Track & Field Tigers capture AUS championship titles

On the second and final day of the Subway AUS Track and Field Championships, Jessica Shannon was the first Tiger to find the top of the podium, winning the 60m hurdles. Sarah Taplin was third, followed by Chantelle Robbertse in fifth.

Four Tigers finished in the top five of the 1000m run. Michelle Reddy, Celia Peters, Michaela Walker and Abby Llewellyn finsihed second through fifth in the event.

In the 4x200m relay, the team of Shannon, Sydney Smith, Shawna McKay and Sonja Gashus claimed gold, crossing the line in a time of 1:46.03.

Colleen Wilson led the Tigers in a podium sweep of the 3000m run. She crossed the line in a time of 9:51.78, with Morgan Hawkes and Jenna MacDonald placing second and third, respectively.

The top three spots in the long jump were claimed by the Tigers. Chantelle Robbertse won the event with a jump of 5.70m. Kate MacLatchie and Sarah Taplin claimed silver and bronze.

The Tigers continued their dominance in the relays, claiming the 4x400m event, their third of the weekend. Robbertse, Reddy, Shannon and Heather Beaton set a new AUS record of 3:58.83.

Matt Coolen was the first men's Tiger to win gold, taking first place in the 60m hurdles. He set a new AUS record with a time of 8.38 seconds.

Jake Wing won the men's 1000m race in a time of 2:32.28. Will Russell was not far behind, coming in third. Matt McNeil took gold in the 3000m race, clocking a time of 8:33.38.

It was a podium sweep for the Tigers in the triple jump with Jordan Bruce winning the event with a leap of 14.90m. Chas Smith and Stephen Belyea were second and third respectively.

Adam Karakolis won the weight throw with a 16.20m toss, while Devin Errington won the high jump clearing the bar at 1.96m.

In the final event of the evening, the team of Corey Conforzi, Shiloh Johnson, Adam Manuel and Wing set a new staidum record in the 4x400m relay. They clocked in with a time of 3:28.29.

The Tigers won both team titles, with the women winning their 27th consecutive AUS championship (32nd overall). This year's victory marks the 35th overall win for the Tigers.

Jake Wing was named the male track championship MVP while Matt Coolen was named the AUS rookie of the year and track athlete of the year. On the women's side, Morgan Hawkes won the student-athlete community service award and Sarah Taplin was the field athlete of the year. Head coach Rich Lehman was named both the male and female coach of the year.

The Tigers head to the CIS championships at York University March 10-12, 2016.