Aurora Rynda and Cameron Proceviat set Canadian indoor records

Over the weekend, several Canadian athletes put their names in the record books as they competed at NCAA conference championships south of the border. University of Michigan phenom Aurora Rynda ran the third-fastest 600m time in NCAA history to break the record she set only two weeks ago, winning her third consecutive Big Ten conference championship in the event. At an indoor meet in Boston, Simon Fraser University runner Cameron Proceviat broke Nathan Brannen’s Canadian indoor mile record of 3:54.32. 

WOAH.

Cameron Proceviat just smashed @natebrannen’s ?? indoor mile record of 3:54.32.

?New Mark: 3:52.54.?

Cam’s previous PB: 3:57.35 (and that was outdoors). https://t.co/UCPygwgN8v

— Athletics Canada (@AthleticsCanada) February 27, 2022

Rynda wins her third straight conference championship

Rynda, a fourth-year middle-distance athlete from Toronto, is having a season to remember as she broke the Canadian record over 600 meters with her 1:27.05 from earlier this month. At The Big Ten Championships, Rynda’s 1:26.50 performance set a new conference record, putting her behind only Tokyo Olympic 800m medallists Athing Mu and Raevyn Rogers on the all-time list in the NCAA. 

The new Canadian 600m record holder will be the favourite to win the NCAA 600m title in a few weeks at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala. 

Proceviat sets Canadian record and goes sub-4 in the mile 

In his first mile race of the indoor season, Proceviat ran a 10-second personal best time to not only break the exclusive sub-4 barrier, but also set a Canadian indoor mile record in the process. The part-time coach with Simon Fraser University ran a speedy time of 3:52.54, besting Brannen’s Canadian mile record of 3:54.32, which he set at the Millrose Games in 2014. Proceviat went through 1,500m in 3:36 to sneak under the world indoor standard of 3:39. The 29-year-old runner from Burnaby, B.C. will now await selection from Athletics Canada in the 1,500m for the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. 

Cam Proceviat THROWS DOWN a Canadian indoor mile record!!! https://t.co/byYo213qcO

— Stephen Andersen (@AndersenRuns) February 27, 2022

El-Sandali runs personal best in the 5,000m

Toronto’s Ehab El-Sandali finished second in the men’s 5,000m in Boston, posting a personal best time of 13:25.01. The time is the 10th fastest time in the NCAA this season, beating his previous best of 13:28.79. His new personal best remains no. 2  all-time at Iona, behind the 13:19.54 run by U.S. Olympian Leonard Korir.

Canadian siblings take home Mountain West championships

Gracelyn and Matthew Larkin of Rosseau Ont., who both run for the University of New Mexico, both won their first individual conference championships at the Mountain West Championships on Feb. 25. First-year student Matthew set a personal best time in the 800m to take home the victory in 1:49.19, while Gracelyn won the 3,000m with a time of 9:17.18 to punch her ticket to NCAA’s.

Cole Hocker doubles up at U.S. indoor championships

The first-year pro with Nike out of the University of Oregon, took things into his own hands this weekend, winning the men’s 1,500m and 3,000m at the U.S. Indoor Championships in Spokane, Wash. (only the third man ever to accomplish the feat). Hocker sat in the pack for the 1,500m and outkicked the field on the final lap to secure the win.

Cole Hocker Pulls Off Double At #USATFIndoors

? https://t.co/nZwXHFH8yi pic.twitter.com/juAx9XLzpz

— RunnerSpace (@runnerspace) February 28, 2022

In the 3,000m, Hocker beat Connor Mantz and Emmanuel Bor to win the double gold at the U.S. Indoors in a time of 7:47.50. Hocker has not confirmed whether or not he will be heading to the World Indoor Championships next month, but he’s out for redemption after his sixth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Hocker’s rival, friend and old-teammate at the University of Oregon, Cooper Teare, was unable to compete at U.S. indoors due to a positive COVID test earlier in the week. 

Canada’s Justin Kent breaks the tape at the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon

The “what do I do with my hands” ✌️ https://t.co/Qj7pKAdr1h

— Justin Kent (@jkent_) February 28, 2022

Two weeks after setting a personal best of 63:31 at Vancouver’s First Half, Kent followed it up with a win in Vegas. Although it wasn’t the time Kent was looking for, he finished two minutes ahead of the field in a time of 64:37.