FIU's Gabrielle Rains Sets Record While Taking Canadian U20 Title

FIU Athletics

MIAMI (July 12, 2017) – It may be the summer time for the traditional college student, but there is no offseason for FIU track and field standout Gabrielle Rains when it comes to perfecting her craft in the discus. Rains, a rising sophomore for the Panthers, shows no signs of slowing down following a record-setting freshman campaign. On July 6, the Sherwood Park, Alberta, native won the Canadian U20 Track and Field Championship discus title at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility in Ottawa, Ontario. Rains set a new championships U20 record with her toss of 51.60m en route to the gold medal.Click here to read a piece on Rains and her Olympic aspirations in the Ottawa Citizen.
 
Rains will now compete on the international stage as she travels to Trujillo, Peru for the Pan-Am U20 Track and Field Championships, July 21-23, as one of 54 athletes that will represent Canada.
 
Before returning to Miami, Rains will take part in the 2017 Canada Summer Games at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, August 3-4.
 
During her freshman season at FIU Rains enjoyed a banner season. She took second-place at the Conference USA Championships in El Paso, Texas, with a throw of 50.95m, and advanced to the NCAA Division I East Region Prelims in Lexington, Kentucky, where her throw of 49.45m was 25th.
 
It was, however, her first collegiate meet at the University of Miami that set the standard for Rains for the remainder of the season. During the Hurricane Invitational on March 18, Rains let loose on a throw of 53.10m which set a new school record and held up all season as the second-best throw in C-USA and the 42nd best in the nation. Also, Rains' 53.10m is the 17th-best U20 throw in the world this year and broke a 31-year-old Canadian record.Fans are encouraged to follow the team on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUTrackXC) for ...

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