UPDATE: Riders announce Trevon Tate extension, Ajou released for NFL chance
Jan 22, 2025
Tate is set to be the starting left tackle after Trevor Reid was released.
The 58th annual Knights of Columbus Games is officially underway at the University of Saskatchewan Field House in Saskatoon.
The games will feature track and field athletes from all levels across the province and even around the world until Jan. 25.
“We’re a unique event where we have community school relays and club kids from all over the province and the country. And then we have the unique component of having invitational events, so we invite a variety of high calibre athletes to come and compete,” explained Laura Young, executive director for the games.
One of those international top-athletes who was invited to the event is pole vaulter Anicka Newell.
Newell was born in the United States and lives in Texas – but because her mom is originally from Saskatoon and her grandparents still live here – she was able to pick Canada as the country she would represent on the international stage.
She can’t wait to have the chance to compete in front of her family this weekend.
“I’m so excited,” said Newell. “This is my first time coming to this meet. I’ve been to this field house before many times, so just to be able to compete here in front of some family is going to be awesome.”
Newell has represented Canada on the international stage for nearly a decade. Over the last 10 years, she’s represented Canada at the Olympic Games three times (2016, 2020 and 2024), at the Commonwealth Games and the World Athletics Championships.
Newell said her dad was the reason she got into the sport.
“My dad was a runner. I joined the track team and then my track coach found out that I had a gymnastics background and so he kind of threw me in a pole vault, thinking, ‘Gymnast, flyer? You could do this,'” she said.
Newell thinks the sport of pole vaulting is a little wild, but is happy with how her career has ended up.
“I really don’t know why anyone would go into pole vault. Honestly, this sport is crazy,” Newell joked. “I’m a little cuckoo I guess for doing it, but it’s a lot of fun. I’m really happy with what I’ve accomplished.”
This will be Newell’s first time competing since the 2024 Paris Games. She doesn’t think she’ll get to another Olympic Games in 2028 but is continuing to compete competitively.
Another track star who will be in the field house in Saskatoon is Edmonton’s Malachi Murray.
Murray is one of the fastest men in all of Canada and a track star on the rise. He’s competed in Saskatoon multiple times and loves the environment.
“I’ve loved this meet. At first, I thought there was a curse on me because my first two years here were poor performances,” Murray said. “But last year, I pulled out a great performance.”
Last year at the Knights of Columbus Games, Murray ran a 50-metre time of 5.77 – the best of his career.
Outside of the 50-metre dash event, Murray also runs the 60-metre dash while indoors and competes in the 100-metre and 200-metre events outdoors.
Last year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he ran a time of 10.01 in the 100-metre dash – which was the second fastest posted time in Canada, just behind Canadian great Andre De Grasse.
Murray has also represented Canada at the Olympics this past summer as an alternate on the Canadian 4×100 metre relay team that won gold in Paris.
Before the Games in Paris, he was dealing with an injury and admitted there was a gap between him and other runners. Now that the page has turned on that, he’s hopeful this event in Saskatoon can kick start an exciting 2025.
“I’m back to where I was running personal best type of races and I’m looking forward to contributing to the team this year,” Murray said.
“I hope to further my career as far as it can go. Every year, I’m just hoping to get better and every year is a stepping stone. I know I set the bar pretty high for myself last year, but I’m looking to take over all of those steps this year and just cement my name in track and field in Canada.”
For Young, she’s hoping all of the kids who will be attending and competing this weekend will be able to rub shoulders with some of those big athletes.
“I know they all look up and admire them because they’re bigger, stronger and faster than everybody else,” Young said.
“My daughter is a perfect example. She started in the elementary school relays in Saskatoon, and decided, ‘Oh, I kind of like this. I want to do track.’ She did track, was always part of the Knights of Columbus Games as a club athlete and went on later to become one of the invitational athletes. They’re a big inspiration to these young kids.”
Young expects crowds to be big over the next couple of days and is anticipating over 5,000 people to pass through the doors.