Best in the West hit track at University of Manitoba for conference championship

Western Canada’s top university track and field athletes will gather in Winnipeg Feb. 23 and 24.

The University of Manitoba is playing host to the 2018 Canada West Conference Track and Field Championships at the James Daly Fieldhouse.

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It will be the first time the university has hosted a major meet since the indoor track at the James Daly Fieldhouse underwent more than one million dollars in renovations last year.

“I think the group’s really excited,” Bisons track and field head coach Claude Berube said. “It’s always fun to host. It’s got the home-field advantage – we know the track inside out. Friends and families will be here, they’ll get to sleep in their own beds.”

Universities competing in the event include Alberta, Calgary, Lethbridge, Regina, Saskatchewan, Trinity Western, Victoria and Manitoba.

The Bisons’ last Canada West Conference track and field title came in 2009 on the men’s side and 1996 on the women’s side.

To qualify for the national championship, athletes will need to finish in the top two in their respective events.

Bisons athletes to watch include Tegan Turner, who ran the fastest women’s 60-metre sprint time (7.48 seconds) and 300-metre time (39.74 seconds) in Canada West this year.

Marcel Dufault had the quickest men’s 60-metre sprint (6.99 seconds), while Miguel Morrison’s 600-metre time of 1:19:37 was the best in the western region.

Oyinkansola Akinola’s long jump of 7.15 metres was best in the west on the men’s side, while Brooke-Lynn Boyd’s shot put throw of 13.55 metres was first in the conference.

The Manitoba men’s team is ranked second in Canada West and seventh in all of USports, while the women’s team ranks third in Canada West and 12^th in USports.

Action begins Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. and Feb. 24 at 11:30 a.m.