Canada’s largest indoor track and field meet, the McGill Team Challenge, kicked off Friday night in Montreal headlined by two invitational events featuring Lions athletes. The marquee event, the men’s 300m, featured 2012 Olympic 400m silver medalist Lugelin Santos and Ottawa’s own Gord Frenke. Frenke, who produced a personal best 33.62 at this meet last year, held his own with Santos, running shoulder to shoulder through 150m before the Dominican athlete pulled away off the final corner. Frenke crossed the line in 34.04.
Competing in the evening’s other invitational event, the women’s 800m, was Olympian Melissa Bishop who was making her season’s debut at the distance. Coming off a 4:24 1500m performance last week in Windsor, Bishop was untested in victory, crossing the line in 2:05.18. Her nearest competitor finished nearly two and a half seconds back.
In the men’s 1000m, Mohamed Souleiman showed he could be a medal threat at this year’s CIS championships as he finished fourth in a new University of Ottawa record, 2:24.51. Chopping two seconds off his previous mark, Souleiman now also moves into third in the club’s all-time record list. He will see if he can again channel the speed Saturday as he moves up to the 1500m.
In the women’s shot put, Lion Ashley Connell claimed second spot with a best throw of 13.80m. Emma Galbraith was fifth in the 1000m in 2:50.96.