8 May 2009
Canadians clean up at Seattle’s Shannon-Foreman Meet

Olympian Ruky Abdulai of the Valley Royals TC won her specialty the long jump with 6.27m. She is looking for the standard of 6.72m to qualify for the Berlin World Championships in August.  She must have the A standard to insure a place on the team as both Alice Falaiye and Tabia Charles are capable of reaching the mark. These three will have a great battle at the National Championships.  Ruky may try for the “Big Jump” at the Jerome on June 14th.

Liz Gleadle of UBC took the javelin with her 51.99m toss.  She will be a favorite for the NAIA title in 2 weeks. Her season opener of 55.85m exceeds the World Universiade standard of 54.00m needed to compete in Belgrade this summer.

Curtis Moss

Curtis Moss of UBC won the javelin as well with 62.51m. His 70.50m season’s best makes him a strong contender in the NAIA Championships.

Sabrina Reeves and Joel Halcro won the 5000m and 400m with 17:25.43 and 48.44 for the UBC Thunderbirds. Chantal Spies of Kajaks took the discus with a throw of 46.06m.  Full results at  http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/c-track/stats/2008-2009/09kenshannonresults.html

Doug Clement

The Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome Track Classic

June 14, Sunday, Swangard Stadium

May 8, 2009
NEWS RELEASE
PRISCILLA SIZZLES IN QATAR

Priscilla Lopes-Schliep

Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Whitby, Ontario won the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix in
Doha, Qatar this evening in the world’s fastest time of the year with her sparkling 12.52 timing over the 10 barriers in the 100m hurdles.  She defeated Damu Cherry of the US by 20/100th while the Canadian record holder and past World Champion, Perdita Felicien of Pickering, Ontario was 5th in a seasonal best of 12.80.  Lopes-Schliep set a personal best with this win and was aided my a 1.4m/sec.
Sultanna Frizell of Perth, Ontario, the new Canadian record holder in the hammer took third in her event with a throw of 69.86m in a strong international field.  Anita Wlodarcyk of Poland won  with a fine toss of 73.68.
Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops, BC duplicated his Beijing experience by placing 4th
in the shot put with 20.37m while Reese Hoffa of the US won in 21.64m.  Dylan and Sultanna both train at the National Training Centre in Kamloops under coach Dr. Anatolyi Bondarchuk.
Nicole Forrester of Aurora, Ontario in her first competition of the year high jumped 1.88m while Blanka Vlasic of Croatia cleared 2.05m

Doug Clement
The Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome Track Classic
June 14th Swangard Stadium Burnaby, BC

Look for Priscilla to Sizzle in Doha this weekend!

Great story on PLS on IAAF page by our Canadian trackscribe Paul Gains!

Here http://www.iaaf.org/WCH09/news/kind=103/newsid=50472.html

Jerome Outreach Program has received a boost with the support of National Bank Financial, Phillips Hager North and The Schein Foundation.  The program in it’s third year, will provide coaching support to ten inner city schools in the spring and cross country in the fall.  These schools are challenged to provide this form of specialized coaching and physical activity because of economic restraints. There are two practices per week at each school.  The training includes event specific techniques (sprints, hurdles, relays, middle distance, high jump, long jump, shot put) as well as basic conditioning, balance, coordination, and flexibility exercises.

Gary Reed, Silver Medalist at World Championships at Hastings School

This is organized by Gaurdian Athletics Society lead by Besnik and Tatjiana Mece with the help of Mark Tourigny.  The elementary students are trained for over 8 weeks in relay running and the program culminates with competition along side the Olympians at the Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International Track Classic on Sunday June 14th at Swangard Stadium.  Over 700 elementary students will appear at this event.

Gary Reed, Besnik Mece and Mark Tourigny at Hastings Elementary School in 2008

A highlight this year will be when Canada’s 800M Olympian, Gary Reed, attends a practice at Thunderbird Elementary School on Monday, June 1.  Gary will meet the awestruck kids, then share with the students his own challenges overcoming economic and social barriers.

The track program culminates with 200 of these kids competing in the Harry Jerome International Track Classic at Swangard Stadium June 14.   The kids are organized into 4x100m relay teams for an exhibition mini meet within the Jerome Classic.  It will be a truly a magical and inspirational experience for these children, their families, and  schools.  The kids shared the track with the international senior athletes, competing in front of thousands of enthusiastically cheering spectators

There will be 250 inner city kids training with the Jerome Outreach Program  under the guidance  of the coaching system organized by Guardian Athletics  during this fall’s cross country program.  The children will be taught proper running technique, flexibility, warm up, and cool down exercises.  The coaches will accompanied the kids on neighbourhood distance runs.  Most of the kids will compete in the Vancouver School Board’s Elementary cross country championships in next October.
Further information on this program.

contact Mark Tourigny, Jerome Outreach Program & Guardian Athletics Society at 604-684-2139

Globe and Mail Article

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=75406982932&h=8GVV7&u=uHLcd

GOLD SUCCESS FOR TWO CANADIANS
AT BRITISH UNIVERSITY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Canadians, sprinter Seyi Smith of Loughborough University  and Jillian Drouin of Bournemouth University both won golds at the British University Championships (BUCS) at the Bedford International Stadium on May 2.

On the track Seyi Smith claimed victory in the 100m winning in a time of 10.32scs as the 22-year-old crossed the line clear of Leevan Yearwood (Middlesex). Smith, the defending BUCS champion over 200m recently returned from a warm weather-training trip to Australia. This Ottawa Lion recorded an outstanding time in the heats with his 10.23 with a just legal wind of 2.0m /sec.
Jillian Drouin from Corunna, Ontario now studying at Bournemouth won the high jump with a height of 1.81m. This Syracuse University grad keeps the family jumping tradition alive as her brother Derek Drouin has jumped 2.14m this season at Indiana University.
Both Seyi and Jillian lead all Canadians this week in their events.