Bisons ready to take on the west
Young athletes to shoulder the load for U of M
STEVE BOHRN STAFF
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS ZUK/BISONS SPORTS.
The Bisons track team has had a successful year thus far and looks to close it off in style as they prepare for the Canada West Championship that will be held at the Max Bell Centre from Feb. 23-24.
Head coach Claude Berube said he is happy with the way the whole team has performed, but is extremely impressed with the way the firstand second-year athletes have been competing and placing this year.
“I think [the performance of the younger athletes] can be attributed to the quality of the high school and club system and the coaching the kids get at that early level.”
It also helps that many of the Bisons assistant coaches have put in countless hours of volunteer time to make these young athletes the best that they can be.
Another strong point for the Bisons this year, and one of Berube’s focal points, has been the performance of the relay teams.
“One of our main focuses every year is to qualify all of our relay teams for the CIS National Championships,” said Berube.
The relay teams are coming off strong performances in local meets in the past month and look to make the jump and qualify for the National Championships, which will be held in Montreal from Mar. 8-10.
The entire team has been working very hard for this opportunity, with many of the athletes have had to give up their social life.
“Most of the athletes are here six or seven days a week, sometimes more than once a day. The typical week entails six to 10 training sessions in either the weight room or the fieldhouse at the Max Bell Centre,” says Berube.
So much time and effort is being put forth in training because the Bisons have a chance to compete, in front of a hometown crowd, against the best track and field athletes from across Western Canada.
Not to mention, this is the last meet in which they will be able to qualify for the nationals. For many Bisons, this is their chance to put the perfect ending on their track career as many will be moving on at the conclusion of this year.
Berube is happy with the way the year has gone so far but adds that “these last two meets will be the telling factor. We feel that we have a real shot at winning both the men’s and the women’s title at Westerns.”
And they very well might. The women’s team is currently ranked seventh in the nation while the men hold down the 13th spot. Many of the individual athletes have a real shot at winning a medal as well.
But standing in the way of the Bisons’ aspirations are some very strong teams from other universities.
“Teams like Saskatchewan, Calgary, and Alberta are always strong and will be in contention for the team title. Universities like Victoria and Lethbridge have some elite athletes but just don’t send enough bodies to win the team title," Berube said.
The Bisons’ continual quest to get to the nationals will be just one of the many stories to watch unfold at the meet this weekend. It will be interesting to see how the Bisons, with their large number of young athletes, will do in the face of so much pressure.
One thing is certain, however: that the Bisons will be well represented in all events and hope to put on an amazing show for all those in attendance.
