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Wednesday March 10 2010
Recruits give Pronghorn track added depth
From the Lethbridge Herald Sept 16 2002
Recruits give Pronghorn track added depth
Larry Steinke had reason to smile last year with the success of his recruits for the University of Lethbridge Track and Field team.
This year he won't be able to wipe the grin off his face.
Steinke unveiled an impressive crop of newcomers to the Pronghorn team this week, and it is almost a lock that more top finishes in Canadian University track and field await the local club.
"This season we have topped the recruits of last year and were very successful in getting recruits that will immediately have an impact on the program," said Steinke.
Leading the list of new recruits is Jim Steacy, a native of Lethbridge who was coveted by schools on both sides of the border. Steacy led all North American hammer throw competitors through his last year of high school, beating his nearest competitors by six metres. He is presently the North American junior record holder in the six-kilogram hammer throw, and won the Canadian National Junior championships in July.
"Jim is the highest recruited throws athlete Alberta has had, and likely Canada," says Steinke. "Jim will have an immediate impact with the program, and combined with Mike Sagert (National team member and bronze medallist at the 2002 NACAC championships in Texas), will be a favourite going into the 2003 CIS championships."
Steacy joins a Pronghorn team that added Chris Meisner last year, the top Canadian shotputter out of high school, who won a silver medal at CIS championships. Meisner set Canadian junior records in both the outdoor and indoor seasons, and finished the year ranked third in North America as a junior.
Steacy is hardly the lone new face to the program, however, and he'll face stiff competition from within his own club. Adam Smith is another newcomer, and was the bronze medalist at the National Junior Championships in 2001. He was also a finalist at the CIS event as the second-ranked high school hammer thrower in British Columbia.
Scott Paterson is another addition to the Pronghorn throwers, creating unheard of depth for a university team. Paterson is the fourth-ranked junior in Canada for 2002, behind both Steacy and Meisner.
Johnathon Doucette will be another new threat among Pronghorn throwers. The second-ranked high school shot putter in Canada last year behind Meisner, Doucette was a silver medalist at the 2001 Canadian Junior Championships and placed fourth at last year's Canada Games in London, Ontario.
"In the throws, we now have four of the top six male Canadian hammer throwers from the last two years in our program," says Steinke. "This forms the nucleus of a young but talent-rich throws group."
Adding to the strength of the women's track and field team is newcomer Kate Forbes, a transfer student from University of Western Ontario. Originally from Debert, Nova Scotia, Forbes was the 2002 CIS and OUA champion in both shot put and weight throw and was the female athlete of the year en route to leading the Mustangs to a national championship for a second year in a row.
"I have been involved in assisting in her training since the summer of 2001 after she approached me about training in Lethbridge in order to reach her throwing goals," says Steinke. "She has now transferred to the university, and although will be a red shirt for this season, will be an important factor in a leadership role for our young throwers."
Other top recruits include Wendy Hurdle in the middle distance events. Hurdle is a double gold medalist from the Alberta high school championships in 2002 where she won the 1,500m and 3,000m; Megan Olesen from Red Deer, a finalist at the 2002 Alberta high school championships in the 800m and one of the top junior runners in the province in the middle distance events; and Heather McMaster from Moose Jaw, a finalist at the Saskatchewan high school championships in 2002. |
As a Provincially and Nationally Recognized Club Our Athletes Compete at all Levels From school, local, regional, national and international championships.
Are You Up to the Challenge?
Head Coach: Larry Steinke
Club Address:
Box 21047
140 Columbia Blvd.
Lethbridge, AB
T1K-6x4
Email:chinook@canthrow.com
Email:steinke@uleth.ca
Phone: 403-328-8836
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