The York University Lions track & field team kicked off their 2019 year with a successful meet over the weekend, as the team claimed seven medals at the Sharon Anderson Memorial Meet at the University of Toronto campus.
 
York's throwers led the way for the squad, earning a combined three medals in the weight throw event. Drew Erskine tossed his way to the gold medal in the men's event, hurling a personal best of 16.64m on his third throw to win the event. Not far behind Erskine was Jonathan Raspanti, who earned the bronze medal with a throw of 14.49m.
 
In the women's event, 2016 Olympian Brittany Crew also claimed the gold medal with a toss of 18.94m, a season's best for the two-time York female athlete of the Year. The winning throw came on her sixth and final attempt, and she needed it to win as Jordana Badley-Castello of the Windsor Lancers had thrown an 18.49m toss on her fifth attempt.  
 
The Lions track athletes were led by sprinters Mikeisha Bobb and Xavier Joseph this weekend, with both bringing home medals in their respective events. Bobb set a season's best time of 8.87 seconds in the women's 60m hurdles to win the silver medal, while Joseph claimed the bronze medal in a time 6.90 seconds in the men's 60m. Joseph also set a season's best time of 6.89 seconds in the event's semi-final heat.
 
York also won two medals in the field events, with David Nightingale earning a silver medal in the men's high jump with a jump of 1.93m and Leah Jones leaping to a personal best of 11.31m for a bronze medal in the women's triple jump.
 
Overall the Lions had a total of 12 personal bests, 22 season's bests, and 22 top-ten finishes at the annual meet.
 
The Lions will be back in action next weekend at the Fred Foot Winter Invitational Meet in Ottawa, Ont. on Jan. 18-19.