British Columbia adds 25% of Canada’s National team to FISU with 2 Olympians named. Ruky Abdulai and Mike Mason who represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be joined by SFU and UBC athletes. From UBC will be Liz Gleadle, Inaki Gomez and Nathan Vadeboncoeur and from SFU will be Rebecca Johnstone, Julia Howard and Meridith McGregor.

Ruky (Long Jump 6.72m), Mike ( High Jump 2.25m), Liz ( 55.85m) and Rebecca (800m 2:03.34) are holding the number one spots in Canada in their event at this time.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2009

Athletics Canada names 2009 Summer Universiade Team

OTTAWA – Athletics Canada announced today the team that will compete at the 25^th Summer Universiade (FISU) taking place July 6-12 in Belgrade, Serbia. The games are scheduled at ‘Red Star’ Stadium which seats 55,000 spectators.

The team features five athletes who were on the 2008 Olympic Games team last summer. Ruky Abdulai of Coquitlam, BC, Richard Adu-Bobie of Ottawa, ON, Mike Mason of Nanoose Bay, BC, Carline Muir of Edmonton, AB and James Steacy of Lethbridge, AB were all 2008 Olympians and will be looked at to provide strong leadership on the FISU team.

“The World Universiade Games are an integral part of Athletics Canada’s quadrennial plan leading to the London Olympics”, comments FISU Head Coach Les Gramantik. “We have selected 29 athletes who will be facing a very competitive international field. This is a great opportunity for the selected athletes, all of whom have Olympic aspirations, to gain big game experience and learn to perform on demand.”

2009 Summer Universiade (FISU) Team

Team Staff

Athletics Canada announced the National team which participate in the 2009 IAAF World Youth Championships to be held in Bressanone, Italy from July 8th to 12th.  Eleven athletes from British Columbia  were selected to represent Canada in this competition which is a prologue to next year’s Youth Olympic Games scheduled for Singapore. All these athlete were born in 1992 or 1993. BC athletes are marked in bold.  Valley Royals lead the way with 5 athletes selected.

Name                                         Event    Hometown        Personal Coach      Club
Aaron Brown                            100m    Toronto, ON    Bill Stephens         Phoenix    ON
Jared Heldman                  100m, LJ    Langley, BC    Ziggy Szelagowicz    Valley Royals    BC
Akeem Haynes                         200m    Calgary, AB    John Cannon    Calgary International    AB
Marlon Laidlaw-Allen            200m    Scarborough, ON    Bill Stephens    Phoenix    ON
Adam Gaudes                           400m    Fredericton, NB    Greg Allan    Fredericton Fast Tracks    NB
Benjamin Ayesu-Attah     400m    Coquitlam, BC    Tara Self    Coquitlam Cheetahs    BC
Travis Vugteveen                800m    Chilliwack, BC    Susan Northey    Valley Royals    BC
BJ Cunliffe                                 800m    Courtice, ON    Bill Cunliffe    Durham Dragons    ON
Eric Dillon                                 1500m    Oshawa, ON    Rob Grepe    Toronto Olympic Club    ON
Merid Seleshi                            1500m    Toronto, ON    Bill Stephens    Phoenix    ON
Evan Esselink                            3000m    Courtice, ON    Bill Cunliffe    Durham Dragons    ON
Stephen Hosier                         3000m    Lindsay, ON    Dale Lapham    Durham Dragons    ON
Christopher Dulhanty             2000m SC    Mississauga, ON    Jim van Buskirk    Mississauga Track Club    ON
Gareth Hadfield                       2000m SC    Calgary, AB    Christine Laverty    CALTAF    AB
Gregory MacNeill                     110mH    London, ON    Sandy Cooper-Ryder    London Legion    ON
Dyson Barnes                      400mH    Mission, BC    Ziggy Szelagowicz    Valley Royals    BC
Branden Hansen                      400mH    Beaumont, AB    John Bole    Leduc Track Club    AB
Branden Wilhelm                    High Jump    Woodstock, ON    Sandy Cooper-Ryder    London Legion    ON
Django Lovett                     High Jump    Langley, BC    Ziggy Szelagowicz    Valley Royals    BC
Jordan Young                          Discus    St. Thomas, ON    Jason Tunks    London Western    ON
Raymond Dykstra                  Javelin    Grimsby, ON    Kevin Knight    Niagara Regional Athletics    ON
Cody Parker                       Hammer    Langley, BC    Harold Williers    Valley Royals    BC

Name                                       Event    Hometown         Personal Coach    Club
Jonelle Bell-Spence              100m    Brampton, ON    Earl Letford    Flying Angels    ON
Leah Walkeden                     100m    Ardrossen, AB    David Pong    Edmonton Harriers    AB
Simone Martin                      200m    Brampton, ON    Frank Bucca    Brampton Track Club    ON
Shai-anne Davis              200m    Richmond, BC    Mike Murray    Kajaks T&F    BC
Katie Reid                          400m    Surrey, BC    Nick Stoffberg    Ocean Athletics    BC
Brittany Lewis                        400m    Sarnia, ON    Joel Skinner    Sarnia Athletics SW    ON
Annie LeBlanc                        800m    Repentigny, QC    José Sant    Lanaudiere Olympique    QC
Samantha Murphy                 800m    Perth, ON    Normand Seguin    Ottawa Lions    ON
Megan Beverley                     1500m    Toronto, ON    Dave Christiani    Toronto Olympic    ON
Caroline Pfister                     3000m    Sherbrooke, QC    Simon Croteau    Club d’Athlétisme    QC
Ashlea Maddex                     100mH    St.Pascal-Baylon,ON    Andrew Pagé    Ottawa Lions    ON
Chanice Chase                      100mH    Whitby, ON    Sharon Woermke    Durham Legions    ON
Laura Affeld                          400mH    Stony Plan, AB    Phil Booth    Edmonton Harriers    AB
Michelle Young                    400mH    Saskatoon, SK    Todd Johnston    Saskatoon T&F    SK
Alyxandria Treasure     High Jump    Prince George, BC    Tom Masich    Prince George T&F    BC
Rachel Machin                      High Jump    Calgary, AB    Duncon Margach/Gwen Ridout    U of Calgary    AB
Caroline Ehrhardt                 Triple Jump    Espanola, ON    Jim Taylor    Track North Athletic    ON
Chloe Hetherton                   Triple Jump    Prince Albert, SK    Joe Morrissey    STFC    SK
Karleigh Parker                     Pole Vault    Woodstock, ON    Kristian Wilson    London Legion    ON
Chelsea Whalen                    Shot Put    Liverpool, NS    Steve Wohlmuth    Launchers Athletics    NS
Joanna Franke-Kuhn   Hammer     Duncan, BC    Richard Collier    Kajaks    BC
Daina Levy                            Hammer     Mississauga, ON    Mike Judge    Athletics Manitoba    MB

SUPPORT STAFF
Name                Position            Hometown
Hugh Conlin    Head Coach    Ottawa, ON
Markus Bill    Team Manager    Vancouver, BC
Frank Bucca    Event Coach    Toronto, ON
George Kerr    Event Coach    Hamilton, ON
Claude Berube    Event Coach    Winnipeg, MB
Elena Voloshin    Event Coach    Vancouver, BC
Georgette Reed    Event Coach    Edmonton, AB
Dr. Melina Thibodeau    Team Doctor    Victoria, BC
Jane Freure    Physiotherapist    London, ON
Frank Manzo    Massage Therapist    Toronto, ON

The westcoast 4 meet PacifiCanada Series, concluded with this week with 10 meet records being smashed. At least one record was set in Victoria, Abbotsford, Richmond or Burnaby.  Details can be found at the website of each meet and in our record page. The leading record setter was Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops with his seasonal best throw of 20.92m just a fraction below his Canadian record of 21.04m.

Coquitalm’s Olympian, Ruky Abdulai broke the series and the Jerome record with her 6.60m jump only 14 centimetres behind her personal best set at the NY Grand Prix this year.  She may approach Tabia Charles’ Canadian record of 6.82m before this season is over.

Liz Gleadle of Vancouver established a new series record in Abbotsford with her toss of 55.19m.  This is very close to personal best of 55.85m set earlier this year.

Throughout the series a remarkable number of seasonal best and personal best performances were achieved.

PacifiCanada Series   Seasonal Bests        Personal Bests

Victoria                               21                                32

Richmond                           45                                29

Jerome                                36                                36

Abbotsford                         10                                  24

TOTAL                             112 —————————121