If the last regular meet of the season is the finale, Burnaby’s Zion Corrales Nelson made sure to put her best foot forward.
The third-year University of California-Berkeley athlete capped the outdoor track regular season with a standout performance at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational in Berkeley, rolling to three new personal bests and gold medal finishes.
The St. Thomas More alumna won the 100-metre dash on the first day, capturing the event with a personal record time of 11.51 seconds to move from 10th spot to fourth on the school’s all-time list.
Her previous best time in the 100m was 11.69, set nearly two years ago in Coquitlam.
The win also earned Corrales Nelson a spot at the NCAA regional meet with the 23rd fastest 100m time in the nation.
On the second day, the 20-year-old Bears sprinter took both the 200- and 400m titles, doing both in style.
In the 200m, Corrales Nelson posted a 23.46 finish time to climb up to second in the school’s all-time list, coming on the heels of a dominating performance in the 400m. In that race, she shifted into first place on the second turn to finish in a time of 54.41 seconds.
Her previous best in the 200m was 23.74, set at the 2017 Brutus Hamilton competition. The new mark in the 400m shattered her previous best, set in 2016, of 54.90.
Corrales Nelson also joined forces with teammates Deshae Wise, Maisie Stevens and Jackie Patterson to capture the 4x100m relay event, crossing the finish line in 44.83 seconds.
