Picking up where SFU’s cross country team left off at the end of the 2011 season, the Clan kicked off the new track and field season with quite a bang last week in Seattle. In the season’s opening event, six members of the Clan earned automatic berths into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship.
Lindsey Butterworth was a shining star for the Clan, finishing first not only amongst her teammates, but all racers in both the 800-metre and one-mile events. Her accomplishments leave her as the number-one ranked athlete in both events, but barely. Her teammate Sarah Sawatzky finished second in the 800-metre race by less than two-tenths of a second. The two will lead the women’s side into the GNAC championships as both automatically qualified, along with 3,000-metre star Kim Doerkson. Michaela Kane and Leah Regan, who finished second and third, respectively, to Butterworth in the one-mile race; both earned provisional byes into the Championships. Off the track, Mercedes Rhode and Charlotte Crombeen, two long jump hopefuls, also qualified provisionally, while Jade Richardson did the same in shot put.
Not to be outdone, the men also had a dominant showing. Matching his personal best result from last season, Ryan Brockerville led SFU to a first-place finish in the 3,000-metre event. And, showing no signs of inexperience, freshman Stuart Ellenwood ran his way to the top spot in the 400-metre race. The two will be joined in the championships by fellow track star Keir Forster, who finished fifth in the 3,000-metre race. However They could also be accompanied by Anton Hemeniuk and Yubai Liu, who both earned provisional qualifications in the 3,000-metre and long jump, respectively.
It’s as good a start to the season as one could hope for, and it all comes off the heels of the news that SFU’s Helen Crofts was named University Canada’s athlete of the year.
It’s early yet, but it’s shaping up to be quite a season for the Clan.
