Bisons high jumper Lara Denbow has already carved out an enormous legacy in the brown and gold. The Neepawa native is the back-to-back defending U SPORTS national champion in her signature event, and earlier this season, she tied the program record with a leap of 1.80m, placing her alongside fellow program great and teammate Madisson Lawrence.
 
Additionally, Denbow represented her country this summer as part of the FISU World University Games in Germany. It was another enormous accolade and notable experience in her storied career, which also includes numerous national titles from her high school days.
 
Suffice to say, the veteran has left a permanent mark on the Bisons program, and the sport of track and field as a whole.
 
But she's not done yet.
 
The only UM athlete (male or female) to win national gold in the high jump in consecutive seasons, Denbow has a shot on Saturday on home soil to add another historic program first.
 
Of the 12 Bisons women who've won at least three gold medals, none have ever done so in three consecutive seasons in an individual event. Overall in the storied history of the program, only two Bisons have ever accomplished the feat, Kevin Pommer in shotput from 1987-89, and Bojan Paunovic in the same event from 1990-92.
 
But of course, that's not something Denbow thinks about when she competes. One of the most humble, well-spoken and thoughtful athletes to ever don the Bisons colours, her first thought, instead, is gratitude for the sport that's given her so much.
 
"I do reflect sometimes on how far I've come. I've been in the sport for a lot of years. I have a lot to be proud of. Whenever I am done, I will be proud. Ultimately I'm just so grateful for this sport. It's given me a lot of my best friends. It's shown me the self- respect to show up, and to do steps to accomplish what you want to achieve every day," smiled Denbow.
 
"It's taught me discipline. I'm just very grateful that I have a thing. Track and field has given me so much, and helped me become who I am today."
 
Speaking of discipline, Denbow has that in spades.
 
She's been able to balance the demands of high-level training, with a demanding course load in the College of Pharmacy. In 2026, that's included experiential education in areas such as injections and minor ailment prescribing.
 
Because of her academic pursuits, she and long-time coach Mingpu Wu (who she's worked with since grade seven) knew it was imperative to prioritize "quality over quantity" with her training.
 
Denbow has competed just three times prior to U SPORTS, opening her season at the Golden Bear in Alberta on January 3^rd, followed by the Jim Daly Bisons Classic on January 30^th.
 
She set a personal best in the latter with her 1.80 jump, and just under a month later she took home gold at the Canada West Championships.


 
It's a far cry from days of old. Every year between the 2017 and 2019 seasons for example, she competed at a minimum of nine different meets between indoor and outdoor.
 
"Truthfully, I let Ming decide everything this year. It's easier that way, number one, and I also believe in what he knows. He knows best," said Denbow of the legendary coach who's been on countless national teams.
 
"I've been in this sport for years. Overall, I love being able to train. At this point, it's quality over quantity, whether we're talking about reps in practice or competitions, trying to stay as healthy as possible and accumulating high quality reps."
 
With that being said, Denbow made a "really conscious effort" not to limit herself in competitions this season. She knows what she's capable of, and it showed at the Bisons Classic, and all year long.
 
"I had jumped 1.78 in practice off of five steps, I had jumped 1.77 off of five steps, and I've had attempts at 1.80 that have been good over the years. I knew [1.80] was very doable. It's always been very doable. It's nice that I've finally done it," she remarked.
 
"I had attempted 1.80 so many times over the years that it was kind of becoming a mental thing that I needed to get over. I've gotten over it now and it feels great. Now that's done. Onto the next."
 
"The next," is nationals at home.
 
Denbow will compete on Saturday at 2:30 pm in the same fieldhouse where so many core memories have been formed over the years, including national gold two seasons ago.
 
Faster and stronger than she's ever been, Denbow is embracing the chance to compete once more, in front of her friends and family.
 
"When you think about your fondest moments in sports, it always comes back to the people. I'm excited to have my parents in the crowd and a lot of extended family, my friends, some of my classmates. Honestly, this building is one of my favourite places in the world. When I would drive in from Neepawa to train, I would be so excited to get here and finally high jump."
 
Catch Denbow and the Bisons competing at home at U SPORTS Track and Field Nationals from March 5-7. Click here for tickets.