CTFL round one recap: Bears take the lead in Montreal

On Saturday, May 21, the Canadian Track and Field League (CTFL) hosted its first meet of the season in Montreal. Despite delays, start-gun malfunctions and high winds, which resulted in a tornado warning, the Bears took the early season lead over the Spitfires atop the standings.

Nine of 32 athletes were represented by the Bears this weekend in Montreal, with standout performances coming from Joshua Adhemar in the 400m hurdles and Makesha Walker in the long jump. Adhemar ran to a personal best time of 52.66 seconds, lowering his personal best by .22 of a second. Walker jumped to a season’s best 5.25 metres, just shy of her PB.

High winds on the back straight, which reached readings of (+5.0 m/s), made conditions tough for sprinters and middle-distance runners. The tornado warning and lightning in the Montreal area postponed the meeting for 30 minutes in the afternoon.

“I was elated with the success of the first meet and all athletes were excited to compete and represent their teams,” CTFL Founder Quinn Lyness says. “It felt like a university vibe, post collegiately,” Adhemar said. “You have tons of motivation to make a contribution to your team.”

After the inaugural meet, the Bears took the lead from Spitfires by 2,000 points. The Spitfires sit second, 7,500 points up on the Arctics, while the Huskies are in fourth place. The Bears, Sarah Mitton, and Stefanie Parsons of the Spitfires sit in first and second position in the individual point totals, already culminating in over 4,000 points for their teams.

The CTFL will make its second stop of the season at the Bob Vigars Classic this Sunday in London, Ont. Over 50 athletes from their respective teams will be competing, including Canadian beer mile world record holder Corey Bellemore for the Spitfires in the men’s 1,500m.

You can check out the standings and all the statistics on the official CTFL website.