By Olivia Byrne
Photos supplied by Gabriella Smith Mccalla
After breaking four school records last year, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold track and field team was determined to continue their history-making hot streak this season.
With 29 athletes—the highest registered number of team members since the 2017-18 season—the team’s first practice was full of energy. Alongside new, excited faces came familiar ones with a goal on their mind, exemplified by second-year long jumper Jacob Duck.
Duck, a seasoned veteran with the team, began his first track season in 2021. Limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, the team didn’t compete in their usual events and hosted practices over Zoom. Since then, Duck was unable to compete until last season.
“I dealt with a lot of injuries in my first few years,” said Duck. “Being able to get my feet wet last year made me feel like I could spread my wings—like a duck—and fly this year.”
With determination heading into his final year on the track team at TMU, Duck went on to set three school records this season, among seven set by the team throughout the 2024-25 year.
“The first-years on the team haven’t really done too much track before,” he said. “I was trying my best to be a leader, to set an example and to hopefully inspire them to come back next year to make the team grow.”
As the first track experience for many began, the team set its sights on making strides towards being a competitive program within Ontario University Athletics (OUA). The first step: breaking some school records.
Here is a breakdown of the record-breaking action during the track and field meets this season.
York Holiday Open, Nov. 30, 2024 – One record
The team’s season began on Nov. 30, 2024 when they travelled to the York Holiday Open at the Toronto Track and Field Centre.
Most notably, first-year Hasveen Arulrajan made his debut as the first men’s shot put thrower in TMU Bold history. Arulrajan placed fourth in the category with a throw of 11.19 metres.
Sharon Anderson Memorial Meet, Jan. 4, 2025 – One record
During the Sharon Anderson Memorial Meet at the University of Toronto’s (U of T) Athletic Centre Field House, many Bold athletes made their season debuts with several setting new personal bests, including Duck.
Duck landed a 6.47-metre long jump, breaking the previous school record of 6.44 metres he set at last year’s OUA Championships.
“I surprised myself last year with my 6.44,” said Duck. “I was able to just keep nudging and nudging it every meet, including last year.”
Fred Foot Memorial Meet, Jan. 18, 2025 – One record
With the track and field season in full swing, chances to break school records became plentiful. On Jan. 18, 12 days after the first meet of the calendar year, the team travelled back to U of T’s Athletic Centre Field House for the Fred Foot Memorial Meet.
In the men’s shot put category, Arulrajan made an OUA auto-qualifying throw of 13.22-metres, surpassing his own previous record by over two metres. Arulrajan’s record-setting throw propelled him to first-place in the meet standings, where he remained by the end of the day.
York Open, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2025 – Two records
Next up on the meet schedule was the York Open at the Toronto Track and Field Centre on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, where the women’s 4×400 metre relay team made their debut.
The relay team included third-year sprinter Jayda Moore, fourth-year distance runner Emma Highfield, second-year sprinter and hurdler Lisa Franchett-Ngandu and first-year distance runner and sprinter Emily Usick. The team set their first school record of the season at 5:03.39, continuing the Bold’s historic campaign.
As the meet continued, the focus shifted to Duck. During his fourth round jump in the men’s long jump, Duck flew farther than ever before, landing a 6.52-metre jump and setting a new school record.
Though Duck leaped through another record, he didn’t feel it deserved much fanfare.
“I [was not] happy with that jump,” said Duck. “I just knew I could go further…It was still a record but it didn’t really feel like one.”
Ontario University Athletics – Feb. 21-22, 2025 – Three records
With the season winding down, the team’s attention turned to the OUA Championship meet. The Bold travelled nearly four hours from downtown Toronto to Windsor, Ont., feeling the excitement and nerves that come with any meet at a championship level.
First-year sprinter Aleya Morin joined the squad this year and jumped into a spot on the women’s 4×200 metre relay team, which set a school record of 1:49.86 at last year’s OUA Championships. She joined a group of second-year athletes hungry to take another step.
“I was a little nervous,” recalled Morin. “Going into the OUA’s, we hadn’t actually had the full team for the 4×200 metre relay at a competition yet.”
The women’s 4×200 metre relay event presented the first test of the Bold’s abilities at this year’s provincial championships.
Facing off against 11 other teams, the squad—consisting of Morin, Franchett-Ngandu, second-year sprinter and hurdler Christina Karaiskakis and second-year sprinter Ella Di Mola—knew they would have to be quick.
The team went on to beat their previous school record by more than a second, setting it at 1:48.77.
“We definitely pushed each other to be faster,” said Morin. “The other three girls on the team, they’re very fast.”
Continuing the hot streak set by the 4×200 metre team, Moore, Highfield, Franchett-Ngandu and Usick crushed the 5:03.39 record they set 20 days prior in the 4×400 metre relay, setting a new record with a time of 4:38.99.
Meanwhile, Duck had his last taste of glory with the squad, breaking his long jump record for the third time in a matter of months.
During his opening jump, Duck accurately timed his steps and perfected his board run-up, using that momentum to launch himself forward. When he landed in the sand, he immediately stood up and bounced off, not wanting to mess up his landing spot.
“I remember I looked at [the landing spot], and there was a measurement along the wall next to the sand pit,” Duck recalled. “You could kind of see where you were, and I was super close to the seven meter mark, and I was like, ‘Holy shit. No way.’”
While waiting for the official number to be announced, Duck smiled at his coach and shrugged, knowing he had given it his all, happy with the results regardless of the official outcome.
The track officials called out Duck’s number: 6.86 metres. Duck was ecstatic and proceeded to land 6.84 and 6.83-metre jumps in the following rounds, both large personal bests compared to any other jump he had done.
On Saturday, Duck also recorded the Bold’s first ever point at the OUA’s, qualifying for the finals and finishing eighth.
“We went all the way to Windsor,” he said. “You get so much adrenaline, and you see all these people that are so passionate about track, and everyone’s worked so hard to get to that meet…I just wanted to do the best I could do.”
As the season came to an end, Duck found himself reflecting on his last four years with the team, progressing from two years marred by injuries to two more filled with personal achievements and standard-setting for the program.
“I stuck with it, I stayed as consistent as I could, and then at the end of the year, I hit a huge personal best,” Duck exclaimed. “I just want everybody to know it takes time sometimes. It might not always work out—you might get injured, you might have to sit out a few years or a few seasons, just focus.”
With seven school records broken over the course of seven meets, the club continues to grow more competitive.
“Everybody’s awesome, everybody’s so supportive. We’re a small team, but the cast that we have in that small team is really strong,” said Duck. “We gotta come back, we gotta be better, and we gotta really work hard and not give up, and we’ll see results.”
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