Lyle Sanderson
Track & Field (1992)

Lyle Sanderson has compiled an excellent record as a track and field coach at the University of Saskatchewan, winning five Canadian and 19 Western Conference championships since 1968.

Lyle was born in Maple Creek, where he started as a runner, and attended Regina Luther College, where he played football and ran in track. He moved to Saskatoon to attend the University of Saskatchewan, taught at City Park in 1964-65 and then returned to the Saskatchewan campus as a teacher.

He helped organize the first-ever Western Intercollegiate championships in 1968, the Huskies won their first national title in 1969 and the program has flourished ever since. He has been meet director at many events, including the 1979 Western Canada Summer Games in Saskatoon.

As well, Lyle has coached at the British Commonwealth Games, the Pan-American Games, the World Student Games, the Pacific Conference Games, was an accredited coach at the 1976 Olympics, named as a coach for the 1980 Olympics and an observer coach at the 1984 Olympics. He was the longtime personal coach of Olympian Diane Jones Konihowski.

Lyle was Canadian track and field coach of the year in 1977 and 1979 and won an award from the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union in March 1988, in appreciation of dedication and exceptional service.

He has conducted clinics at many age levels in Canada, as well as guest coach at clinics in Australia and New Zealand, and in recent years, has been on the jury of appeal at the International Combined meets in Gotsiz, Austria.

He was honoured as the Saskatoon Kinsmen Sportsman of the Year in 1992.