Dalhousie Tigers track and field head coach Rich Lehman is pleased to announce the commitment of Blake Marchand for the 2023-24 season.

A high jumper, Marchand won a gold medal for the Strait Area Education Recreation Centre (SAERC) at the 2021-22 School Sport Nova Scotia championship then followed that up with a gold medal this past year. He won the track and field MVP award in 2021-22 and Coaches Award in 2022-23 at SAERC for his efforts.

The Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia native also won a gold medal in high jump at the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Athletics Nova Scotia Provincial and Club championships. In July, Marchand won a gold medal in the high jump at the 2023 Atlantic Track & Field Championships after winning a gold medal in the U20 category at the 2023 Canadian Indoor Track & Field Championship last March.

“I am really looking forward to all Dalhousie has to offer,” says Marchand. “Dal was the best fit for me to achieve my academic goals, and as a top AUS track and field team, I knew I’d receive the highest quality coaching.”

Marchand will be studying engineering at Dalhousie.

“Blake is an extremely gifted athlete with what I believe is almost unlimited upside,” says Lehman. “To be a provincial champion in an extremely technical event without a club or facilities in his hometown is very impressive. Blake will be a threat on a national scale before his time at Dal is over.”

Marchand and his teammates will begin pursuit of their seventh-straight conference title December 2 at the ANS Last Chance Meet.