Current members, recruits and alumni of the York University Lions track and field team got their outdoor seasons underway this weekend as they competed at the University of Buffalo Invitational on Saturday, April 27.
Two current Lions grabbed gold medals, as did one of the Lions’ top recruits for next season and one of their prominent alumni.
Current Lions sprinters Monique Simon-Tucker and Quinn Charles both brought home gold medals respectively in the women’s and men’s 100m races. Simon-Tucker, the reigning Ontario University Athletics championship silver medalist in the 60m, won the women’s race in a time of 12.78 seconds while Charles took home the gold in the men’s race in a time of 11.46 seconds.
Natasha Russell, a Lions recruit who will make her debut on the team next season, won the women’s 100m hurdles race in a time of 14.27 seconds, while Holly Pitters, a two-time York female athlete of the year who graduated in 2018, continued her successful post-York career by winning the long jump with a leap of 5.92m. Coming in behind Pitters in second place was Lions sophomore Leah Jones who earned the silver medal with a jump of 5.45m
Other Lions competing this weekend included Rasheeda Gurley, who placed seventh in the women’s long jump (4.69m), and Nicolette Witherspoon, who finished in 13th in the women’s 200m (27.37).