UNews - Aaron Hernandez

Horns track team debut is impressive

trevor.kenney — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 23:24:39 +0000

Competing for the first time as a team this season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team jumped out of the gates and produced exceptional early season results this past weekend at the Golden Bear Open in Edmonton.

Making her debut on the university circuit, freshman Sandra Latrace served notice that she will be a threat this season in both the long jump and 60-metre sprint. In the long jump, Latrace moved to the top of the CIS rankings by more than 15 centimetres and claimed the top spot at the Golden Bear Open with a leap of 6.17 metres. The mark in the long jump was also an Alberta junior and under-23 record.

In the 60-metre sprint, Latrace moved into the CIS top 10 with a time of 7.72 seconds, which placed her second among university finishers at the meet this past weekend.

Two-time reigning CIS champion Aaron Hernandez continued to prove he will be the man to beat in the triple jump as he moved to the top of the CIS rankings with a solid meet winning jump of 15.19 metres.

The Horns other reigning CIS champion, Peter Millman, continued the team’s strong performance in the throwing events by winning both the shot put and weight throw in Edmonton. The 2015 CIS shot put champion moved into second place in the CIS rankings in both disciplines. The Pronghorns placed 1-2 in the shot put with Millman taking top spot with a toss of 16.62 metres, while teammate Ryan Sommer finished second and moved into the top ten in the CIS rankings with a throw of 14.80m.

Millman won the weight throw by nearly four metres with a toss of 18.78 metres. Rookie teammate Ben Ingvaldson made his mark in Canada West in the weight throw, finishing third with a toss of 14.64 metres in his first university meet, while Ryan Sommer was fourth.

In the women’s throwing circle, Diane Marin placed fourth in weight throw with a mark of 13.80m while teammates Lara Roth, Ariel Chessall and Amanda Weiler finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.

On the track, the top results on the men’s side came from senior sprinter Phillip Rockerbie and rookies Matthew Knapik and Garrett Mckay. In the 60-metre hurdles, Rockerbie finished third with a time of 8.70 seconds, while Knapik was second in his 300-metre heat with a time of 36.32 seconds and McKay won his heat with a time of 36.67sec.

“Sandra’s results in the 60m and long jump were definitely the highlight of the weekend, but we had strong results from the majority of the team,” says head coach Larry Steinke. “This is the third competition for most of the teams in Canada West and our first, so to have this strong a showing is definitely promising for the rest of the year."

Next up for the Horns is a split trip on the weekend of February 5-6 when they head to Winnipeg for the Bison Classic and to Edmonton for the Alberta Indoor Games.

Pronghorns to be well represented at Pan Am Games

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 18:13:20 +0000

As Canada prepares to host the Pan American Games in Toronto, Pronghorn Athletics will be well represented with four former athletes and one current Pronghorn competing with the maple leaf on their chest.

The Pan Am Games will open July 10 with closing ceremonies wrapping the games up July 26. For full games information and results, visit the Toronto 2015 website.

Former Pronghorn track star Jim Steacy is a veteran of international competition.

Of the five people representing the Pronghorns at the Pan Am Games, three come from the Steacy family. Siblings Jim and Heather Steacy, as well as sister-in-law Ashley Steacy (nee: Patzer), will all compete under the family name, a true rarity in Canadian sport history. Aaron Hernandez and Kayla Moleschi round out the group of Pronghorns and former Pronghorns competing at the games.

For the first time, Rugby Sevens will make an appearance at the Pan Am Games and Ashley Steacy and Moleschi will play prominent roles for the Canadian side.

Steacy was one of the most decorated CIS women’s rugby players by the time she graduated from the U of L, winning three national championships and two CIS player of the year awards. This year, she was named the Canadian Sevens player of the year, and at the last stop of the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, she was named to the overall series Dream Team.

“Pan Am’s will be my first multi-sport games and I'm very excited to get there and get a feeling for what the games are like,” says Steacy. “Women's 7s Rugby is new to the Pan Am Games so having the opportunity a year out from the Olympics to participate in a multi-sport games is going to be a big advantage to our team.”

Steacy says it's special to be competing in the same event with Jim and Heather.

“It’s pretty cool that my brother and sister-in-law will both be at the games, but unfortunately we will miss each other because of the timing of our sports," says Steacy. "I would love to stay and watch them throw but our team is travelling down to Rio to do a site visit leading into the Olympics next summer.”

While Moleschi only played one season for the Pronghorns, she had an immediate impact. Moleschi was named the Canada West Rookie of the Year and a CIS All-Canadian in her lone season and quickly earned the attention of the Canadian national program.

The Steacy siblings are no strangers to national team nominations, but say it is always an honour to represent their country.

“As an athlete, there is no greater feeling than being able to compete at a level where you can represent your country,” says two-time Olympian Jim Steacy. “I am so proud to have been selected to compete for Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto this July; it will be particularly special to compete in the red & white in front of a home crowd.”

After starring at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, winning nine CIS gold medals and going undefeated throughout his university career in the weight throw, Jim has achieved national and international success. He represented Canada at the Beijing and London Olympics, is the Canadian record holder in the hammer throw and most recently won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Sister Heather was also a star at the CIS level, winning four Canada West titles in the weight throw and four CIS medals (two gold, silver and bronze). She also is an Olympian, having joined her brother at the 2012 London Olympics.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be named to the Canadian team for the Pan American Games,” says the youngest Steacy. “The last time I competed for Team Canada was in 2013, and I was dealing with some injuries then. The past couple years have been challenging for a myriad of reasons, but this year has been filled with some changes that have been a big step in the right direction.”

Heather moved to Kamloops last fall and changed coaches – a move that has paid dividends with some great early season results.

“I was out in Victoria a couple weeks ago for a meet, and Ashley and I were able to meet up for dinner and chat about us all representing Canada at the same time and in the same event,” says Heather. “I think it’s a big deal that the rugby teams get to participate in Pan Am’s as a major multi-sport competition before their first go at the Olympics next year in Rio. It’s such a different atmosphere when you’re surrounded by not only athletes from other countries and cultures, but from completely different sports.”

Current Pronghorn Aaron Hernandez is enjoying his first senior team appointment through his participation at the Pan Am Games. Through two years of his university career, Hernandez has been nothing short of spectacular. He has won two national titles in the triple jump, been named the CIS Rookie of the Year, and this past year registered the second furthest jump in Canada West history.

“It's an unbelievable feeling to be nominated to compete for your country,” says Hernandez. “Ever since I started competing in track & field the goal has been to wear the Canada singlet. To be able to do it in front of a home crowd and at a huge event like this is just the cherry on top. Big thanks has to go out to my coach, Jaime Thomas, and coach Larry Steinke, my family and friends and all the support I have received lately. I wouldn't be here without everyone's dedication.”

“I am looking forward to competing against some of the best in the world, it will be a great learning opportunity and I'll be soaking up the atmosphere from the moment I get to athletes village to the day I compete, and through to the closing ceremonies. I can't wait!”

The city of Lethbridge as a whole will be represented well at the Pan Am Games with another eight athletes with Lethbridge connections participating in Toronto.

“I am so proud to represent Lethbridge and it is so awesome to have such a strong showing from our city!" concludes Ashley Steacy.

Hernandez, Millman claim CIS track gold medals

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 22:14:20 +0000

Peter Millman and Aaron Hernandez led the way with gold medal performances as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team capped the 2015 university athletic season with an outstanding performance at the CIS Track and Field Championships in Windsor, Ont.

Aaron Hernandez has now won back-to-back CIS gold medals in triple jump.

Millman captured gold in the shot put while Hernandez claimed his second successive national gold medal in the triple jump event. Both athletes entered the CIS championship meet as Canada West champions.

"It was a great weekend; everyone performed as expected and it's obviously great coming home with two national champions,” says Horns head coach Larry Steinke. “It's not only a nice way to cap the season, it sets the tone for next season as well."

For Millman, a third-year Truro, Nova Scotia product, the CIS title was sweet redemption. In the past two CIS meets he'd failed to reach expectations and come up shy in his quest for the medal podium. He would not be denied in Windsor.

Peter Millman earned his first CIS shot put gold by the slimmest of margins.

“It’s extra special (this year) considering I did quite horrible, actually, the last two years," Millman told the Truro Daily News.

Millman had to come from behind to claim the shot put gold, using his fifth throw of the event to post a 17.18-metre distance, one centimetre ahead of Marc-Antoine Lafrenaye-Dugas of Sherbrooke ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. The throw was also only five centimetres shy of the personal best he set only three weeks ago at the Canada West Championship. Millman then sat back and watched as Lafrenaye-Dugas attempted two more throws to get back into the gold position, but faulted on each attempt.

“The fifth throw was awesome,” Millman told the Daily News shortly after his win. “I knew I had to go for it on that one, I couldn’t play it safe anymore. It’s just amazing right now.”

Millman's teammate, Ryan Sommer, finished sixth with a throw of 15.54 metres.

Hernandez, the defending CIS Champion and reigning CIS rookie of the year, continued his dominance in the triple jump. His jump of 15.33 metres was an astounding 40 centimetres better than the rest of the field. During his six jump sequence, four of Hernandez's five recorded jumps would have been good enough for the gold medal victory.

With all three of their competing athletes scoring points, the Horns accumulated 26 total points, which was the third best among Canada West schools and the top among the three Alberta schools participating at the championships. It gave the men's team a 10th-place ranking nationally.

Horns sweep shot put podium, win six medals at Canada West

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 16:55:10 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team continued to dominate the men’s throwing events, returning home from the Canada West Championships in Winnipeg with six medals and a major award.

For the second consecutive year, Peter Millman was named Field Athlete of the Year following a double gold medal performance.

For the second consecutive year, Peter Millman was named Field Athlete of the Year after completing a double gold medal performance, claiming both the men's shot put and weight throw titles.

For only the third time in Canada West history, a team swept the podium in a men’s event, with the Horns sweeping the gold, silver and bronze medals in the shot put event. Millman won the shot put with a personal best throw of 17.23 metres, while Ryan Sommer claimed the silver medal and Madison Hurst earned the bronze medal with a personal best toss of 14.06 metres.

Pronghorn athletes were responsible for the only other two podium sweeps in Canada West history as well. In 2003, the Horns swept the men's weight throw and in 2004 the Horns swept the men's shot put event.

Millman and Sommer also medalled in the weight throw event, with Millman winning gold and Sommer claiming a bronze medal. Hurst was seventh in the weight throw and Jordan Armstrong finished ninth. Armstrong also picked up an eighth-place finish in the shot put.

Reigning CIS Rookie of the Year, Aaron Hernandez, continued his dominance in the triple jump, winning his second consecutive gold medal and registering the second furthest jump in Canada West history with a leap of 15.50 metres. Hernandez was an honorable mention for both the Performance of the Meet and Field Event Athlete of the Meet awards.

On the women’s side, the Horns did not return with any medals, but had some noteworthy performances. Montana Forsyth and Lara Roth narrowly missed the podium in the weight throw, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Amanda Weiler finished in 10th spot. The Horns women's 4x200-metre relay narrowly missed a school record and finished seventh.

Other results for the women’s team included: Rebecca Bermel 13th in the women's 60m and 15th in women's long jump; Bryna Cline 13th in women's triple jump with a personal best of 9.95m; Jessi Fersch 18th in women's long jump; and Amaka Ashiofu 16th in women's 60m.

"I was definitely pleased with the weekend’s results and couldn't be happier to see the men complete a sweep of the shot put podium,” says head coach Larry Steinke. "Almost every athlete achieved a personal best and every athlete moved up from where they were ranked going into the meet, so I really couldn't have asked for more.”

Millman, Sommer and Hernandez all qualified for the CIS Championship meet that will be hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Windsor, March 12-14.

Horns looking for medals at Canada West Track Championship

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 18:51:37 +0000

The 2014-15 Canada West Track & Field Championships will see a small but talented ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge team compete this weekend at the Max Bell Fieldhouse in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba.

The Horns will send 12 athletes to the championship meet this year, with seven women and five men ready to challenge for conference titles.

Reigning CIS rookie of the year Aaron Hernandez and two-time Canada West weight throw gold medalist Peter Millman lead the Pronghorns this season and are favourites to win their respective events. The men’s team as a whole has been ranked 10th in the country for the past three weeks.

Following a stellar freshman campaign where he won both the Canada West and CIS gold medal in the triple jump, Hernandez enters the championship meet as the jumper to beat, ranked first in both the Canada West and CIS in his event.

Millman has had an exceptional start to his third season and goes to Winnipeg as the top ranked thrower in Canada West. Undefeated thus far this season, Millman sits atop the rankings in both the weight throw and shot put amongst Canada West competition. He is also ranked second in the CIS.

Ryan Sommer sits in second place in the Canada West rankings in both weight throw and shot put and sixth in CIS. Madison Hurst and Jordan Armstrong round out a strong men's team, ranking sixth and 13th in conference rankings for shot put and weight throw respectively.

On the women’s side, third-year Truro, Nova Scotia product Montana Forsyth is the top ranked Pronghorn athlete, ranking fifth in the weight throw, while Lara Roth is ranked one spot behind her at sixth.

The women's 4X200m relay team is ranked sixth in Canada West and looks to better its season's best time and ranking.

Overall, the Horns are poised to take home five medals and build on their preparations for the CIS Championships.

"We have had a strong season from a number of athletes thus far, but Canada West is where the rubber really starts to hit the road and preparations for CIS begin to show through,” says head coach Larry Steinke. “I'm expecting strong results from everyone and signs indicate that we will have some very notable performances again this year at Canada West."

Laying the Groundwork

david.kirby — Thu, 15 May 2014 21:35:00 +0000

Larry Steinke (BA ‘94), the architect and head coach of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team, has cultivated a program of excellence over the past 15-plus years, and while the team continues to pile up medals at Canada West and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships, his focus is squarely on maximizing the opportunities of his athletes well beyond their years in Pronghorn blue and gold.

Pronghorns head coach Larry Steinke has been with the program for 15 years.

“From the very beginning, I wanted to establish a program that was sought after by athletes but not every athlete. I wanted to sift out those people who would make a good fit with the program,” says Steinke, who took over the track program in 1998. “I want athletes who have loftier goals than just CIS. A lot of schools are only worried about maximizing their athletes for the four years that they are in school. We’re a little different here because I look at each athlete from a long-term approach.”

Those who buy into the philosophy understand the big picture mentality. They also have to look no further than a few lockers away – at Olympians Jim Steacy (BASc '09) and Heather Steacy – to get a sense of the success it reaps.

“I still have Jim’s autograph up on my wall at home,” says Peter Millman, who came to the U of L from Truro, N.S.

A second-year Pronghorn who won Canada West gold medals in both the weight throw and shot put, Millman saw the U of L as his only destination from the time he first started working with Steinke on a training trip to Lethbridge when he was in Grade 10.

“Meeting Jim and having the opportunity to throw with an Olympian when I was in Grade 10 was one of the coolest things ever,” he says. “There were offers for me to go to different places but they were never entertained; it was always going to be Lethbridge.”

Now recognized as a throwing power, the U of L is truly a destination school for the country’s elite throwers. Kayla Gallagher, another Truro product, just won her second consecutive CIS gold medal in weight throw and is one of 10 track athletes who have come to the U of L from outside of Alberta.

(L-R) Kayla Gallagher, Aaron Hernandez and Peter Millman.

All the while, Steinke is now beginning to see golden results outside of the throwing disciplines, noting that success really does breed success.

“That is our challenge now, to try and move away from just the throws to create a culture of excellence across all of the event groups,” he says.

Aaron Hernandez, from Coaldale, Alta., is one of those success stories after he won the CIS gold medal in triple jump and was named CIS Rookie of the Year. He’s won early in his career but understands his ultimate goal is years away.

“For any track and field athlete, their ultimate is to compete in the Olympics and that’s something I hope to see one day,” says Hernandez, who works with jump coach Jaime Thomas (BSc '04).

Hernandez, along with Gallagher, Millman and the rest of the Horns team get the Steinke program, knowing full well that the greatest rewards will come long after they have completed school.

“They all have bright futures internationally and that’s why I wanted to work with them,” says Steinke. “We are about longer-term development. It’s whether the athlete has the wherewithal to stick it out for that long. I see that mentality in this group.”

Something that bodes well for their futures, in any path they choose.

This story appears in the Spring 2014 edition of SAM magazine. For a look at the full version in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Veldman, Reiter earn Athlete of the Year honours from Horns

trevor.kenney — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 21:08:46 +0000

Kim Veldman and Logan Reiter were named Female and Male Athletes of the Year as ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorn Athletics hosted its annual Blue and Gold Banquet recently.

Over 280 athletes, administrators and special guests were in attendance for the supper and awards ceremony with former Pronghorn and Canadian National Women's Rugby team member Ashley MacDonald serving as the guest speaker.

After three seasons with her home province ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ UPEI, MacDonald transferred to the U of L, and in her two seasons with the Pronghorns she was nothing short of dominant on the rugby pitch. During her time with the Pronghorns, she was a member of two national championship teams, was named a Canada West All-Star and CIS All-Canadian in both seasons as well as being named CIS Championship tournament all-star at both championships.

In addition to her stellar play on the field, MacDonald was also an exceptional student, being named an Academic All-Canadian.

Internationally, MacDonald represented Canada on the U23 National team, FISU sevens team and the Canadian senior national team and was just named to the Canadian team that will face the Americans in the CanAm series in April.

Upon obtaining her bachelor of science in kinesiology, MacDonald returned to UPEI to complete her physiotherapy degree and is currently working at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Kim Veldman was among the league leaders in a number of categories this season.

Fourth-year post Kim Veldman truly put up a season that ranks among the best in the country and cemented herself into the Pronghorn record book for years to come.

Still with eligibility remaining, she broke a 16-year-old school record, while ranking among both the Canada West and CIS leaders in numerous statistical categories.

This season she ranked second in the conference in rebounding and set a new school record for career rebounds. While often facing double and triple teams in the offensive court, she ranked third in the conference in scoring. She narrowly missed being a conference first team all-star but was named to the Canada West's second team.

Her ability to balance her training while maintaining a high GPA in nursing speaks volumes to her commitment to being a well-rounded student-athlete.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Logan Reiter closed out his Pronghorns' career with another exceptional season.

In his final season donning the blue and gold, team captain Logan Reiter led his team on and off the playing field, leading the team to heights that have not been seen in years.

In addition to being a selfless leader, he was among the conference leaders in points, while also leading his team in assists and thus earned his first conference all-star nod, being named to the Canada West second team.

His positive attitude and refusal to quit helped lead the 'Horns to 13 fourth-quarter comebacks or last-minute victories and resulted in the program's best regular season in 14 years and only the fourth 15-win season in the program's history.

PRESIDENT'S AWARD

For the third-year in a row, a member of the Pronghorns women's hockey team received the prestigious President's Award, which rewards the student athlete with the highest academic standing at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Jasmin Teske achieved a perfect 4.0GPA, while balancing her large commitment to her team, earning the President's Award for the second successive season.

TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD

The Pronghorns women's soccer team received the team Team Academic Award with a combined GPA of 3.10.

TEAM MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS

Men’s Soccer – Scott Slomp
Women’s Soccer – Keagan Moch
Men’s Hockey – Mitch Maxwell
Women’s Hockey – Jenna-Marie Durnin
Men’s Basketball – Logan Reiter
Women’s Basketball – Kim Veldman
Women’s Rugby – Kim Leavitt
Men’s Track – Aaron Hernandez
Women’s Track – Kayla Gallagher
Swim – Ryan Thornley

Hernandez, Gallagher named athletes of the week

trevor.kenney — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:55:44 +0000

Gold medal efforts at the CIS track championships have netted Kayla Gallagher and Aaron Hernandez Pronghorn Subway Athlete of the Week honours.

Reigning CIS weight throw champion Gallagher was once again the cream of the crop in the event, claiming her second consecutive CIS title. As expected, the event was a two-horse race for gold in the weight throw with a battle between Gallagher and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskie Taryn Suttie.

On her fourth of six throws, Gallagher set a new personal best for the second meet in a row and claimed the gold medal with a throw of 18.66 metres. Suttie was second with an 18.21 metre throw. No other competitors were within a metre of the top two throwers.

Gallagher also competed in the shot put event and finished eighth, with her furthest throw of 12.69 metres.

Southern Alberta native Aaron Hernandez burst onto the CIS track scene this season as a freshman, earning accolades as the CIS rookie of the year prior to the CIS Championship meet and winning a gold medal at the national meet.

At the championship meet, and with the pressure mounting after faulting on his first two jumps, the Faculty of Management student went on to claim his first national title in the triple jump with a jump of 15.03 metres. The jump matched his personal best that he had set only two weeks prior at the Canada West Championships.

For his performance at the CIS Championships, Hernandez was also named the Canada West third star of the week.

Horns' Gallagher and Hernandez capture CIS gold medals

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 22:20:07 +0000

Kayla Gallagher and Aaron Hernandez are national champions.

Horns thrower, Kayla Gallagher, centre, is pictured here following her iwn at the Canada West Track Championships. Over the weekend, she and teammate Aaron Hernandez each won CIS gold.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorn track and field athletes each captured gold medals at this past weekend's CIS Track Championships at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

In the meet’s opening event, second-year thrower Gallagher defended her weight throw title. As expected, the event was a two-horse race for gold with a battle between Gallagher and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskie thrower Taryn Suttie. On her fourth of six throws, Gallagher set a new personal best for the second meet in a row and claimed the gold medal with a throw of 18.66 metres. Suttie was second with an 18.21 metre throw. No other competitors were within a metre of the top two throwers.

“Kayla rose to the occasion once again, kept her unbeaten streak alive, and continues to develop into one of the top young throwers in Canada,” says Pronghorns head coach Larry Steinke. “I'm looking forward to the next few years in her development.”

Gallagher also competed in the shot put event and finished eighth with her furthest throw of 12.69 metres.

Fresh off being named the CIS track rookie of the year, Hernandez earned the CIS gold medal in the triple jump and his first national title. Hernandez entered the event ranked second, but matched his personal best of 15.03 metres on his fifth of six jumps to claim the triple jump title.

“Aaron showed he was the class of the field despite fouling his first two jumps, adding more stress and grey hair to my life,” says Steinke. “He overcame that and just got better on each jump, and showed a lot of poise and maturity despite his nerves almost getting the better of him as well. “

Battling the flu and nerves made it a tough weekend for ‘Horns throwers Peter Millman and Ryan Sommer. Millman finished sixth in both the weight throw and shot put events, as he was well under his personal best distances. Sommer, who didn’t compete in the weigh throw, finished 12th in the shot put.

Throwers earn Pronghorn weekly honours

trevor.kenney — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 23:23:13 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns throwers Peter Millman and Kayla Gallagher earned their respective Subway Pronghorn Male and Female Athlete of the Week honours after impressive performances at the Canada West Track and Field Championships this past weekend.

Second-year thrower Millman continued his stellar start to his university throwing career, winning the gold medal in both the weight throw and shot put events at the Canada West championships hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

In his first event of the meet, the Truro, NS native set a new personal best in the weight throw, en route to his second career gold medal in the event. His throw of 18.82 metres won the event by over a metre. The next day in the shot put event, he set another personal best mark, hitting 16.91 metres on his sixth and final throw. It was the second time this season that he had set a personal best mark in that event.

With his outstanding performance at the Canada West Championships, Millman was named the Canada West Field Athlete of the Year.

Meanwhile, reigning CIS weight throw champion Kayla Gallagher was again the cream of the crop in her marquee event, claiming her second consecutive Canada West title. Setting a new personal best with a throw of 18.48 metres, Gallagher also beat the field by nearly a metre.

Despite not training shot put for much of the season, Gallagher was then three centimetres short of a new personal best and missed the shot put podium by only nine centimetres and finished fourth with a throw of 13.17 metres.

Gallagher, Millman, Ryan Sommer and Aaron Hernandez will travel return to Edmonton for the CIS Championships, Mar. 6-8.

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