Shelaine Pritchard earns U Sports gold at track & field nationals

University of Regina Cougars pentathelte Shelaine Pritchard won gold at the 2026 U Sports national track & field championships. (Source: University of Regina Cougars Athletics)

University of Regina (U of R) Cougars track and field pentathlete Shelaine Pritchard is a national champion, earning her first U Sports gold medal.

Finishing best in the field in each the 60m hurdles, shotput and long jump en route to scoring 4,187 total points, more than 100 ahead of second place.

The score breaks the old U of R mark of 4,158 points, which Pritchard herself set in January at the Golden Bear Open in Edmonton, Alta.

Pritchard jumped out to an early lead after placing first in the 11-athlete field in the 60-metre hurdles.

Guelph’s Rebecca Parker briefly took over top spot after the high jump, but Pritchard responded immediately with a dominant throw of 13.21 metres in the shot put to leap back into first.

Pritchard also took top spot in the long jump, then recorded a time of 2:22.47 in the 800-metre run to hold off Parker for the gold.

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Her gold medal gave the Cougars 10 team points as the U of R sits in a tie for fifth place in the overall standings through the first day of competition.

Pritchard has two previous bronze medals at nationals, earning third place in the pentathlon and long jump events in 2025.

The gold is the U of R’s third in the women’s pentathlon all-time. Chelsea Valois (2011) and Joely Welburn won in 2020.

Pritchard will be busy again on Friday as she’s scheduled to compete in the 60-metre hurdles and the long jump in the late afternoon and in the shot put in the evening.

Full event results are available here.