The University of Toronto Varsity Blues track and field team had an outstanding weekend at the 29th annual Can Am Classic hosted by the Windsor Lancers.

The highlight of the weekend was Toronto’s first-place finish in the men’s 4x800m relay on Friday night. The Blues quartet of Stephen Douglas (Picton, N.S.), Tyler Pettes (Aurora, Ont.), Ethan Davenport (Aurora, Ont.) and Mike Del Monte (Guelph, Ont.) defeated the favoured Guelph Gryphons and Windsor Lancers to meet the CIS standard with a time of 7:42.23.

Sarah Boyle (Scarborough, Ont.) earned her second gold medal of the year in the women’s high jump. The 2008-09 CIS champion jumped 1.72m to finish ahead of Shaneista Haye of the Guelph Gryphons (1.69m) and teammate Laura Maessen (Dartmouth, N.S.) at 1.63m.

Similarly, veteran Jason Wurster (Stevensville, Ont.) dominated all competition in the men’s pole vault, clearing a height of 5.04m. Kristian Wilson was second at 4.64m and former Varsity Blues Doug Creighton finished third at 4.54m.

First-year commerce major Mike Trnkus (Oakville, Ont.) placed third in the men’s 300m with a time of 35.31 seconds, while Pettes and Davenport finished fourth and fifth in the men’s 1000m. Pettes crossed the finish line in a time of 2:31.53, with Davenport right on his heels in 2:32.46.

The Blues also had two outstanding personal best performances at St. Denis Centre. Tory Merrill, who was the 2008-09 CIS women’s pentathlon bronze medalist, recorded a personal best time of 9.01 seconds in the women’s 60m hurdles – good for a fourth-place finish. The Orangeville, Ont. native also placed seventh in the women’s long jump (5.14m).

Similary, first-year standout Katie Housley (Burlington, Ont.) ran a personal best 2:59.53 on her way to a seventh-place finish in the women’s 1000m.

Full Results

The Varsity Blues return to action next weekend (Jan. 22-23) when they host the annual Fred Foot pentathlon and track meet at the Athletic Centre Field House.