TRK | Kulik Leads Voyageurs at York Holiday Open

The Laurentian varsity track and field team travelled to York University this past weekend to compete at the York Holiday Open Indoor Track & Field meet.   The Vees were led by first year psychology student Milena Kulik (Sudbury) who placed fourth in the women's 300 metre event in a personal best time of 42.12 seconds.  This time places Kulik fifth all-time in Laurentian school history and qualifies her for the OUA Championships at the end of the season.  Kulik also established a new personal best in the 60 metre sprint event with an OUA qualifying time of 8.09 seconds in the heats and 8.12 seconds in the final, good for a 12^th place finish. This performance places Kulik in the #6 position all-time at Laurentian.

The Laurentian women also had solid opening season performances from third year criminology student Shelley Hladin (Chartierville, QC) who placed fourth in triple jump (10.68 metres) and eighth in long jump (4.97m). Second year kinesiology students Alissa Diavolitsis (Sudbury) and Finlay Cuza (Sudbury) placed 12^th and 16^th in the 300 metres in 43.26 and 44.14 seconds respectively. First year kinesiology student Sadie Bridgeman (Manitoulin) placed 16^th in long jump with a 4.63 metre performance.  In the 4 X 200 metre relay, the team of Kulik, Cuza, Hladin and Diavolitsis placed fourth in 1:48.57, the third fastest time in school history.

The Laurentian men saw OUA qualifying marks in the men's 60 metres from second year engineering student Abdul Abiodun (Sudbury) and third year criminology student Josh Kim (Sudbury). Abiodun placed 8^th in the final with a time of 7.17 seconds, matching his personal best. Kim placed 12^th in the final in 7.22 seconds. In the 300 metre event, Laurentian had three first year athletes all finish within less than a second of one another. Adam Urso (Sudbury) placed 11^th in 37.17; Corey Lacroix (Sudbury) placed 14^th in 37.48 and Christian Hodgins (Sudbury) placed 16^th in 37.79.  In the 4 X 200m relay, LU's team of Kim, Lacroix, Hodgins and Abiodun placed third in 1:35.42. This time was the fourth fastest in school history.

In the field events, the Laurentian men were led by second year health promotion student Delali Afidenyo (Kingston) who placed sixth in triple jump with a best performance of 13.11 metres. First year kinesiology student Gabe Gauvreau (Sudbury) placed 16^th in long jump with a leap of 5.90 metres. Josh Kim placed 18^th in the same event with a jump of 5.64 metres.

"We are very really proud of the way our athletes came out ready to compete at our first competition of the season", noted Laurentian's Lead Sprints and Jumps Coach, Jim Taylor. "Our first year athletes competed like veterans and put up some impressive early season numbers. Their energy during the competition has me excited for our next meet in Windsor in early January."

Laurentian's sprinters and horizontal jumpers will be joined by their middle distance and distance teammates at their next competition in the new year at the Can-Am Invitational hosted by the University of Windsor, January 9-10.