SHERBROOKE – Rebecca Warcholak of Toronto and Julie Bortolato of Mountainview, Calif., each won gold medals for the McGill University women's track and field team at the RSEQ conference championship over the weekend to qualify for the Nationals.
 
The Martlets produced eight podium finishes, including four silvers and a pair of bronzes en route to a third-place finish out of 10 competing schools at the two-day meet, that concluded Saturday.
 
Warcholak, a 19-year-old science sophomore, tallied 18.5 points over three events to pace the Martlets. She won the triple jump with a leap of 11.90 metres, finishing comfortably ahead of silver medalist Eyram Blagogee (11.60m) from the Montreal Carabins. Warcholak also tied for fourth in the high jump (1.55m) and was fifth in the long jump (5.21m).
 
Bortolato, a 20-year-old science freshman, cleared a height of 3.30m, to win the pole vault. She finished ahead of silver medalist Rosalie Lupien (3.20m), a former McGill teammate now competing for Carleton.
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All gold medalists automatically earn RSEQ first-team all-star status and qualify for a berth at the U SPORTS national championship meet in Windsor, March 6-8. Silver medal winners at the RSEQ meet merit second-team status.
 
McGillians to merit silver included Donna Ntambue, a third-year sprinter from Montreal who clocked 7.51 seconds in the 60m sprint, shy of her McGill record of 7.32 set last year. Ntambue finished in a dead heat with Laval's Sarah Dulude Bellavance. The race was won in 7.50 by Julia Vallee of the Montreal Carabins.
 
Ntambue also helped the 4x200 relay finish second, a foursome that included Vanessa Lu Langley, Lola Ross-McLennan and Emma Urness.
 
Lu Langley also finished second in the 60m hurdles.
 
Two other relays reached the podium, with the 4x800 fishing second with Abene Glasgow, Arowyn Fitzpatrick, Abby McIntosh and Marie Billaud. The 4x400 placed third with Audrey Gilmour, Ashleigh Brown, Jade Jones and Billaud.
 
Rounding out the Martlets medals was Kaelie Sanogo who merited bronze in the pentathlon.
 
Laval won the women's division with 228 points, followed by Sherbrooke (124), McGill (116.5), Montreal (96.5), Carleton (45), UQAC (13), UQTR (10), ETS (9), Concordia (5) and CMR St. Jean (3).
 
LINK TO MEN'S RECAP
 
COMPLETE RESULTS
 
McGILL HIGHLIGHTS
 
U SPORTS NATIONAL BESTS

SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (Tel.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca