The McMaster track team kicked off its 2013 season at the University of Windsor's Can Am Meet in Windsor this past weekend, with several Marauders reaching the podium in the process.
The Maroon and Grey were led by rookie runner Maddy McDonald, who took the top spot in the women's 3000m race with a time of 10:01.91. The long distance specialist – who also competes with McMaster's cross country team – led the race from start to finish, and beat the field by a full 17 seconds. Her showing in Windsor comes as McDonald prepares to compete at the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships in Mandeville, Jamaica on January 26.
Teammate Pauline Skowron competed alongside McDonald in the 3000m event and placed eighth with a time of 10:41.80.
Fourth-year veteran Jessica Tat also enjoyed an impressive weekend on the track, running a personal-best time of 1:34.40 in the women's 600m event and finishing second. Tat led the Marauders' 4x200m relay team, including Latisha Rhooms, Abi Shanmugaratnam and Kara McPherson, to a time of 1:45.97 earlier in the meet, narrowly missing the school record of 1:45.59 and placing the team fourth.
Also reaching the podium on the women's side was cross country bronze medallist Victoria Coates, who opened her season by finishing in third place in the women's 1500m race with a time of 4:43.57. Teammates Claire Stewart and rookie Raquel Burgess finished seventh and ninth respectively behind Coates, each running personal bests in the process.
Scott Hutchinson led the Marauders on the men's side, placing third in the 60m sprint with a time of 6.97, just shy of the school record of 6.91. Brandon Huzveka also excelled at a sprint distance, placing eighth in the 600m race.
Jeremy Walsh and Blair Morgan stood out among the long distance athletes, placing fifth (8:40.25) and seventh (8:50.24) respectively in the men's 3000m event. In the 1500m, Eric Barry finished seventh with a time of 4:04.49, while Sean Bowen placed tenth.
Marauder head coach Paula Schnurr expressed her satisfaction with the weekend's results, and indicated that the Windsor meet marked a positive first step for the program in 2013.
The team returns to action on Saturday, when the Marauders travel to London to take part in the Don Wright Invitational. Members of the squad who did not compete in Windsor will make their competitive debut in London.
Full results of the University of Windsor Can Am Meet can be found here: http://www.golancers.ca/documents/2013/1/12/2013CanAmFinalResults.pdf?id=437
