Members of both the Warriors track and field and cross country program are celebrating their achievements at the Canadian track and field championships, which took place on July 27-30 in Langley, B.C. UW athletes took home gold medals in two mixed men’s relay events (the 4×400-metre and 4×100-metre) and a bronze medal in the men’s 400-metre hurdle event.
According to track and field co-head coach Kate Bickle-Ferth, the program’s summer group consisted of existing UW athletes, recent grads, alumni, and coaches. Prior to the Canadian championships, the team competed at the Athletics Ontario Open Championships in Toronto.
“Nationals was an awesome weekend and a climactic [season] finale on Canada’s grandest stage,” said Owen Babcock, who competed and won in men’s 400-metre hurdles and the 4×400-metre relay. Babcock, who completed his undergraduate degree in 2021, returning to UW this fall for a master of sciences in chemistry.
Winning bronze in the hurdle event was one of the weekend’s standout achievements for Babcock. This awarded him his first individual national medal, which he said would be “a memorable moment for sure.”
For Aaron Thompson, the experience was bittersweet. “I’m graduating this summer, which means it was my first and last year wearing a Warriors singlet … being a part of those [relay teams] was really special to me,” he said. Thompson competed individually in the men’s 400-metre and 200-metre races, and achieved gold twice as a member of both winning relay teams. “The individual events went well, but the relays have always been my favourite,” he said of the competition.
A number of team members also achieved personal best scores at the championships, such as recent grad Hannah Blair, who set personal best scores in high jump and in two races within her heptathlon event.
Those who competed at the championships wished to recognize the coaches’ efforts this summer. “We have a special group led by [coaches] Kate and Shane Ferth,” Babcock said. “[I’m] glad we were able to showcase that once again at a national level and help contribute to the Waterloo track and field legacy.”
Thompson also shared his hope that the team’s accomplishments this year will prove that the program has a bright future ahead.
