WINNIPEG — It was a memorable Friday night for the Manitoba track and field teams on their home surface, as the Bisons took home two golds and two silvers in three events at day two of the 2019 U SPORTS Track and Field Championships, presented by Beynon Sports.

After day two, the Bison men are in third place with 38.5 points, trailing Toronto (45) and Guelph (76). The women are in tenth with 19 points. Guelph also leads in the women's standings with 81 points.

Three Bison athletes had individual highlights on Friday, but fifth-year jumper Alhaji Mansaray shone on center stage. Mansaray, the provincial record-holder in the men's high jump, returned from a 2017-18 injury to defend a U SPORTS title from 2016-17. His leap of 2.15 metres earned him the gold medal.

Right on his heels was fourth-year Oyinko Akinola, who leapt to a season's best of 2.12 metres to earn silver in the event. Third-year Bison Sidiki Sow finished tied for fifth with another season's best: 2.03 metres.

"It starts with us, you know? We need to pave the way for the little kids," said Mansaray on the Manitoba jumpers' performance. "If they see how we show up and how we jump at home, hopefully it can get the little kids going and we get more jumpers here [in Manitoba]."

"That was the most fun I've ever had, to be honest," said Akinola after the event. "Coming in I had a rough, bumpy season — but like I always say 'trust the process'. We knew things would come together when they're supposed to, and obviously they did. It's always nice to see the work come together."

Also soaring above the James Daly Fieldhouse floor was second-year Emily Blackner, who earned silver in the women's pole vault with a program record 3.95 metres.

"It feels incredible," Blackner said. "To get another PB and break the school record feels awesome. I'm just going to back into training after this, work hard and progress."

The evening's final event may be the flashbulb moment for Manitoba, though. The top-ranked 4x800 metre men's relay team got a fantastic anchor performance from fourth-year Simon Berube, who raced past two teams in the final bank to earn gold. The team of Jack Taylor, Connor Boyd, Matthew Van Schepdael, and Berube finished in 7:37.29 and gave the fieldhouse an uproarious moment.

"Whenever you're training you have those questions of is it working, am I doing what I'm supposed to do," Boyd said. "And then moments like this you could float on cloud nine and say I did everything I could and it finally paid off."

Other highlights from day two included third-year Jean-Luc Perron finishing fourth in the men's heptathlon, lifted by a strong fifth-place finish in the pole vault portion. Perron tallied 4610 points in the multi-discipline event.

The national championships, taking place at the University of Manitoba's James Daly Fieldhouse, conclude on Saturday, March 9 (12:30-4:30 p.m.). Manitoba has 29 competing athletes, with 28 schools visiting the university as part of the national championships.

LIVE RESULTS
WEBCAST

Bisons results on Day 2 of the U SPORTS Championships
Alhaji Mansaray – men's high jump – 1^st (2.15m)
Oyinko Akinola – men's high jump – 2^nd (2.12m)
Emily Blackner – women's pole vault – 2^nd (3.95m)
Jean-Luc Perron – men's heptathlon – 4^th (4610 points)
Sidiki Sow – men's high jump – T-5^th (2.03m)
Simon Berube – men's 1000m – 7^th (2:27.07)
Brooke-Lynn Boyd – women's shot put – 7^th (13.49m)

Men's 4x800m relay – 1^st (7:37.29)
Women's 4x800m relay – 6^th (9:06.53)

Bisons results on Day 1 of the U SPORTS Championships
Tegan Turner – women's 60m – 4^th (7.52)
Madisson Lawrence – women's pentathlon – 8^th (3533 points)