UW Gazette, March 12, 1997 by Tony Martins athletics and recreational services A top-four finish was the target, but once again the Athena track team exceeded expectations, this time at the CIAU championships held in Windsor on the weekend, capturing six event medals and the team bronze to boot. The Athenas finished with 38 points overall, while Toronto took top honours with 60 points and Windsor placed second with 45. Once again, the stars of the Athena show were Sarah Dillabaugh and Judith LeRoy, both of whom won three event medals. Dillabaugh ran away with the 1000 metre gold in 2:47.64, a personal best and new UW record, and was second in the 1500 metres in another personal best and varsity record time of 4:20.95. LeRoy was right on Dillabaugh's heels, placing third in the 1500 in 4:26.73, and winning silver in the 3000 metres. Her time of 9:34.84 in the 3000 was yet another UW record and a personal best by a whopping 12 seconds. It's no surprise that Dillabaugh and LeRoy were named co-winners of the Athena Athlete of the Week award, but this dynamic duo got more than a little help from their friends at the CIAU meet. For instance, in the 4x800 metres, the UW team of Dillabaugh, LeRoy, Sepanta Dorri and Lynn Coon took gold in 9:04.22, a new UW record and the fastest time in Canada this year. And in the 4x400, the fleet-footed Heather Moyse and Rachel Nickie teamed with Dillabaugh and LeRoy to set a new varsity record (3:54.49) and win the bronze. Several other Athenas had excellent performances and finished just out of the medals. Jill Bennett was fourth in the 60 metre hurdles in a time of 8.8 seconds, the fastest by an Athena since 1985. The 4x200 metre squad of Moyse, Bennett, Nickie and Blanka Sharma finished 5th in 1:44.42. Nickie ran 40.55 and Moyse 41.27 in the 300 metres for 6th and 8th respectively, while in the 60 metres Nickie and Moyse tied for 7th place with identical 7.86 second clockings. These results capped an incredible season for the Athena track team, easily their best ever, and all without the benefit of full-time coaches or an on-campus indoor track facility. The team might have performed even better at the CIAU meet but top-ranked sprint specialist LaToya Austin elected not to compete because of religious commitments. On the men's side at CIAUs, the 4x200 metre squad of Chris Bastie, Tory Locker, Tulu Makonnen and Kwame Smart was not expected to crack the top six but placed 5th in 1:31.98. In other Warrior results, Bill Miller vaulted 4.5 metres for 6th in the pole vault and Raul Martin jumped 1.92 metres for 12th in high jump. Athletes of the Week Sarah Dillabaugh and Judith LeRoy, Athena track: This terrific twosome who led UW to a CIAU cross country title in the fall, were big winners again at CIAU indoor track and field championships in Windsor on the weekend. Tulu Makonnen, Warrior track: A fourth-year student from Mississauga, Makonnen ran a personal best time in the 4x200 metres at CIAU track and field championships in Windsor this weekend, leading the team to a surprise fifth- place finish. Makonnen and teammates Chris Bastie, Tory Locker and Kwame Smart were not expected to make the finals in the event. Warrior basketball The Warriors enjoyed a more than respectable playoff run last week that included a home win over Brock and a 77- 68 season-ending loss to the top-ranked McMaster Marauders. Last Wednesday against Brock, the host Warriors opened up a 15 points lead in the first half but led by just three, 39-36, at half time. In the second half, Mark Eys and Paul Kwiatkowski led the Warriors back from a 54-49 deficit to a 70-63 lead. From there Mano Watsa and Mike Zavershnik made key foul shots in the last two minutes to seal the win for Waterloo, 76-68. Watsa led the way with 15 points, five assists and three steals. Eys totalled 14 points and nine rebounds, while Derek Maat added 11 points and seven rebounds. Facing McMaster on Friday at the OUAA West final four in Toronto, the Warriors played tough in the first half and thanks to a successful half-court shot at the buzzer from rookie Marc Rigaux, went into the locker room tied at 39- 39. Rigaux went four-for-four from behind the three-point arc in the first half and finished the game with 19 points. In the second half the Warriors could not keep pace with McMaster. UW fell behind by as many as 12, made a late run led by Mano Watsa, but eventually fell 77-68. Watsa, who was named to the OUAA West first-team all-star squad, was Waterloo's high scorer with 27 points. Remy Donaldson added eight points. Athena indoor hockey Michelle Lo's third goal of the game with eight seconds remaining forced overtime, but the Athenas eventually lost in penalty strokes to Queen's in the bronze medal game of the OWIAA indoor hockey championships played at Guelph on the weekend. After downing the host Gryphons 3-1 and losing to York 7-3, the Athenas faced the powerful Toronto Varsity Blues in the semi-finals. Waterloo's defence broke down in the game, allowing U of T to run up the score in an 11-2 win. Bernice Willemse and Alison Krokozynski scored for UW. In the bronze medal game, Michelle Lo scored all three goals for the Athenas, including the one that forced overtime. After two 5-minute sudden death periods went scoreless, the game was sent to penalty strokes, where Queen's prevailed, 1-0. Waterloo's Lo was named a first-team all-star, while Willemse was named a second-team all-star.