Olivia Cooper to compete at 2023 U23 NACAC Championships
2023 Bakewell Trophy winner one of 20 Canadians to compete in Costa Rica
Fresh off one of the most dominant seasons ever for a long-distance runner in school history, Olivia Cooper will swap her Evergreen & Gold for Red and White this summer. The Cross-Country and Track & Field star will compete at the 2023 U23 NACAC Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Cooper is one of 20 Canadians who will compete from July 21st to 23rd in Central America, with the veteran Panda running in the women's 800m race.
Additionally, UofA Cross-Country head coach Sean Baynton will be among the six coaches selected for the NACAC Championships.
Cooper, became just the second student-athlete from cros-country to capture the Bakewell Trophy as UofA Female Athlete of the Year this past April. The third-year Kinesiology, Sport, & Recreation student dominated all season long across multiple distances and terrains. The Edmonton product opened her season with a 7th place finish at the Trinity Western Cross-Country Open, before earning a first-team Canada West All-Star spot with a 4th place finish at the 2022 conference championship.
Cooper was then able to overcome miserable Halifax weather conditions, earning an All-Canadian finish at the 2022 U SPORTS Championship.
Cooper placed 10th, earning a second team U SPORTS All-Canadian finish. It was the highest career finish for Cooper at the national championship, and the highest a Panda has placed nationally since Lindsay Acheson also placed 10th in 2004.
The third-year Panda followed that up with a tremendous Track season which saw her earn three Canada West medals, one U SPORTS medal, and two new Pandas program records.
Cooper earned gold in the 1000m and 4x800m at the CW Championship in Saskatoon, before earning a bronze in the 4x400m relay.
She added a national silver in the 4x800m, placing fourth in the 4x400m relay, 1000m, and 1500m. Despite placing fourth in the 1000m and 1500m, Cooper set new programs in both events, which included Cooper breaking Mary Burzminski's record in the 1000m from 1985.