Dalhousie Tigers track and field head coach Rich Lehman is pleased to announce the commitment of Braden Gray and Matt Aftanas for the 2020-21 season.
A native of Truro, N.S., Gray races for Cobequid Educational Centre and the Turo Lions Track and Field Club. The 5’11 sprinter is a multisport athlete that shines in a foot race. The 2018 Nova Scotia School Athletic Association (NSSAF) 200m silver medallist went on to anchor the intermediate 4x100m relay team to a bronze medal that same year. The provincial champion for 16-17 boys 100m dash in 2019, Gray also brought home a bronze medal in that meet in the 200m race.
A member of the 2019 Nova Scotia/Nunavut Royal Canadian Legion National Youth Track and Field Championship team in, Gray helped his 4x100m relay team to a fourth-place finish at the championship.
“It’s a little overwhelming,” says Gray. “I am excited to get in some work and be a part of the Tigers family.”
Cobequid Educational Centre’s class of 2020 valedictorian, Gray will be studying recreation management at Dalhousie.
Aftanas, a Halifax native, will be joining Gray on the sprint team. A member of Citadel High School’s 2019 senior regional and 2018 intermediate regional banner winning track team, he also brought home a provincial silver medal in 2019 as a member of their 4x100m relay team.
Named Citadel High School’s track rookie of the year in 2018, Aftanas earned the coach’s award in 2019. A member of Citadel High School’s honours list in 2020 and high honours list in 2019, he will be studying kinesiology at Dalhousie.
“Dalhousie has had the top track and field program in Atlantic Canada for years,” says Aftanas. “Growing up in Halifax and wanting to stay home for university made Dal feel like the perfect fit. I have heard great things about the kinesiology program from many alumni.”
“Braden and Matt have been two of the top local high school sprinters for the last few years,” says Lehman. “Matt's ability to compete in the hurdles makes him a key recruit for us and Braden has shown tremendous potential in the long sprints. They are two great additions to an event group that has won medals at the national level for the past four years.”
The men’s track and field team won their sixth consecutive AUS championship at the end of the 2019-20 season; their 18th in the last 19 years.