‘It’s a special thing we’ve got going on here’

A photo finish doesn’t begin to describe what happened as the U Sports Track and Field Championships concluded Saturday at the James Daly Fieldhouse.

After three days of fast-paced action at the University of Manitoba, things came to a halt. One afternoon race was under review as officials spent more than three hours deliberating on a result that would determine the men’s national champion.

Hosting nationals for the second time in three years, the Herd’s program is growing at the right time. Fifteen Bisons competed for a medal Saturday, led by two veteran athletes who’ve been instrumental in the program’s success.

Fifth-year athlete Daxx Turner, the only triple jumper in Bisons history to win five Canada West Championships, aimed to close out his decorated collegiate career with a second national gold.

Turner delivered in his final competition, recording a personal best jump of 16.17 metres to capture gold — smashing Dexter Belton’s school record of 16.06 metres, which stood for 40 years. His third-year teammate Adebare Adegbosin recorded a personal best of 15.68 metres to pick up silver.

Adegbosin said he’s glad to be a part of a program quickly gaining national recognition.

“Coming in to this program, I didn’t know how respected it was,” he said. “It’s a special thing we’ve got going on here.”

Throughout the competition, Turner kept loose by singing and dancing to the music playing over the speakers, smiling and encouraging his competitors. After the win, he soaked up his final moments on the track, offering his time to fellow athletes, friends, fans and family who wanted to congratulate him.

Winning gold for the second time at home, Turner said his laid-back approach was vital to his success.

“It’s such a mental sport. Your body can be in the best condition it’s ever been in, and if your head isn’t in the right space you’re just going to underperform,” he said. “Just being very comfortable and confident is, I think, such a key element to a successful athlete in track and field.”

In the women’s high jump, Manitoba’s Lara Denbow was making history of her own.

Denbow and Turner both grew up in Neepawa and trained together long before they were Bisons. Denbow began her collegiate career in the NCAA with Oregon State University before transferring home in 2022.

Seeking her third consecutive national gold, Denbow’s 1.73-metre jump was good enough to share gold with Chloe Zaraska of Brock University. She said to win it at home alongside her longtime teammate made it extra special.

“I’m just so happy to have done it with Daxx, and to have done it with all of our family and friends here,” she said.

Denbow also jumped into the history books as the first female athlete for the Bisons to win three straight gold medals in an individual event — a feat she wasn’t aware of.

“Well, that’s pretty cool,” she laughed.

Denbow plans to return next season, with a chance to make it four straight in front of the hometown crowd.

“The nationals at Max Bell are always just so much fun,” she said. “I have little cousins here, my aunt and uncle, my grandma and grandpa, my parents, my brother, it was so nice,” said Denbow, holding back happy tears.

Fresh off making history, Denbow summed up her emotions in one word: “Grateful.”

Denbow’s second-year Bisons teammate Nevaeh Marynowski finished just off the podium with her 1.70-metre jump.

Over in the men’s 600-metre race, Manitoba’s Alejandro Civetta was chasing redemption.

Ranked number one nationally, Civetta finished with bronze at the Canada West championships in February, falling short of Alberta’s Ryder Rattee, who captured gold. Rattee entered Saturday ranked second, seeking his second national gold of the weekend after winning the 300-metre final Friday.

Civetta surpassed Rattee early for the lead and kept pace into the final 200 metres. But Rattee saved his best for last, sprinting ahead in the final turn to clinch gold. Civetta’s time of 1:18.49 earned him a bronze medal, his first on the national stage.

Meanwhile, the Bisons women’s relay team finished third in the first heat of the 4×200-metre final, but it wasn’t enough to medal as Guelph and Saskatchewan went toe-to-toe in Heat 2. Guelph had a comfortable lead throughout, but a rough hand-off in the final leg allowed the national favourite Huskies to draw ahead, clinching gold by 13 hundredths of a second.

It was in the men’s relay where the drama heated up. The Bisons would pick up bronze in the 4×400-metre to cap off the day, but the earlier 4×200-metre was the culprit for the national title delay.

Setting a school record in the event earlier this season, the Bisons were hopeful for a golden finish in the 4×200. Manitoba’s Tyrell Davis started strong, and anchor Gavin Moore pulled away in the final leg to win the heat. Davis and Moore both recorded a split-time of 21.3 seconds, leading Manitoba to a time of 1:26.42.

When Davis saw his split time, he rolled his eyes in disappointment.

“The goal is to go 20-point,” said a smiling Davis. “Wasn’t what I wanted, still satisfied but obviously I’m just hungry for more.”

Just months prior, the fourth-year sprinter had a decision to make. During trials for the Canada Games, Davis tore two muscles in his hamstring, sidelining him for two months. But Davis wasn’t ready to quit on himself, or his teammates.

“We’ve developed a lot of trust in our team,” said Davis, mentioning the group’s chemistry with baton hand-offs.

In the second heat, Guelph finished with an unofficial time of 1:25.77, and the Bisons fell to second place, but the race was protested, citing a Gryphon foul.

Davis — who won gold Thursday in a photo finish in the 60-metre sprint — wasn’t ready to settle for silver.

“Me and the boys have worked really hard for this,” he said before the results were finalized.

The protest was eventually upheld, which put Guelph in first place. However, that decision was then protested by Western University which meant, if successful, the Mustangs’ protest would make them national champions.

Three hours later, a roar of cheers emerged from the Mustangs’ team. The Gryphons were disqualified from the relay, the Bisons were awarded gold in the event, and Western won the men’s title.

After the drama had settled on the track, Guelph’s women’s team were crowned national champions. The Gryphons have become a powerhouse under head coach Jason Kerr, who has captured 15 national championships in his 13-year tenure, and was named U Sports Coach of the Year for the Gryphons’ Sunday — his eighth award since acquiring the job.

“I think we’re going to be defined by how we behave when things don’t go our way,” he said, fighting back tears.

“In this program, a lot of things have gone our way over the years… today it didn’t, that’s when we have a true test of character and that’s when coaches need to coach,” Kerr added, referencing the disqualification of the men’s side.

On the men’s side, the Western program clinched back-to-back national titles, this time with first-year coach Caroline Ehrhardt. As an athlete Ehrhardt dominated the women’s triple jump scene, recording 10 Canadian championships while holding the national record in women’s triple jump at 14.03 metres.

Awarded Coach of the Year for the men’s side, she said she couldn’t have accomplished what she did without her support system.

“They are the reason that this has happened,” she said. “I’m so lucky to be a part of this program.”

Ehrhardt said her team’s character played a role in earning the title.

“It’s a lot of the sideline stuff,” she said. “We genuinely want it for each other so bad and that comes through in the way that we’re able to support one another.”

On the home side, the Bisons men finished fourth in the country — one point behind Guelph for bronze. The women’s team finished in 12th.

Manitoba is set to host again in 2027, with many key athletes expected to return next season aspiring to climb the podium once again.

winnipegfreepress.com/benlittle