Nine OUA student-athletes to represent Canada in track and field at the 2015 Summer Universiade

OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport, in conjunction with Athletics Canada, announced Friday the 41 student-athletes who will represent Canada in track and field at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea (July 3-14).

Gwangju 2015 website: www.gwangju2015.com
Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/summer/2015/index

The roster is comprised of 23 women and 18 men, including 26 who attend Canadian universities and 15 who study at institutions based in the United States.

Highlighting the red and white delegation are four returnees from the 2013 FISU Games held in Kazan, Russia, including Ryan Brockerville of Marystown, Nfld., Brandon Lord of Whistler, B.C., Ross Proudfoot of Sudbury, Ont., and Benjamin Thorne of Kitimat, B.C.

Of the group, Thorne had the best result two years ago as he claimed a bronze medal in the 20-kilometre race walk team competition. He also placed 16th in the individual standings.

For his part, Lord barely missed the podium in the 10,000m, finishing fourth. Proudfoot reached the 1,500m final and crossed the finish line in ninth position, while Brockerville missed the final of the 3,000m steeplechase by 24 hundredths of a second.

Proudfoot, from the University of Guelph, received earlier this month the BLG Award as the overall CIS male athlete of the year in 2014-15. Last March, he was named male MVP at the CIS indoor championships in Windsor, where he prevailed in his two events (1,500m, 3,000m).

A number of other delegation members also shone at the 2015 university Nationals.

Brittany Crew (East York, Ont.) from York University, who had been named CIS female athlete of the year in field events before the meet, claimed gold in both the weight throw and shot put. Lions teammate Bismark Boateng (Brampton, Ont.) racked up two golds (60m and 4x200m relay) and one bronze (300m). 

Gabriella Stafford, a Toronto product from the U of T, also reached the podium on three occasions, including gold in the 4x800m, silver in the 1,000m and bronze in the 1,500m.

Four other athletes heading for Gwangju claimed two CIS medals last March, including Laurence Beaudet of Montreal (silver 60m hurdles / bronze long jump), Niki Oudenaarden of St. Albert, Alta. (gold pentathlon / bronze weight throw), Leah Walkeden of Androssan, Alta. (silver 60m / silver 4x200m) and Adam Paul-Morris of South Surrey, B.C. (gold 600m / silver 4x800m).

In National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics action, UBC's Maria Barnard was named the outstanding female performer at last weekend's NAIA outdoor championships in Alabama after she won the steeplechase and 5,000 metres on the same day. The Calgary native also set a meet record in the steeplechase in the preliminaries.

The Canadian squad will be led in South Korea by head coach Claude Bérubé from the University of Manitoba, who was also at the helm at the 2011 FISU Games in Shenzhen, China.

Since 1965, when the country made its Universiade debut, Canadians have captured 72 medals in athletics (6-35-31), second only to swimming's 104 podium finishes (22-32-45).

The athletics competition in Gwangju will run from July 8 to 12.

NOTES: Two years ago, a delegation of 51 Canadian athletes returned from the Kazan track and field competition with five medals, including one gold (Kimberly Hyacinthe, women's 200m), three silvers (Jeremy Rae, men's 1500m / women's 4x400m relay / men's 4x400m relay) and one bronze (20km race walk team competition).

CANADA'S GOLD MEDALS IN ATHLETICS AT THE UNIVERSIADE (6):

2013 (Kazan, Russia): Kimberly Hyacinthe, 200m
2009 (Belgrade, Serbia): Women's 4x400m (C. Muir, A. Nelson, K. Hyacinthe, E. Akinsule)
1983 (Edmonton, Canada): Guillaume Leblanc, 20km race walk
1983 (Edmonton, Canada): David Steen, Decathlon
1975 (Rome, Italy): Bishop Dolegiewicz, Shot Put
1965 (Budapest, Hungary): Bill Crothers, 800m

2015 TEAM CANADA ROSTER

WOMEN

Name                           University                   Hometown                  Events *
Katrina Allison            Guelph                        Vancouver, B.C.          10,000m
Rachel Aubry              Guelph                        Ottawa, Ont.                800m
Kelsey Balkwill           Miami                         Essex, Ont.                  400m Hurdles
Laurence Beaudet        Sherbrooke                 Montreal, Que.             Long Jump
Maria Bernard              UBC                            Calgary, Alta.               3000m SC
Lindsay Butterworth    Simon Fraser               North Vancouver, B.C.800m
Rachel Cliff                 UBC                            Vancouver, B.C.          5000m **
Brittany Crew              York                           East York, Ont.            Weight Throw
Karelle Edwards          Algonquin College      Ottawa, Ont.                100m Hurdles
Georgia Ellenwood      Wisconsin-Madison    Langley, B.C.               Heptathlon
Agnes Esser                 Minnesota                   Victoria, B.C.               Discus
Rebecca Haworth        Dalhousie                    Waverley, N.S.             High Jump
Farah Jacques              UQO                           Quebec City, Que.       200m
Marissa Kurtimah        Missouri State             Guelph, Ont.               100m
Lindsey Mix (Bergevin)    Alberta                        Leduc, Alta.                 Pole Vault
Niki Oudenaarden       Calgary                        St. Albert, Alta.            Heptathlon
Karleigh Parker            Western Kentucky      Woodstock, Ont.         Pole Vault
Alex Porlier-Langlois   Hawaii-Manoa            St. Césaire, Que.          Weight Throw
Gabriella Stafford        Toronto                        Toronto, Ont.              1500m
Carise Thompson         Guelph                        Orkney, Ont.               1500m
Leah Walkeden            Alberta                        Androssan, Alta.          100m & 200m
Regan Yee                   Trinity Western            Hazelton, B.C.             3000m SC
Michelle Young           Saskatchewan             Saskatoon, Sask.         100m Hurdles
                                   
MEN

Name                           University                   Hometown                  Events *
Bolade Ajomale           Academy of Arts        Richmond Hill, Ont.    100m & 200m
Calvin Arsenault          Louisville                    Kitchener, Ont.            110m Hurdles
Bismark Boateng         York                           Brampton, Ont.            100m
Drelan Bramwell          College of the Sequoias           Sarnia, Ont.      200m
Ryan Brockerville        Simon Fraser               Marystown, Nfld.        3000m SC
Robert Denault            Villanova                    Aurora, Ont.                1500m
Aaron Hendrikx           Guelph                        Parkhill, Ont.               10,000m
Brandon Lord              Georgia                        Whistler, B.C.              10,000m
Matt Marcoccia            Findlay                        Toronto, Ont.              Weight Throw
Adam Palamar             Tulsa                           Ottawa, Ont.                1500m
Khalil Parris                 Detroit-Mercy             Windsor, Ont.             400m Hurdles
Adam Paul-Morris       Victoria                       South Surrey, B.C.       800m
Ross Proudfoot            Guelph                        Sudbury, Ont.              5000m
Brendon Restall           Victoria                       Victoria, B.C.               800m
Aubrey Smith              Florida International    Richmond Hill, Ont.    Long Jump
Benjamin Thorne         UBC                            Kitimat, B.C.                20km Walk
James Turner               Toronto                        Kelowna, B.C.             Decathlon
Andy White                 UBC                            North Vancouver, B.C.            Javelin

NOTE (*): The relay teams will be confirmed closer to the Games.
NOTE (**): Rachel Cliff used up her CIS eligibility with Guelph and now attends UBC.

STAFF                       

Position                     Name                        University       Hometown
Head Coach                Claude Bérubé            Manitoba         Winnipeg, Man.              
Team Manager             Kristine Deacon           -                      Cambridge, Ont.         
Coach                          Jason Kerr                   Guelph             Guelph, Ont.
Coach                          Lynn Kanuka              -                      Vancouver, B.C.
Coach                          Milt Ottey                    -                       Ajax, Ont.
Coach                          Steve LeBlanc             Moncton          Moncton, N.B.        
Athletic Therapist       Jane Freure                  -                       London, Ont.
Massage Therapist       Paula Burchat              -                       Ottawa, Ont.

About the Summer Universiade

The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The Universiade is open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28 years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participants must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.

Source: CIS