Catch all the action at Centennial Stadium on Father’s Day!

The University of Victoria Vikes track teams (men’s and women’s) are perennially at or near the top of the Western Conference in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Championships, they have won national championships on occasion too, for example the men defeated the nation’s best in Guelph, Ontario at the 2015 CIS Cross Country Championships.

The challenge is to constantly recruit new talent, while nurturing and motivating the veterans that are currently in place.

One recruit, starting for the men’s side in September 2016, is Reynolds Secondary grad Brendan Hoff.

Hoff, originally from Campbell River had his choice of NCAA Division 1 schools to attend, but he decided to stay on the island, attending high school at Reynolds Secondary and attending the University of Victoria starting in September.

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Three-time Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner will make his Victoria International Track Classic debut Sunday, June 19 at Centennial Stadium. Wariner has never raced in Victoria before but sees the event as an opportunity to strengthen his chances of making his fourth Olympics. 

Wariner, 32, has been dominating the 400 metre event since his days at Baylor University. The McKinney, Texas, native’s personal best time of 43.45 is the third fastest time in 400 metre history. He won Olympic gold medals in the 400 metres and 4×400 metre relay in Athens in 2004, as well as another gold medal in the relay event in Beijing in 2008. He competed in the 2012 Olympics in London but was forced to pull out due to injury. 

“My athletic career changed dramatically (after 2004),” said Wariner. “I had to start training even harder than I ever had. I had a large target on my back and had to make sure every time I stepped on the track I was in top shape.”

Warner is closer to the end of his career than the beginning but sees 2016 as chance to make his fourth, and perhaps final, Olympics. Despite all his accolades and career earnings, his love for the sport has been tough to give up. 

“This is something I do because I love to run,” said Wariner. “I am blessed to have been able to travel the world doing something that I love. It is awesome to have so many young athletes look up to me as a role model.” 

With his career winding down, Wariner admits he tries to live in the moment and enjoy every race. 

“Beyond 2016 is hard to see at this moment,” said Wariner. “I’m just focused on each day in front of me. I will look at 2017 once this season is completely over with.” 

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Although he is one of the top elites in the world in his event, qualification comes in one, single and final competition taking place in TrackTown, Canada (Edmonton) from July 7 to July 10. Regardless of how “ready” a Canadian athlete gets themselves in advance of the Rio Olympic trials; they still need to perform top-two during the meet and in some cases top-three. Drouin is no exception. He will be in Victoria to fine tune his game.

The twenty-six-year-old, six-foot, five-inch jumper is the defending IAAF World Track and Field Championships gold medallist. He is coming to Victoria, June 19th in preparation to take on the world during the Rio trials and likely the Rio Games.

“I’m excited to compete in Victoria for my first time,” said the former Indiana Hoosiers athlete. “It’s a privilege for us, as Canadian athletes, to compete on Canadian soil, rather than having to fly to Europe to find great competition, especially in an Olympic year.”

Drouin is well versed in preparing for global competition. In addition to being the reining defending world champion, he is also the defending 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and 2015 Toronto Pan American Games gold medallist as well as the 2012 NCAA Division 1 champion. He earned bronze medals during the 2012 London Olympics and 2013 Moscow Worlds, but his standard is now gold and he will be seeking Olympic glory for Canada this summer.

Drouin would have to perform the most tremendous meltdown to not make Team Canada, but this is track and field, anything can and usually does happen.

Victoria serves as an important date on the competition schedule for all participating athletes including Drouin. The Victoria Track Classic is part of the National Track League; a five event series that takes place each year in Halifax, Guelph, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria.

“I’m thankful that the National Track League for gives us that opportunity,” shared Drouin.

The Victoria Track Classic is happening June 19 at the University of Victoria’s Centennial Stadium and will feature some of the most talented track and field athletes in Canada and the world, who will be seeking Olympic calibre performances in sprints, middle-distance and various throws events. The Victoria Track Classis is a major track meet for Canada and an opportunity for Victoria sport fans to get out and enjoy high level sport.

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Canadian middle-distance superstar Melissa Bishop is set to race in the 800m event on Sunday, June 19 at the Victoria International Track Classic. Bishop, the current 800m national record holder, says the event will be her final competitive race before the Olympic trials in July.

Bishop, 27, has dominated on the west coast in recent years, setting the Victoria Track Classic 800m record in 2014 with a time of 1:59.70, while becoming a fan favourite.

“The races are always set up well, competitive fields and great rabbits,” said Bishop about the Victoria Track Classic. “The hospitality is top notch and it’s high performance racing in Canada. I feel at home when I race in Canada on the west coast.”

The Eganville, ON., native is coming off the best year of her career. She won the silver medal at the 2015 World Athletics Championship in Beijing while simultaneously setting the Canadian women’s national record with a time of 1:57.52. However, the former University of Windsor star isn’t getting caught up in her own success.

“Nothing has changed all that much,” said Bishop. “My personal life hasn’t changed and neither has my athletic career. We’re still working very hard.”

Bishop will represent Canada this summer at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and all signs point to another strong performance. With all of her recent success, Bishop knows the pressure will be on her to reach the podium.

“My goals are to get to that (800m) final and compete at my very best,” said Bishop. “Be the best version of the athlete I know I can be.” 

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Form teams with friends from school, or elsewhere. Entry into the Youth Relays includes free admission to this year’s Track Classic. And because it is Father’s Day, dad’s can attend the meet for FREE!

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Symmonds grew up in Boise, Idaho, and was educated at Willamette University, which is located in Salem, Oregon.

Recently Symmonds has made the news by auctioning off a part of his body on eBay as a place for businesses to advertise their brand with temporary logo placement. Symmonds created a campaign through his very popular blog posts at Flotrack.org titled, I’m Tired of the USATF and IAAF Crippling our Sport and OwnYourSkin. He also created a facebook group, which boasts well over 6,000 members.

Symmonds argues that the international governing body of track and field, the International Association of Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) rules around athlete sponsorship are draconian and dated. The American governing body, the USATF following the IAAF’s rulebook have also been steadfast. That is until recently, where Symmonds indirectly scored a victory for the athletes, hence his successful auction bid on eBay.

Symmonds took time out of his busy schedule to discuss training, racing and his protest to support his fellow athletes.

Christopher Kelsall: The 800m must be the deepest of all track and field events. You have run 1:43.76, which at some major events would end up getting you a medal, but can just as easily be not good enough to get out of the semis; the allure of the 800m to you, is it about its competitiveness?

Nick Symmonds: I find the 800m so alluring because it is an unforgiving event. There is absolutely no room for error. Often, it is not necessarily the fittest person that wins the race, but the person with the best tactics. This can be frustrating on the world level where a fraction of a second separates the top 20 competitors. However, if you are anyone other than the favorite, you have to love the fact that anything can happen and anyone on the starting line has a fair shot of winning the race.

CK: One of your goals is to improve in the 1500m. How much faster than 3:38.18 do you feel you are capable of?

NS: I do enjoy the challenges of running the 1500m; it is so much different than the 800m. I have said before that I feel the biggest jump in athletics is from the 800m to the 1500m because it is the jump where most athletes go from running positive splits to aiming for negative splits. Last year I ran my PB of 3:38.18 off of 800m training. I feel that with a slight shift in training I am capable of running under 3:35.

CK: I would assume that training for the two events is almost exactly the same. Is it just a matter of getting into more events at that distance? Will we see you racing the 1500m more in the near?

NS: The way that we are coached here at the OTC (Oregon Track Club), the training is quite different. For me to really reach my true potential in the 1500m, I would need to increase my base mileage by about 20%. I would need to lose some weight in order to have a slightly more efficient stride at 1500m pace and would lose some of my explosiveness. I feel that there will be a time in my career to do this, but definitely not until after the 2012 Olympic season.

CK: Twenty percent more during base mileage would be how much weekly mileage?

NS: When I am really training hard I try to hit around 70 miles-per-week. To really reach my potential at 1500m, I think I would need to find a way to get up to around 80-85 miles-per-week.

CK: I noticed on one of your training schedules, everything looked as expected until we came to Friday, where your PM workout was “Hunting or Fishing”. Have you read about Rod Dixon’s wild hog hunt after a long run? He has won medals!

NS: I have not yet read Rod Dixon’s wild hog hunt after a long run, but will be doing so asap! Sounds very interesting. I think its important for athletes to have a way to unwind from the sport. I know that at the end of a long week of training I just feel so burnt out sometimes. I feel tired of running and tired of talking about track and field. The way I press the refresh button is to get out into nature. Hunting, fishing, hiking, surfing; all of these things remind me that I’m more than just an athlete trained to run around in circles. When I am out in nature I am reminded that I run because I love to and that if I were to ever fall out of love with it, I still have so many other things to do that make me happy. Usually, an afternoon on the water or in the hills is enough to give me renewed focus and get back to training hard.

CK: When fishing in Boise are you on the river near South Fork fly fishing for rainbow trout or steelhead?

NS: Wow! Great question. Why are you telling people about the South Fork?! That river is a little secret that the people of Boise don’t want to get out. I love that stretch of water and enjoy trout fishing there. After spending the last ten years in Oregon I have really started to like steelhead fishing as well and have fished rivers all over this state for them. However, I have yet to try for Steelhead in Idaho.

CK: Have you taken to the ocean at all and gone for salmon or cod?

NS: Yes! I used to live with a guy who was a professional fisherman that specialized in salt water fly fishing. Every couple of week he and I would take the boat out and catch sea bass, ling cod, tuna, salmon, whatever was running.

CK: Would you suggest that fishing is therapuetic from the stresses of training and racing?

NS: For me it is. For others, they might see it as a waste of a day or as something quite stressful. I know that when I am on the water I almost never think about athletics and I find that therapeutic. It is one of the only places where I can totally turn my mind off of the subject.

CK: Can you share with the readers who Hanson Dodge Creative is?

NS: Hanson Dodge Creative is the newest sponsor of athletics! More specifically, it is a marketing company based in Milwaukee that specializes in connecting the biggest brands in North America with the active lifestyle market place. The company’s founders and employees have a desire to see the world become a more active place. I share these feelings and try to inspire people to get out and enjoy nature through my running and my outdoor adventures.

CK: What prompted you to auction off temporary tattoo space (left shoulder) on eBay?

NS: Another great question. I guess I just felt really taken advantage of when I read through the IAAF rule book and saw that I didn’t even get to decide what does and does not go on my own body. I can understand the governing bodies wanting to control what goes on the bibs and jerseys, but to tell me what I can do with my own skin offends me deeply. I guess I just wanted to tell the IAAF that no matter how they write their rules, ultimately I #OwnMySkin. I also wanted to bring attention to how absurd some of their rules really are. Other sports like tennis, golf, surfing, bull riding, and NASCAR and thriving by offering shared advertising space on the athletes. I wanted to show that there are lots of companies that would love to pump money into the sport of athletics if they were just given a chance to. If two square inches of a relatively small name athlete can go for $11,100, just imagine how much money could flow into the sport if the regulation were loosened even a little bit!

CK: I would argue the point about your name being small. Your accomplishments are a hair’s breadth from the very top.

NS: I am certainly proud of all that I have accomplished, but until I have a World (IAAF World Track and Field Championships) or Olympic medal around my neck, I will always feel like a second tier athlete. Also, if you consider that having a medal makes an athlete more marketable, then the $11,100 I gained from the auction as a non-medalist shows you that someone like Bernard Lagat or Allison Felix would probably stand to make exponentially more.

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“We have several athletes who will be pushing their limits in an effort to achieve a Canadian record and win the $20,000 prize money,” said Keith Butler, the VITC meet director. “Those athletes include current Canadian record holder in the javelin, Elizabeth Gleadle and 2014 Canadian champion Melissa Bishop in the women’s 800 meters.”

A perfect storm for the 800-meter race is set for Tuesday evening with three of those athletes at varying stages in their running careers. Diane Cummins, a Track Classic favourite, will be making Victoria her official retirement race and is coming off a bronze medal at the recent national championships. Adding to the mix is the current national champion Melissa Bishop who has a seasonal best of 2:00.52. And finally the up-and-coming local talent Rachel Francois who ranks 5^th in country with a 2:02.18 will be charging for a strong finish. Bishop will challenge Cummins’ Canadian record of 1:58.39 on Tuesday in hopes of winning the NTL prize money. She has a personal best of 1:59.76, which she accomplished in 2013 at Victoria’s Track Classic.

Other athletes to watch for at this year’s Track Classic are listed in the following events:

Mens 800 meters – This will be a Canadian showdown with local favourite Thomas Riva who was 4^th at the recent Canadian Championships and Anthony Romaniw from Ontario who placed 2^nd. Also in the running will be Leoman Momah of Nigeria with a personal best of 1:46.07.

Women’s 800 meters – Christina Rodgers from the U.S. has run a 2:01.75 earlier this year and will take on some of Canada’s finest including national champion Melissa Bishop who has run a 2:00.52 earlier this year, Victoria athlete Rachel Francois ranked 5^th in Canada at 2:02.18 and Diane Cummins, bronze medalist at the recent national championships and Canadian record holder with a seasonal best of 2:02.36.

Women’s Javelin – Canadian record holder Elizabeth Gleadle will compete and shoot for yet another Canadian record at this year’s Track Classic. Gleadle has broken the Canadian record twice already this year with a throw of 64.50 meters.

Mens 100 meters – Americans Mickey Grimes (9.99) and Joseph Morris (10.09) will battle it out with Canadian Gavin Smellie who has a personal best of 10.11 and was part of the bronze medal World Championship 4 x 100 meter relay team in 2013.

Mens 400 meters – Charles Jock, an 800-meter specialist from the U.S. will take on young, Canadian Olympian Daundre Barnaby (45.47) and Akheem Gauntlett (45.00) from Jamaica, a world indoor bronze medalist.

Mens Javelin – Three Americans who have all thrown over 80 meters will be vying for this year’s Track Classic title, Cyrus Hostetler, Sean Furey and Craig Kinsley.

Mens Shot Put – Canadian Champion Tim Nedow will battle the grounds with American Jordan Clark and Asian Games gold medalist Ming-Huang Chang of Taiwan. Two-time Olympian Amin Nikfar of Iran is also competing in this event.

Women’s 100 meter hurdles – Canadian Phylicia George, ranked #1 in Canada at 13.08. will be challenged by American Nicole Denby who has a seasonal best of 13.21 and Kierre Beckles of Barbados with a seasonal best of 12.98.

Women’s 1500 meters – Canadian Kate Van Buskirk leads the way for Canada in this event with a 4:06.97 this year. She is the 2014 Canadian Champion in this event.

Women’s 400 meters – Brianna Nelson of the U.S. a 52-second 400-meter runner will challenge Canadian Carline Muir who tops the rankings this year with a 52.76.

Women’s Hammer – U.S. athlete Jessica Cosby-Toruga is favoured in this event with personal best of throw of 74.20.

Women’s Long Jump – Arantxa King from Bermuda is a two-time Olympian will be competing.

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“Diane has been an inspiration to many and a Track Classic favourite for many years,” said Brent Fougner, President of the Victoria International Running Society, the organization behind the event. “She is the type of runner that has always showed immense determination in her racing. If Diane was racing for a certain qualifying time or championship she was ready and would usually surpass her own and everyone else’s expectations.”

Cummins began her coveted career back as a long jumper and sprinter in the late 90’s at UBC. Shortly thereafter, she quickly grew into a running demon in the 800 meter distance leaving others working hard to keep up to her pace. Her legacy spanned almost 15 years through international competitions that placed her on Canada’s Olympic team in 2004, and more importantly, five times at the World Track and Field Championships. She is Canada’s 800-meter record holder in a time of 1:58.39 and just last week received a bronze medal in the event in her 18^th appearance at the Canadian Championships in Moncton at the age of 40.

“It’s crazy to think about my relationship with Diane,” said Vicky Lynch-Pounds, former Canadian 800 meter rival and teammate in Missoula. “At first we were fierce rivals but it was hard to be friends with someone that you wanted to beat so bad because she was just so darn nice. Now we are friends for life”

Cummins’ 800 meter race will be the final race of the evening on July 8^th and expectations are that her supporters and many fans will be there to cheer her on and celebrate her retirement.

The Victoria International Track Classic kicks off with a tailgate party at 4:30 p.m. followed by the Community Mile Relay Challenge at 6:00 p.m. and the Main Event featuring Olympians and international competition at 7:00 p.m.

The Victoria International Track Classic is one of two events the Victoria International Running Society operates, the other is the TC 10K, one of Canada’s largest participating 10K events.

Tickets for the Victoria International Track Classic are available on-line at www.trackclassic.ca or at Centennial Stadium’s gate on July 8^th starting at 4:00 p.m.

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Injury sidelined her athletic career in 2000 while she was preparing for the Sydney Olympic Games. She has since immersed herself in her career as a Registered Clinical Councellor and relocated to St. Catherines, Ontario. She has a Masters degree in Councelling Psychology.

The Victoria Track Classic is celebrating the 20^th anniversary since the 1994 Commonwealth Games took place. Below Meagher (pr: Mar) reflects on those games.

 Personal bests

800 Metres – 2:05.02

1500 Metres – 4:06.79

3000 Metres – 8:43.71

5000 Metres – 15:21.15           

Christopher Kelsall: This year is the 20th anniversary of the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games. Do you have fond memories of competing at Centennial Stadium back then?

Robyn Meagher: I do. You can have great experiences in training that make the athletic journey very fulfilling but when you have a wonderful experience when you are competing and it is shared with a stadium full of people that amplifies it.

CK: From an athlete’s perspective how would you describe the differences between the 1992 Barcelona and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games versus a small – even for Commonwealth Games standards – Victoria Games?

RM: Whether it’s the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games or the Victoria Track Classic, athletes that commit themselves to pursuing their potential, always want to do their best. The seriousness of the Olympics can sometimes carry with it a pressure to perform and not disappoint, that carries a heaviness with it that can become a preparation element to contend with itself. The CWG’s have always been referred to as the “friendly games”. The spirit of competition surrounding this event seems imbued with a lightness that supports positive engagement.

CK: Having bests of 8:43.71 for 3,000m and 15:21.15 in the 5,000m, would you suggest you were a stronger 3,000m runner?

RM: I preferred the event and have more experience at it. With my 1500m background it stands to reason that it would be a stronger event for me.

CK: Do you think athletics needs to bring back the 3,000m?

RM: It would get my vote.

CK: If the 3,000m was to be continued for another Olympiad, do you think you would have continued to improve your times?

RM: My best training and fitness levels were achieved in 2000. Unfortunately, injury prevented that from coming together in race season.

CK: So how much faster do you think you may have run?

RM: My training was in the 4:02 range and around 15 minutes for the 5k

CK: What sort of running do you get up to these days?

RM: I get out for a run on the trails most days with my sweet doggie.

CK: I understand you are moving back to the west coast, yes?

RM: We are grateful for the family time we have had in Ontario and being closer to my family in Nova Scotia these past four years. And we love living on the west coast and look forward to returning to Victoria.

CK: Can you tell me how it felt in 1994, to be at home and waiting for the moment when you were getting reading to walk out onto the track for competition?

RM: The days leading into the competition for the CWGs were not confidence boosters. I knew things could shift quickly, so I stayed focused on getting ready to perform at my best whatever that might be. So many people support you as an athlete you want their efforts as well as your own to bear fruit when you have an event like this. So part of my final preparation was a fine-tuning of what needs attention in my physiology as well as dealing with the emotional and psychological experience of having the Games in my home town. My inner process was one of coming to terms with my hopes and expectations and dealing with the possibility of not achieving them. In my warm up, I remember feeling the excitement of the crowd and my fear receding as I focused on having a great experience whatever that might be.

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