McGill Track & Field Update

Friends of McGill Cross Country & Track & Field

Dear McGill Track & Field and Cross Country Athletes, Alumni & Friends,

With the indoor season behind us, the 29th Annual Friends of McGill Cross-Country, Track & Field Banquet | A 125+ Year Celebration on April 9, and the McGill Varsity Major Awards Reception on April 21, we wanted to take a moment to recap a meaningful month of April for our program and our community.

Thank you, as always, for your steady support. The momentum behind this program is real, and you are a big part of it.

Reinstatement Efforts

FOMTF, working alongside the McGill Team Captains, continues to engage with the McGill Athletics & Recreation Strategic Planning Task Force and the Provost’s Office through both in-person meetings and written submissions. Conversations remain constructive, and our coordinated efforts have continued to gain traction. We are presently in active discussions aimed at bringing back a full program before too long.

In parallel, FOMTF continues to formalize its governance and strengthen its communications so that we are well positioned to work alongside the University in support of the program’s future. To get involved, please reach out at the email below.

Indoor Track & Field

Season Recap

The 2025-26 indoor season made one thing clear: this program is on the rise.

At the RSEQ Championships, the Redbirds and Martlets combined for eight gold medals and multiple podiums. Four McGill school records and one RSEQ provincial record were set across the meet, contributing to a season total of seven McGill records broken. Multiple athletes earned RSEQ All-Star selections, including a Performance of the Year award.

At the U SPORTS Championships, the Redbirds finished 10th overall with 33 points, just one point behind Laval, despite losing one of our top sprinters, William Sanders, to a hamstring strain in the semi-final of the 4x200m relay. Will was unable to compete in the 300m or the 4x400m relay, where he had run the Redbirds’ fastest splits all season. The Martlets tied for 20th of 25 qualifying schools, led by Julie Bortolato’s fifth-place pole vault.

School Records: 2025-26 Indoor Season

• Long Jump: 7.56m, Robbie Gerstner
• Pole Vault: 3.76m, Julie Bortolato (surpassing Hannah Moffatt’s previous mark of 3.65m)
• 300m: 34.11, Luca Nicoletti (29 November 2025), then lowered to 34.04 by William Sanders (21 February 2026)
• 4x200m Men: 1:27.63, Luca Nicoletti, Jay Yetman, Krescyn Moonsamy, William Sanders (23 January 2026). Erased the previous mark, which included Coach Dennis Barrett on the 4x200m from 1986.
• 4x400m Women: 3:50.41, Ashleigh Brown, Jade Jones, Emma Veilleux, Natalya Babkine (7 March 2026)
• 4x800m Men: 7:31.54, Sean Adams, Ben Gates, Samuel Hepworth, Sacha Dernoncourt (6 March 2026). The same quartet had broken the school and RSEQ records at the RSEQ Championships (7:32.71, 20 February 2026). The RSEQ record now belongs to Laval, who ran 7:29.99 at the U SPORTS Championships.

U SPORTS Championship Results

• Robbie Gerstner: Silver, Long Jump (7.46m)
• Samuel Hepworth: Silver, 1500m (3:49.62)
• Sacha Dernoncourt: 4th, 1000m (2:24.86)
• Sacha Dernoncourt: 4th, 1500m (3:49.91)
• 4x800m Men: 4th (7:31.54)
• Julie Bortolato: 5th, Pole Vault (3.70m)
• Samuel Hepworth: 7th, 1000m (2:25.36)
• 4x400m Women: 7th (3:50.41)
• 4x400m Men: 9th (3:18.40)
• Rebecca Warcholak: 10th, Triple Jump (11.35m)

Team MVPs

• Samuel Hepworth (Redbirds), Montreal, QC. Silver in the 1500m at U SPORTS and a leg on the school record-setting 4x800m.
• Julie Bortolato (Martlets), Mountain View, CA. Broke the McGill pole vault record (3.76m), won the RSEQ Championships, and placed 5th at U SPORTS.

Rookies of the Year

• Roman Bordo (Redbirds), Montreal West, QC, 1st Year BSc Neuroscience. Followed a strong cross country season with a 4:09.31 mile and 8:26.18 in the 3000m.
• Natalya Babkine (Martlets), Montreal West, QC, 1st Year BSc Psychology. The team’s top 300m runner ran legs on the 4x200m and the school record-setting 4x400m.

Andrea Taylor Memorial Award

The Andrea Taylor Memorial Award is presented annually to a female member of the Track & Field team who promotes unity and embodies the qualities for which Andrea was renowned. This year the award is shared by Mia Blackmore Barnable (Toronto, ON, 2nd Year BA International Development) and Rebecca Warcholak (Toronto, ON, 3rd Year BSc Anatomy & Cell Biology). Both stepped up significantly when the program cut was announced, helping spread the word through media and other outlets, supporting team kit logistics, and stewarding visiting recruits.

Cross Country

Season Recap

The Martlets started the season looking promising but lost rookie Lauri-Ann Menard to a back injury before the McGill Open. The team remained competitive, winning the home McGill Open and finishing in the top three at the other meets leading into the RSEQ Championships in St. Lazare. There, Sophie Courville led the team to a 4th place finish and won the individual title, the first Martlet to do so since Melanie Myrand in 2016. At U SPORTS in Sherbrooke, Courville placed 5th, a major jump from her 28th place finish in 2024, with Gabby Barton unable to finish due to illness. Sophie’s performances earned her a spot on the Canadian team for the World University Cross Country Championships in Cassino, Italy, where she was the top Canadian finisher and placed 6th overall in the 10km.

The Redbirds put together a strong season, placing 4th at the McGill Open, 4th in Ottawa, 2nd at the Laval Open on the Plains of Abraham, and earning bronze at the RSEQ Championships behind Sean Adams’ 14th place finish. At U SPORTS, Sean was spiked early in the race, which affected him for the full 10km, and the Redbirds finished 13th of 31 teams.

Team MVPs

• Sean Adams (Redbirds), State College, PA. Steady all season, capped by a 14th place finish at RSEQs that anchored the Redbirds’ bronze.
• Sophie Courville (Martlets), Montreal, QC. Won RSEQs, placed 5th at U SPORTS, and represented Canada at the World University Cross Country Championships in Cassino, Italy (top Canadian, 6th overall).

Rookies of the Year

• Roman Bordo (Redbirds), Montreal West, QC, 1st Year BSc Neuroscience. Top Redbird rookie placer at every meet; 23rd at RSEQs and 84th at U SPORTS Nationals.
• Gabriella Barton (Martlets), Vancouver, BC, 1st Year Management. Placed 38th at the McGill Open, 32nd at Laval, and 42nd at RSEQs.

FOMTF Banquet Recap: A 125+ Year Celebration

View Photo Gallery

On April 9 at the McGill Faculty Club, the FOMTF community came together for the 29th Annual Friends of McGill Cross-Country, Track & Field Banquet | A 125+ Year Celebration, marking 125+ years of McGill running, jumping, and throwing. Athletes, alumni, coaches, families and friends shared an evening of stories, recognition, and reflection.

The 125-year retrospective slideshow, built from photos contributed by the broader community, was a highlight of the evening. Our sincere thanks to everyone who dug through their collections to make it happen, and to all who attended, sponsored, donated, presented, and celebrated with us. The energy in the room was a clear reminder of what is at stake and what is worth fighting for.

Alumni Coming Home

One of the most meaningful threads running through this season was the return of alumni to support the current team. Familiar faces filled the stands at the McGill Team Challenge, at the RSEQ Championships, and at the FOMTF Annual Awards Banquet on April 9. Several alumni traveled from as far as California and the UK to be there. Having former athletes back in the building, cheering on the next generation, is exactly the kind of continuity and community that makes this program what it is. Our sincere thanks to every alum who came home.

McGill Varsity Major Awards Reception

On Tuesday April 21, McGill Athletics held its 48th annual Varsity Major Awards Reception at the Plaza Centre-Ville in downtown Montreal, recognizing student-athlete achievement across all 26 varsity teams. Three McGill Track & Field athletes were named finalists for major individual awards:

• Samuel Hepworth, finalist for the D. Stuart Forbes Trophy (Male Athlete of the Year)
• Julie Bortolato, finalist for the Gladys Bean Trophy (Female Athlete of the Year)
• Ashleigh Brown, finalist for the Muriel V. Roscoe Award (Proficiency and Leadership, graduating female student-athlete)

How You Can Help

Our pledge drive has now reached $184,000, a clear signal of the commitment behind this program. Our goal remains $300,000 to help bridge the financing of the program, and we continue to welcome your support: friendsofmcgilltf.ca/how-you-can-help.

We also encourage all supporters to keep reaching out to decision-makers. Add your voice, stay engaged, and help keep this conversation active. Every voice counts, and we know it is making a difference. A list of key contacts is available on our website.

Alumni and Friends Network

We continue to build a comprehensive alumni and friends network and encourage all former athletes, coaches, and supporters to stay connected. To sign up, share photos, volunteer, or ask about future events, please contact friendsofmcgilltrack@gmail.com.

Looking Ahead

Our focus is clear: maintaining momentum, strengthening our community, and positioning the program for reinstatement. The athletes have done their part this season. The records on the board, the medals at U SPORTS, and the recognition at both our own banquet and the McGill Varsity Major Awards Reception speak for themselves. Now it is on all of us to keep the conversation moving forward.

Thank you, again, for your continued support.

Friends of McGill Cross Country & Track & Field
friendsofmcgilltrack@gmail.com
Since 1899. Legacy in Motion.