1984 - 85 U of S Huskies Women's Track & Field
Team (2003)
Track and Field
C.I.A.U. National Women's Track and Field Champions
The 1984-85 Huskies became the first women's track and field team from the University of Saskatchewan ever to win a Canadian championship, posting a record-breaking win in the final event of the national finals at Windsor to tie the University of Alberta as co-champions with 42 points.
It was a fitting climax to a season where the Huskies, coached by Lyle Sanderson, won the Canada West title weeks earlier, thanks to gold medal victories in both the 4x200 metre relay and the 4x400 metre relay and a championship run by Gwen Wall in the 600 metres.
Caroline Crabtree contributed with a second-place finish at the nationals in the 3,000 metres, her second All-Canadian rating after winning one in the fall cross-country season.
The team gained valuable points when Shannon Kekula took third place and Kim Zdunich fourth place in the shot put.
Clara Wall finished fourth in the 600 metres and then anchored a relay team, joining Donna Balezantis, Janice Gottselig and Teresa Hlady, which ran the 4x800 metres and picked up points for a fifth place finish.
Gwen Wall finished second behind Olympic silver medallist Molly Killingbeck in the 600 metres, was sixth in the 300 metres, and then went out and (7-Women\'s 4x100 relay team) joined Lisa Kroll, who had an earlier third in the 300 metres, Linda McLaren and Janet Scott in a fourth-place finish in the 4x200 metres relay.
The drama came right down to the end with the 4x400 metre relay race. Lisa Kroll, Teresa Hlady, Gwen Wall and Clara Wall ran their relay of the season, setting a CIAU record of three minutes, 47.19 seconds to win the race and get the points they needed to tie Alberta as co-champions.
Back row: Lisa (Kroll) Mattern, Linda (McLaren) Sawatzky, Kim Zdunich, Shelley (Reimer) Fritkze, Janet (Scott) Gattinger, Donna (Balezantis) Michasiw
Front row: Caroline Crabtree, Janice (Gottselig) Beland, Shannon Kekula-Kristiansen, Gwen (Wall) Ridout, Teresa (Hlady) Schlachter, Clara (Wall) Lee
Team Staff: Lyle Sanderson (Head Coach), Coaches - Ginger Alcorn **, Darrell Burko, Brian Clark, John Holliday, John KonIhowski, Diane Jones Konihowski, Ernie McCullough, Doug Spicer, Dale Yellowlees; Gerry Ross (Manager), Chuck Armstrong (Head Trainer), Don Anderson (Trainer), Scott Anderson (Trainer), Shona (Sadownick) Lowe (Trainer)
** Deceased