C.I.A.U. NATIONAL WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS
Given
their experience from a year earlier, and blessed with many of the same
talents, the 1985-86 Huskie women's track and field team rose to
Canadian championship heights again, staging relay team heroics to win
the national meet at Edmonton.
The
Huskies went into the nationals, encouraged by the success they had at
Canada west where they won a third straight team title, two relay races
and individual event victories from Lisa Kroll and Gwen Wall.
And it
was during the relays at the nationals where the Huskies shone again.
Gwen Wall, Teresa Hlady, Susan McClocklin and Clara Wall ran a sparkling
4x800 metres in nine minutes, 5.03 seconds to grab second place, just
one second behind the champions from the University of Toronto.
Then in
the 4x200 relay event, Janice McDougall, Lisa Kroll, Cheryl Maroniuk and
Clara Wall ran away from the field to win gold. Kroll, in her role as
anchor, opened up a two-second gap over Alberta during the stretch.
Going
into the final relay, the Huskies trailed the University of Toronto by
two points in the standings and they needed to win. Teresa Hlady, Clara
Wall and Lisa Kroll did their jobs to keep Huskies in the lead, the
baton was passed to Gwen Wall, who ran an awesome 55-second final
quarter to give Huskies the race in three minutes, 50.13 seconds, and
the team title. The Huskies wound up with a five-point advantage over
Toronto.
Lisa
Kroll was among those who delivered magic moments at the meet, winning
the individual 300 metre title in 39.07 seconds, taking second in the 60
metres and fifth in the 600 metres before twice contributing to relay
successes.
Gwen
Wall won the 600 metres and put the cap on a University of Saskatchewan
career in which she was All-Canadian four times, twice a national team
champion, four times a Canada West team champion and was the only
athlete to ever win the university's Ethel Catherwood award four
times.
Teresa
Hlady also put the finish on a career where she achieved All-Canadian
status five years in a row.
Shannon
Kekula added vital points in the 1986 triumph, getting silver in the
shot put and sixth in the high jump, another contributor over the long
haul.
Back row: Teresa (Hlady) Schlachter, Janice (Zunti) MacDougall, Kim Zdunich, Shannon Kekula-Kristiansen,
Gwen (Wall) Ridout
Front row: Clara (Wall) Lee, Susan (McClocklin) Stevenson, Cheryl (Maroniuk) Adams, Lisa (Kroll) Mattern
Team Staff: Lyle Sanderson (Head Coach), (Coaches): Brian Clark, Ernie
McCullough, John Neufeld, Bryan Onstad, Gerry Ross, Sue (Summers) Wise,
Ziggy Szelagowicz, Ivan Tam,
Dale Yellowlees, Rob Zerr, Kevin Van Cleave (Manager),
Chuck Armstrong (Head Trainer), Scott Anderson (Trainer)