Bisons run to eighth and ninth place showing
Track and field team finishes season on a high note
Vuthana Suon Staff
The Bison track and field teams were able to propel themselves toward a strong finish at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships, held in Saskatchewan from March 9-11. The women’s team leapfrogged from tenth place to eighth place, while the men’s team went from being unranked to finishing in ninth place in the overall CIS standings.
With notable performances from the veterans and first- and second-year athletes, the Bisons ended the season on a positive note.
“The expectations going in were to finish in eighth place for both the men’s and women’s teams,” said Bison track and field head coach Claude Berube, who is in his ninth year at the helm. “Though our men’s team came up a little bit short, we were pretty much where we wanted to be and I was proud of how they did.”
Day one of the event saw the Bisons run the preliminary races and, by day two, the team was in full swing.
Fifth-year captains Sharon Drake and Sam Jerema both showed their experience with some notable performances on March 10. Drake put together a bronze medal-winning performance in the women’s 300 metre race with a time of 39.46, while Jerema anchored the men’s 4x800m relay team to a silver medal in a time of 7:42.46.
Second-year runner Kris Geyson, who was ranked first in the nation in the 300m heading into the event, also contributed on the day with a silver medal run in the 300m.
The third and final day of the CIS championships saw the herd continue to battle towards a strong finish to their season.
Coming into the nationals, the women’s 4x200m relay team, composed of Caley Miskimmin, Jana Cassidy, Diana King, and Drake as anchor, was ranked eighth in the nation, but an inspired effort saw them take home a bronze medal. This was despite Drake having pulled her hamstring during the last leg of the run.
“Sharon really stood out for us this weekend,” said Berube. “She pulled her hamstring during the relay but was still able to finish it off.”
Other notable performances on the day included Kja Isaacson’s fourth-place finish in the women’s 600m event and Jerema’s fourth-place finish in the 1500m.
Berube was pleased overall with the level of competition that the Bisons displayed and was especially happy with the effort put in by the first- and second-year athletes. One of these athletes was rookie Andrew Schellenberg, who showed flashes of potential with a sixth-place finish in the men’s 600m event.
Geyson also showed what he could bring to the team, winning a silver medal in just his second year.
“The [CIS championships] are important for our first- and second-year athletes because they gain experience from seeing how well they have to be prepared to do well at that level,” said Berube. “And they get that itch to compete there again.”
Looking back on the season, Berube was proud that the Bisons were able to achieve what they did, despite it being something of a transition year for the women’s team, with the loss of key veterans.
“Expectations coming in were that we would qualify the same amount of athletes we usually qualify for the championships, and we met those expectations,” said Berube.
Berube is also optimistic for the future: the relatively young team is gaining more experience and can build on what they have learned thus far.
