Dal's Amanda Black beat UNB's Julia LeBlanc.

In the men's heptathlon, Moncton's Max Mazerolle outduelled UNB's Oliver Arnfast.

The 2022 Subway Atlantic University Sport Track and Field Championships take place March 18^th and 19^th, at l'Université de Moncton.

The 2022 U SPORTS Track and Field Championships, presented by Saint John LNG, will be held in Saint John, March 31^stthrough April 2^nd. The national championships will be hosted by the UNB REDS, the first time the event has taken place in Atlantic Canada.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Jason Bowie/for UNB Athletics