Written by Thomas Scott
The Dalhousie Tigers are looking for a ninth straight AUS title this season. The Tigers have won 29 conference titles in the past 32 seasons.
Most recently, third-year jumper Tobi Oshikoya won the triple jump event with a distance of 14.34m and finished second in the long jump with a distance of 6.43m. Oshikoya received Dal’s male PepsiCo Athlete of the week for these efforts at the Athletics Last Chance meet.
“I'm confident in positioning myself competitively at the upcoming U Sports Championship,” says Oshikoya about last weekend’s meet. “Overall, I believe our team had a strong season opener, setting a promising tone for what lies ahead. I anticipate even stronger performances in January, potentially resulting in some auto qualifiers for U Sports Championships.”
Coming off the cross country season, runner Jacob Benoit says the group is excited about the track & field season.
“I know some people on the team have been itching to get on the track and use some of that speed,” says Benoit.
The goal will be to secure the AUS banner for the Tigers again. Benoit believes the team will see success at nationals. Last year, runner Aidan Goslett finished second at nationals in the 1000m race. This was the first medal nationally in the 1000m race for the Tigers since Ueli Albert in 2007. Goslett also finished fourth in the 1500m race at nationals, making him a deadly threat for the Tigers this season.
“That guy's got some real speed on the track," says Benoit. "It’s going to benefit me to be able to train with him over the course of the season. He’s going to be huge for us in our middle-distance events."
Oshikoya is excited to see what the long-distance runners will bring in the new year.
“Their inclusion will undoubtedly add another layer of depth to our team's performances,” says Oshikoya.
The Tigers finished fifth in the 4x800m race at nationals last year. With several high-placing finishes at nationals last year, the Tigers are feeling excited.
Rylan Murphy, from Bedford, Nova Scotia, is a new recruit for the Tigers, competing in the shot put.
He won a silver medal in 2022 at the Legion Canadian Track and Field Championship for Team Nova Scotia/Nunavut with a throw of 15.65m.
When recruited, Head Coach Rich Lehman said Murphy will compete for AUS medals immediately.
Hailing from Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Blake Marchand is joining the Tigers this season. Marchand has won two gold medals at the School Sport Nova Scotia championship. One in the 2021-22 season and one this past year. Lehman says he believes the first year has unlimited upside.