Tale of the Weekend
VICTORIA — It's all been building toward this one weekend for the UVic Vikes track team as they will get the chance to battle with the best in the nation at the U SPORTS Track & Field Championships from March 9-11 in Edmonton, AB.
SCHEDULE & RESULTS //
CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE //
NATIONAL RANKINGS
11 Vikes will make the trip to Edmonton to race in a variety of middle to long distance events this weekend. With races spread from the 600-metre heats at 7:30 p.m. on March 9 all the way to the 4x400-metre relay final at 4:00 p.m. on March 11, the Vikes will be competing in eight separate events.
For
Rachel Francois,
Cole Peterson,
Brendon Restall and
Andrea Robinson the meet takes on an added sense of importance, as it will mark the last time racing in a Vikes uniform in their university careers.
"All of them have contributed so much to the program," said Vikes head coach
Brent Fougner. "When you look back at our past results those names over the past five years pop up often in the medals."
"It's going to be a pretty special weekend for them and for me because the time they have spent here represents 20 per cent of my coaching career."
On the opposite end of the spectrum are first-year Vikes
Julia Greer,
Chloe Hewitt,
Alyssa Mousseau and
Chet Goerzen, all of whom will get the chance to compete on the national stage at the university level for the first time.
"In terms of their whole career this will be huge because they get a taste of what a championship race is all about," said Fougner. "The U SPORTS Championships are probably the best opportunity to get that experience because of the high calibre of competition."
About the Event
It will be a homecoming of sorts for a number of Vikes during the championships. Francois, Peterson,
Isaac Penner and
Tyler Smith all hail from Edmonton or the surrounding areas and are sure to have a number of familiar faces in the stands cheering them on.
The Vikes will also have the advantage of being familiar with the track, having raced in Alberta's capital as recently as January 21 at the Golden Bears Open.
Two medals were the haul from the Vikes trip to nationals last year. The men's 4x800-metre relay captured silver on day two and Peterson matched that on day three with a silver-medal in the 1500-metre.
Last Time Out
It was an extremely successful trip to Regina the last time the Vikes were in action as the team picked up nine medals at the Canada West Championships. Five gold medals were won by
Thomas Oxland in the 1000-metre, Smith and Francois in 600-metre, Peterson in the 1500-metre and the men's 4x800-metre relay team.
Peterson's impressive showing also earned him the honour of being named the Canada West Male Track Athlete of the Year after the meet.
With their medals: Francois, Smith, Peterson, Oxland and
Max Serviss were all Canada West First Team All-Stars. Greer, Mousseau, Hewitt and Goerzen all earned a spot on the Canada West Second Team All-Star list.
Coach's Take
Brent Fougner, Vikes head coach
"You can't over-think things, you have to learn how to respond and your instinct has to guide you in these races."
"That's why we have championships: to put everybody on the line on the same track, that's what makes nationals so exciting because people have to get on the track and do it."
"Nationals is so great because in all of the events that we are in, it is very close between first and tenth as far as times."
On the rookies competing
"They can't think they are just going in to get experience, they are there to race because they've qualified and have the same opportunity to succeed as everyone else. We've seen rookies go in and come out with medals. We will be telling them to go out there and leave it all on the track."
Travelling Roster
Women:
Rachel Francois (600-m, 4x400-m, 4x800-m)
Julia Greer (4x800-m)
Chloe Hewitt (4x400-m, 4x800-m)
Alyssa Mousseau (600-m, 4x400-m, 4x800-m)
Andrea Robinson (4x400-m)
Men:
Chet Goerzen (3000-m)
Thomas Oxland (1000-m, 4x800-m)
Isaac Penner (4x800-m)
Cole Peterson (1500-m, 4x800-m)
Brendon Restall (600-m, 4x800-m)
Tyler Smith (600-m, 4x800-m)
Championship Schedule (watch live on sportscanada.tv)
Day 1 Thursday, March 9, 2017
2:30pm Weight Throw W Final
3:00pm 60 M Hurdles W Pent
3:15pm 60 M Hurdles M Hep
3:45pm High Jump W Pent
4:00pm Long Jump M Hep
5:15pm Shot Put M Hep
6:00pm 60 M W Heats
6:10pm 60 M M Heats
6:15pm Shot Put W Pent
6:30pm High Jump M Hep
6:45pm Opening Ceremony/Anthem
7:00pm 60 M W Final
7:10pm 60 M M Final
7:20 pm Awards Ceremony for Weight Throw (W) and 60 M (W/M)
7:30pm Long Jump W Pent
7:30pm 600 M W Heats
7:45pm 600 M M Heats
8:00pm 4x200 M W Heats
8:20pm 4x200 M M Heats
8:45pm 800 M W Pent
9:00 pm Awards Ceremony for Pentathlon (W)
Day 2 Friday, March 10, 2017
2:00pm Weight Throw M Final
3:30pm 60 M M Hep
4:30pm Pole Vault M Hep
4:30pm 60 M Hurdles W Heats
4:45pm 60 M Hurdles M Heats
5:00pm Long Jump W Final
5:00pm High Jump M Final
5:00pm 1000 M W Final
5:10pm 1000 M M Final
5:30pm 60 M Hurdles W Final
5:40pm 60 M Hurdles M Final
5:50pm 300 M W Heats
6:05pm 300 M M Heats
6:15 pm Awards Ceremony for Weight Throw (M), Long Jump (W), High Jump (M), 1000m (W/M) and 60m hurdles (W/M)
TBD 1000 M M Hep
6:30pm Pole Vault W Final
6:30pm 3000 M W Final
6:50pm 3000 M M Final
7:00pm Long Jump M Final
7:00pm Shot Put W Final
7:40pm 300 M W Final
7:50pm 300 M M Final
8:00pm 4x800 M W Final
8:15pm 4x800 M M Final
8:30 pm Awards Ceremony for 3000m (W/M), Pole Vault (W), Long Jump (M), 300m (W/M), Heptathlon (M), 4x800m (W/M)
Day 3 Saturday March 11, 2017
12:30pm Triple Jump W Final
12:30pm Pole Vault M Final
1:15pm 600 M W Final
1:30pm 600 M M Final
2:15pm 4x200 M W Final
2:25pm 4x200 M M Final
2:30pm High Jump W Final
2:35 pm Awards Ceremony for Triple Jump (W), Pole Vault (M), 600m (W/M), 4x200m (W/M)
2:45pm Triple Jump M Final
2:45pm Shot Put M Final
2:45pm 1500 M W Final
3:00pm 1500 M M Final
4:00pm 4x400 M W Final
4:15pm 4x400 M M Final
4:30 pm Awards Ceremony for High Jump (W), Triple Jump (M), Shot Put (M), 1500m (W/M), 4x400m (W/M)
~5:00 pm - Championships Award Presentations
