By Mike Still

The Dalhousie Tigers women’s track and field team was among the smallest in history this year. Head coach Rich Lehman predicted his women would have a squad of 18 athletes at most, and was unsure if they would be able to pull off their 28th consecutive AUS title. But what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in performances at the AUS championships, taking the victory over StFX.

Thanks to a strong contingent of primarily track athletes, the women had a strong season overall. From standout rookies to veteran stars, the Tigers excelled in nearly every event, and went on to take 17th as a team at the U SPORTS Championships after winning their conference.

First-year hurdler Maya Reynolds was outstanding in her rookie season as a Tiger, putting up big performances to lead the team when two veteran athletes lost their seasons to injury. She set an AUS record in the 60m hurdles and was named rookie of the year at AUS championships. Reynolds placed 13th against tough competition at nationals, and is part of the bright future for Dalhousie’s sprint program.

On the other end of the spectrum, graduating athlete Colleen Wilson went out with a bang in her last year of eligibility, bolstering the strong distance squad. Wilson won both the 1500m and the 3000m races at the AUS championships, following a very successful cross country season. At nationals, she placed 11th in the 1500m and the 3000m events.

Sarah Myatt ended her first season as a Tiger on a high note, tying for eighth place in the 1000m run at the U SPORTS championships. The University of New Brunswick transfer also competed in the 600m distance, taking eighth in the preliminary heats. At the conference championships, she won both of the same events, and took home athlete of the meet honours.

Team co-captain Michaela Walker ran with Wilson in the 1500m event at nationals, placing 12th behind her teammate. She took second in the 1000m race at AUS championships behind Myatt, and second behind Wilson again in the 1500m race at the conference meet.

Macayla Cullen continued her streak of taking first in the high jump at the AUS championships. The co-captain also competed in Edmonton at the U SPORTS championships, where she came eighth in the event, jumping a 1.62m.

Fourth-year athlete Heather Beaton was a key member of the sprint squad all season. At the conference championships, she won the 300m event and placed second behind her teammate Myatt in the 600m distance. At nationals, she raced the 300m, placing 10th.

As a team, the women were dominant in the relays, placing first in both the 4x400m and 4x800m relays at the AUS championships. In Edmonton, the team of Anna McCrea, Walker, Olivia Ross and Myatt competed in the 4x800m relay, scoring a fifth-place finish for the team.

Given the low number of athletes on the Dalhousie team on the whole and the number of athletes whose seasons were cut short due to injury, it was a successful year for the Tigers. The team loses several members to graduation this year, but has plenty of young talent to fill any gaps.