Bison track & field taking a run at nationals
Boeing Indoor Classic serves as tune-up
Vuthana Suon Staff
Photo by Aaron Blouw.
With the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships just days away, the Boeing Indoor Classic, held at the Max Bell Centre on March 3-4, provided a perfect venue to prepare the Bison track and field team for success at the nationals, but also to wind down the season and prepare for next year.
The meet was viewed as a tune-up for those athletes who will be participating in the CIS championships, allowing them to stave off any potential rust and to ready them for a run at the podium. It also allowed the newer Bisons a chance to gain some much-needed experience competing at a bigger stage.
“You won’t see some of our best performers here, but it gives some of our other people a chance to show what they’re going to do next year,” said Kris Geyson, who is currently ranked first in the nation in the 300-metre event. “It’s still the provincials for our indoor team, so it still holds some weight.”
Bison track and field head coach Claude Berube highlighted the importance of the meet as a chance for the athletes to stay loose. It gives them the opportunity to rest from their main events, while also allowing them to race in events in which they normally do not compete.
“The meet allows the athletes to take a physical and mental break from running [their usual] event[s] all the time,” said Berube.
This year’s national championships, to be held at the University of Saskatchewan from March 9-11, will be a big change from the 2005 version. That event, hosted here at the Max Bell fieldhouse, saw the Bisons pull off a major and surprising feat when the women’s team vaulted from fourth to second place, and the men’s team from tenth to seventh. However, the field at the U of S will be a noticeable change from the friendly confines of Max Bell’s track, which is widely-regarded as one of the best in the country.
“[Saskatchewan’s track] is not the friendliest track,” said Berube. “It’s flat, old, and a very hard and unforgiving surface; some of our athletes are going to be sore by the end of the weekend.”
Despite this, coach Berube is hoping for some big performances by the individual athletes and the team as a whole. With a field that includes Geyson running the 300m, Sam Jerema and Kristjan Hunter running the 1500m, Kja Isaacson in the 600m, and Sharon Drake competing in the 300m, Berube is optimistic for another surprising finish by the Bisons.
“Both of our teams are looking to be in the top eight, and though we’re not ranked there right now, we’ve got the kind of team that will do well at the CIS Championships.”
