Sherbrooke, QC- The athletes of Université de Sherbrooke Le Vert et Or didn’t seem to be phased by the strange circumstances in which this year’s university sports seasons played out. Both individuals as well as teams competed hard, set records, and brought pride (and gold medals) to their school.

Track and Field- Vert et Or Vet Goes Gold

The five-year track and field veteran, Ariane Dubois, catapulted herself to the top of the hammer throw podium in Edmonton during the U SPORTS Championships. The 2020 competition was Dubois’ fifth-consecutive appearance at nationals, meaning that yes, she has qualified every single season she’s competed in. 

After finishing fourth in the same event in 2017 and 2018, and earning silver last year, Dubois capped off the 2020 season with an 18.48 metre throw, edging out her conference rival, Noémie Jeffery from Laval, by seven centimetres. Both Québecers headed into the championships as heavy favourites after dominating all season.

Not only did Dubois finish atop the podium in this year’s national finals, she also earned the distinction of having the top single female performance across the country in her event; an 18.96 metre mark in the RSEQ championship. This distance was also good for a new university record. This was the second occasion on which Ariane Dubois was recognized by the governing body of university sports, the first of which being when she was named a second-team all-star last season. Over the course of her five-year career with Université de Sherbrooke, Dubois has landed herself eight podium finishes across provincial and national competitions. 

Cheerleading- Bringing Home a Banner

It was an unconventional season for RSEQ cheerleading, with the championship being cancelled in light of the global climate. Regardless, the governing body of collegiate sports in Québec made the decision to award the banner to Le Vert et Or, who were in first place when the season was cancelled.

Their 48 points across the three completed competitions was the team’s best performance since earning bronze last season, as well as in 2013. Head coach, Kassandra Langlois, said that while she wishes they could have had that final competition alongside the other schools and that her graduates could have had the experience of putting on their champion baseball hats and snapping pictures alongside their teammates, she is honoured and grateful that the RSEQ decided to still award a banner. She also noted how excited she was to have her team face the heightened expectations whenever the new season gets underway. 

The first championship in the cheerleading program’s history brought the school their eleventh banner, the first of which won by an all-gender team, and only the third different sport to earn the school a title. Prior to this, Sherbrooke’s banners had been won almost exclusively by its men’s track and field team, with two being brought home by women’s volleyball.