With her fourth-round attempt in the women's long jump, Leah Jones bested the field and secured the gold medal at the U SPORTS track and field championship with a jump of 6.18 metres Friday afternoon in Saint John, N.B.
 
It was enough to beat out the field over the next two rounds and gave York their first U SPORTS gold medal since Brittany Crew did it in the 2019 edition of the national championship.
 
Jones' leap is also a school record in long jump, and gives the Lions their first gold medal performance in the women's long jump since 2017 when York alumnus Holly Pitters took the same crown at that year's edition of the national championship.
 
Jones wasn't the only one to earn hardware at U SPORTS, either. Kaitlin Brooks finished her season by coming within centimetres of a gold medal performance of her own – placing second in the women's shot put. Her fourth round throw of 14.35 ended up being four centimetres off the event's best result, which came from Anna McConnell of the Manitoba Bisons. The silver medal is the third medal and second silver for Brooks in this event at U SPORTS. She earned her first silver in 2018, and took bronze in 2019.
 
Charlotte Bolton also competed at U SPORTS and finished the women's para shot put by improving on her result from the OUA championship, earning first place. After a 7.14-metre throw in Toronto, her best one Friday was measured at 7.91 metres.
 
Ella Foster rounded out the competing Lions student-athletes Friday, where she placed 13^th in the women's pole vault.
 
The event wraps up tomorrow, with York sending Jeremy Elliott to the field in the men's shot put. The first-year athlete enters the event with a shot at the podium, entering with the third-highest seed distance of 14.79 metres.