Dalhousie Tigers women’s track and field head coach Rich Lehman is pleased to announce the commitment of Malia Artibello for the 2021-22 season.
A middle-distance runner from Antigonish, N.S., Artibello competes for Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School and placed fifth at the 2020 Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation (NSSAF) provincial cross country championship this past fall. She also placed first in the 400m and second in the 800m at the 2018-19 NSSAF Track and Field Championships.
Artibello was named to Team Nova Scotia/Nunavut for the 2018 and 2019 National Legion Track and Field Championships. She placed ninth in the 800m at the 2019 event and was a member of the 4x440m relay team. Artibello holds personal bests of 1:39 in the 600m and 2:19 in the 800m.
“I am super excited to be a part of the track team at Dalhousie in the fall,” says Artibello. “I’m looking forward to training with the other athletes and improving as a runner!”
A multi-year member of the honour roll at her high school, Artibello will be studying kinesiology at Dalhousie.
“Malia is another one of our recruits currently being coached by alumna Heather Beaton,” says Lehman. “She has a huge upside in the middle-distance events. She's a gritty racer who has already demonstrated an ability to outwork her competition. She's also an invaluable addition to our relay program. We expect her to be a mainstay in both the 4x400m and 4x800m relays and she has the ability to drop down to the 4x200m if necessary.”
The 2020-21 season has been cancelled due to COVID-19, but the women’s track and field team will look to secure their 32nd consecutive AUS championship title at the end of the 2021-22 season.