Reds Add Pair To Recruiting Class
(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS men’s track and field team is adding two student-athletes to their recruiting class of 2021, including the reigning New Brunswick indoor heptathlon champion.
Oliver Arnfast, a multi-sport athlete, from Valley, Nova Scotia, and Kalevi Karhi, a distance runner, from Desbarats, Ontario, have both signed U SPORTS Letters of Intent and will join the REDS ahead of the 2021-2022 Atlantic University Sport season.
“We’re excited to have Oliver and Kalevi joining our program,” said REDS head coach Chris Belof. “They’re both strong students and incredibly talented athletes who’ll make significant contributions as REDS.”
Arnfast, completing his Grade 12 year at Cobequid Education Centre, in Truro, Nova Scotia, is a member of the Cougars’ track and field team, the Truro Lions Track and Field Club, and was part of Nova Scotia’s team at the Canadian Legion Championships in 2018 and 2019.
Along with his New Brunswick indoor heptathlon title, Arnfast also holds Nova Scotia’s U18 pole vault record.
2019 saw Arnfast win gold in the 400-metre hurdles at the Athletics Nova Scotia championships, along with silver medals in long jump and javelin.
In the same year, he won the 100-metre hurdles at the Nova Scotia high school championships and finished second in the 60-metre hurdles at the Hershey’s indoor national championship meet.
In 2018, he won the 100-metre hurdles at both the Nova Scotia and Atlantic championship meets.
“He’s a top Atlantic region recruit,” said Coach Belof. “He’s demonstrated abilities in numerous events, and we see Oliver contributing from day one. He’ll have an immediate impact at both the AUS and U SPORTS levels.”
“I was drawn to UNB for academics first,” said Arnfast. “Small class sizes and relationships with professors is a great start to pursuing research opportunities. On top of that, Coach Belof has been assembling a great team that will be competitive in the years to come.”
Arnfast’s abilities extend well beyond the field and the track.
He’s played three seasons of U18 AAA hockey and was the second of three goaltenders selected by the Rimouski Oceanic in the 2019 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.
“My goal, short-term, as a Red is to be a contender in AUS competition in my first year and contribute points to push the team towards an AUS banner,” said Arnfast. “Long-term, I want to compete at the U SPORTS championships, on the national stage.”
Arnfast will study Chemical Engineering while attending UNB.
Karhi, finishing his Grade 12 year at Central Algoma Secondary School, has been a standout member of the Huskies’ cross country and track and field teams.
He captured the regional high school cross country championship, leading Central Algoma to the team title, and was the Northern Ontario high school champion over 3000 metres and the runner-up in the 1500 metres.
He represented Central Algoma at the Ontario high school cross country and track and field championships, was the school’s male athlete of the year and cross country MVP, all while earning a spot on the academic honour roll.
“Kalevi is a talented athlete with a strong work ethic,” said Belof. “He’s demonstrated continuous growth throughout his high school career and should be an important contributor to our men’s distance group in the coming seasons.”
“I’ll bring strong leadership to the team and a good work ethic, which I hope motivates others” said Karhi. “I want to excel with the team and help bring a championship to UNB.”
“Kalevi is a strong student and a high-character teammate who will have a positive impact on our team culture,” said Belof.
Karhi will pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree while attending UNB.
PHOTOS:
Arnfast – Jennifer Weeks
Karhi – Submitted