T&F: SSK, ALB runners break records in medal performances
SSK's Pearson takes home trio of golds, ALB's Chauvet breaks two meet records to earn T&F Athlete of the Week honours
CALGARY - Saskatchewan's Avery Pearson and Alberta's Robert Chauvet were named the Canada West Track and Field Athletes of the Week by the conference Tuesday.
Pearson was perfect on the weekend, completing the mid-distance trifecta with her Huskies team. She walked off the track with one individual and two team gold medals hung around her neck.
The Meadow Lake, SK product also broke a Pandas Open record, posting a 1:30.49 mark in her gold medal-winning 600-metre run.
The first-year runner didn't slow down there, shattering another meet record in the 4 x 800-metre relay, as she anchored her team to gold.
Pearson picked up a third gold of the meet as a part of the 4 x 400-metre squad that cruised to a two-second victory over the host Alberta team.
She'll now look to prove her dominance at the CW Track and Field Championships on March 18 and 19 at the University of Manitoba.
Event log: Pandas Open, Feb. 11 & 12
First place in 600m, first place in 4 x 800m, first place in 4 x 400m
Meanwhile, Alberta's Robert Chauvet shined in the 1000-metre race, claiming a new Pandas Open record on his home track with a time of 2:25.88.
The Red Deer, AB product came out ahead in a tight distance race, beating out Regina's Brayden Mytopher by less than a second at the line.
Chauvet came in second to Mytopher in the 1500-metre run, as they both broke the previous meet record with their times of 3:52.10 and 3:50.94 respectively.
The graduate student is coming off an 11th-place finish at the CW Cross Country Championships in the fall.
Before the COVID-interrupted year, Chauvet boasted several medals, including a silver at the CW championship and a bronze at the national championships in the 1000-metre event. He also helped his team to a 4 x 800-metre gold as the underdogs at the 2020 U SPORTS championships.
He'll be looking to add to his medal rack at the CW Track and Field Championships in Winnipeg on March 18 and 19.
Event log: Pandas Open, Feb. 11 & 12
First place in 1000m, second place in 1500m