(Montreal, Canada---27 July 2019) Lauren Gale pulls away in the home straight to win the U20 400m at 2019 Canadian Track and Field Championships at the Claude Robillard Sports Centre in Montreal. 2019 Copyright Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images.

Gale breaks own record in Iowa

by linkinbioUniversity

The sport of athletics is all about pushing through barriers, whether that be distance or time. For Lauren Gale, her performance at last weekend’s Iowa State Classic was just another example of breaking through a time barrier. The Colorado State University 400 metre specialist broke the 53 second barrier indoors for the first time, running a blistering 52.83. The performance shaved off over six tenths of a second from the previous school mark she set while winning last year’s Mountain West Conference Championship.

Gale’s recent efforts in practice had indicated something good was ready happen after a new personal best in her flying 20 metre run a 37.5 second clocking for 300 metres. She also indicated she’s hit a few personal bests in the weight room as well, which helped culminate in the new indoor best.

While Gale is happy to be training and competing, she has had to shift the focus of her indoor season this year when the conference cancelled this season’s indoor championship last fall. “Without Mountain West, I have been going for times,” said Gale of her adjustment. “It’s me versus the clock now.” It seems to be a battle the third year student is winning as she also set a new best over 200 metres – winning in 23.88 seconds.

The seven time Colorado State High School champion has had to adjust to life under COVID, including avoiding its wrath as it swept through her team earlier this season. COVID has also brought along new protocols such as smaller training groups, mask wearing during practice and twice a week COVID testing – Gale insists the nasal swab is not fun. Nonetheless, she remains positive about the progress. “We are pushing through and I’m still working hard towards my goals. It’s been a little crazy, but manageable.”

Gale’s goals have been consistent through the year – qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June at the University of Oregon and then run at the Olympic Trials in Montreal and qualify to represent Canada in Tokyo. This past weekend’s performance hasn’t altered her focus, but has instilled more confidence in herself that she can achieve those goals.

“I really did surprise myself at how fast I ran. Now I’ve got some faster times I want to hit and big meets to qualify for,” explained Gale, who holds an outdoor best of 52.68 seconds.  “It only makes me want to push harder to be the best I can.”

MRR_8613

Weekend Update

by linkinbioUniversity

With the first weekend of February upon us, Lions athletes competing for their NCAA schools are another week closer to championship meets and this weekend’s results showed they are rounding in to form.

Staying undefeated this season was Colorado State junior Lauren Gale. The 400 metre specialist stepped down in distance as she took victory in the seldom run 55 metres at the Power Meet in Laramie, Wyoming. Gale’s winning time of 6.94 seconds ranks her fourth all-time in Colorado State history. Gale now holds top five school marks in four events indoors, including records in both the 400 metres and 4×400 metre relay.

Further east, at the Arkansas Qualifier, Keira Christie-Galloway continued to find her rhythm in the 60 metre hurdles. The Arizona State junior turned in a seasonal best performance of 8.31 seconds to finish fifth. The mark was a narrow improvement on her 8.32 clocking from a week ago. Christie-Galloway currently sits in 27th on the NCAA top list for this indoor season. As the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor championships have been cancelled this year, the Glebe Collegiate grad will have one final meet next weekend at Texas Tech to post a top 16 performance if she is to qualify for March’s NCAA Championship. Currently, that cut-off is 8.21 seconds.

Rounding out the weekend’s participants was Kevin Robertson, who ran his first competitive mile at the Virginia Tech Elite meet in Blacksburg. The Syracuse University sophomore was fifth in his section with a time of four minutes and 15.86 seconds and placed 14th overall.

 

(Ottawa, Canada---08 July 2017) Katarina Vlahovic, Keira Christie-Galloway competing in the U20 100m hurdle final at the 2017 Canadian Track and Field Championships. (Photo by Sean W Burges / Mundo Sport Images).

Nedow and Christie-Galloway land on podium in NCAA competition

by linkinbioUniversity

It was a small but successful contingent of Lions athletes competing this weekend south of the border with both Tommy Nedow and Keira Christie-Galloway finding their way to the podium after seasonal best performances in their respective events.

Nedow, competing for Southeastern Louisiana University, took top spot in the shot put at the LSU Louisiana Invite. It was the second straight victory for the Brockville native in the early season action. Nedow’s best throw landed 16.47 metres from the circle, a mere four centimetres off his lifetime best set in 2019 at the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships. All four of his measured throws exceeded that of the second place finisher, with the winning toss producing a more than one metre margin of victory.

Also, for the second time in two weeks, Nedow increased his personal best in the weight throw. This time, the fourth year student heaved the 35 pound ball out to 15.78 metres, adding 30 centimetres to the mark set back on the 16th.

In Lubbock at the Texas Tech Invitational, Keira Christie-Galloway knocked a few hundredths off her seasonal best in the 60 metre hurdles on her way to a bronze medal finish. The Arizona State University junior led all qualifiers with an 8.32 second clocking in the heats. The time moved the Glebe Collegiate graduate in to a tie for 23rd on NCAA top list. She recorded a time of 8.38 seconds in the final.

In a result we missed from last weekend, former USport Champion Stephen Evans opened up his 2021 campaign with a third place finish at the Orange Winter Classic #2 in Clermont, Florida. Evans posted a career best opener of one minute and 49.96 seconds.

OTTAWA, ON -- 07 July 2018: Thomas Nedow throws the shot put at the 2018 Athletics Canada National Track and Field Championships held at the Terry Fox Athletics Facility in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images).

Lions have early success south of the border

by linkinbioUniversity

While facilities may be closed here in Canada, a small contingent of Lions athletes have opened up their competition season on the collegiate circuit south of the border with some solid performances and a few victories.

Thrower Tommy Nedow got off to a good start with a victory in the shot put at the LSU Purple Tiger Meet on January 16th. Nedow, a fourth year student at Southeastern Louisiana University, heaved the 16 pound ball out to 15.13 metres to win the competition. He followed that performance up with a sixth place finish in the weight throw and a lifetime best toss of 15.48 metres.

On the track, sprint hurdler Keira Christie-Galloway made her return to indoor competition after sitting out last season when she transferred to Arizona State University. The former Big 12 Champion placed third at the Ted Nelson Invitational in Lubbock, Texas with a time of 8.38 seconds. The mark had Christie-Galloway ranked 26th in the NCAA heading into this weekend’s competitions.

Also on the west coast, Colorado State junior, Lauren Gale was in fine early season form at the Air Force Invitational. The two time Mountain West Conference indoor 400 metre champion topped the 400 metre field with a time of 54.08 seconds. It was a dominating performance for Gale as her margin of victory was just under a second and a half. The Mountain West Conference has already cancelled their indoor championships, so Gale and her Ram teammates will compete in an abbreviated indoor campaign that takes them to Laramie, Wyoming next on February 6.

On the east coast, Kevin Robertson opened up his 2021 campaign with a 8:39.48 clocking at 3000 metres. The Syracuse University sophomore placed ninth at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg in only the third race of his early collegiate career.

Check back soon for news and results from this weekend’s action in the NCAA.