Lions break records and win medals at Can-Am Classic

The York University Lions track and field team delivered a historic performance at the University of Windsor's Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse on January 9-10. Leaving their mark on the annual Can-Am Classic, the Lions secured two new school records, 15 U SPORTS-ranked podium finishes, and two automatic national qualifying marks.

The weekend was defined by high-stakes breakthroughs, as York athletes achieved 14 personal bests and 36 OUA qualifying performances, signaling a dominant start to the 2026 season. 

The highlight of the meet belonged to Tristan Boateng, who shattered the York high jump record twice in a single afternoon. Boateng surpassed the long-standing record of 2.12m (held by Richard Duncan since 1993) by clearing 2.14m, before ultimately setting the new benchmark at 2.18m. With this performance, Boateng officially moves to No. 1 in the U SPORTS rankings. 

On the triple jump runway, Arwin Mathivathanan continued his ascent by breaking his own school record. His leap of 15.51m secured gold and an automatic U SPORTS qualifying mark. Mathivathanan led a historic York sweep of the triple jump podium and added a second gold medal in the long jump (7.16m).

Rookie Samuel Pinceau proved to be a versatile powerhouse. Pinceau earned a bronze in the 60m hurdles, set two personal bests, and served as the anchor for the men's 4x200m relay team, leading them to a silver medal. He is currently ranked 5th in the nation.

On the women's side, Sophia DiMarino headlined the track events. After securing a silver in the 600m with a new personal best, she anchored the women's 4x400m relay team to a gold-medal finish. The relay squad now holds the No. 1 ranking in U SPORTS. 

Notable Finishes & Personal Bests

• Tristan Boateng: 2.18m High Jump (School Record / U SPORTS #1) 

• Arwin Mathivathanan: 15.51m Triple Jump (School Record / U SPORTS #1) 

• Harrison Booth: 4.60m Pole Vault (Gold / Personal Best) 

• Janae Brown: 7.51s 60m (Personal Best) 

• Kyla Sleath: 7.77s 60m (Personal Best) 

• Arwin Mathivathanan: 7.16m Long Jump (Gold / Personal Best) 

• Samuel Pinceau: 7.00m Long Jump (Personal Best) 

• Eden Rose: 1.62m High Jump (Personal Best) 

• Ibrahim Moustafa: 7.16s 60m (Personal Best) 

• Brandon Choumbe Yami: 6.99s 60m (Personal Best) 

• Riyaa Balakrishnan: 5:17.46 Mile (Personal Best) 

• Anastasia Kirova: 5:17.55 Mile (Personal Best) 

• Grace Whitley: 5:27.86 Mile (Personal Best) 

• Malak Elghobashy: 5:39.21 Mile (Personal Best) 

Podium Results Summary 

• Men's Triple Jump: 1st – Arwin Mathivathanan, 2nd – Jamie Crawford, 3rd – Williams Kalu (Podium Sweep) 

• Men's High Jump: 1st – Tristan Boateng (Ranked 1st U SPORTS) 

• Men's Pole Vault: 1st – Harrison Booth (Ranked 2nd U SPORTS) 

• Men's Long Jump: 1st – Arwin Mathivathanan (Ranked 6th U SPORTS) 

• Women's 4x400m Relay: 1st – Jenna Ibrahim, Charlotte Murchison, Hillary Ojo, Sophia DiMarino (Ranked 1st U SPORTS) 

• Women's 600m: 2nd – Sophia DiMarino (Ranked 6th U SPORTS) 

• Men's 4x200m Relay: 2nd – Cameron Christian, Ibrahim Moustafa, Brandon Choumbe Yami, Samuel Pinceau (Ranked 5th U SPORTS) 

• Men's 300m: 2nd – Brandon Choumbe Yami (Ranked 11th U SPORTS) 

• Women's 300m: 2nd – Hillary Ojo (Ranked 12th U SPORTS) 

• Men's 4x400m Relay: 2nd – Daniel Burke, Brandon Choumbe Yami, Ibrahim Moustafa, Nathanael Taffese (Ranked 9th U SPORTS) 

• Men's 60m Hurdles: 3rd – Samuel Pinceau (Ranked 5th U SPORTS) 

• Men's Weight Throw: 3rd – Jamieson Omeire (Ranked 12th U SPORTS) 

• Women's High Jump: 3rd – Eden Rose (Ranked 12th U SPORTS) 

York Top 10 All-Time List Updates 

• Alina Bilenko moves to 4th in Pole Vault 

• Arwin Mathivathanan moves to 7th in Long Jump 

• Samuel Pinceau moves to 8th in 60m Hurdles 

• Jamieson Omeire moves to 8th in Weight Throw 

• Janae Brown improves 8th-place standing in 60m 

LOOKING AHEAD:
Up next, the Lions will be on the road again next weekend (Jan. 16) for the Ottawa Winter Classic.