By Taylor McKee
For the sixth time in nine years, the University of Calgary Dinos women’s track and field team was crowned as champions of Canada West. The championship marks the 11th time the Dinos women have won a CW track and field title.
The scoring of the CW finals tabulate the performances in many different events and awarded points to the school based on the placement. The Dinos finished the meet with a comfortable margin of victory and 122 team points — 52 more than second-place Trinity Western University Spartans.
Dinos rookie Jenna Westaway had a standout performance at the CW finals, winning the female rookie of the year honour after her gold medal performances in the 600 metre and 4×400 metre relay team. Westaway also had a second-place finish in the 1000-metre race of the first day of the finals.
In their gold medal winning performance, the Dinos 4×400 metre relay team broke a 29-year-old record previously held by the University of Saskatchewan Huskies with a time of 3:45.19.
In the pole vault, Kimberly Stephenson won gold in the women’s event for the U of C and Alex Love won gold in the men’s event.
The Dinos women were supported by remarkable individual performances. Fourth-year Rachael McIntosh won gold for the Dinos in the women’s pentathalon and placed third overall in the long-jump which earned a total of 14 points for the Dinos. Third-year Rachel Machin won gold in the long jump and placed second in the 60-metre hurdles which earned a total of 12 points for the Dinos.
Head coach Doug Lamont won women’s coach of the year. In 2011–12, Lamont won men’s coach of the year honour.
The Dinos men’s team were not as successful, finishing in fifth place — 47 points behind the first place University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
After the CW finals, the Dinos who have qualified in their individual events now move on to compete in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport track and field championships in Edmonton from March 7–9.