UNB set to host conference championships for first time in recent history
By: Dwayne Tingley
Head coach Chris Belof is predicting success that has been a long time coming for the UNB Reds track and field team.
The team's roster has grown from about 45 to 75 during Belof's three years with the Reds and the coach believes they are ready to make their mark in the AUS conference.
"The men are a force and are ready to challenge (the Dalhousie Tigers) and the top athletes while the women have a smaller group, but I think I think they can look for a top three performance," said Belof, who is also the high-performance coach for Athletics New Brunswick.
The Tigers have won five straight AUS track and field championships and 17 of the last 18 titles.
UNB's rapid progression will be on display when the Reds host the Subway AUS Track and Field Championships, presented by Keep It Social, on Feb. 21 and 22 at the Irving Oil Field House in Saint John, which features a 200m oval track. It opened in November.
Competition will be held in 17 women's and 17 men's events.
UNB has not won an Atlantic championship since 1969 and has not hosted an AUS championship in recent history. The AUS championships have been held at l'Université de Moncton for the last couple of decades.
"It's a big honour for us," Belof said. "We have a very good working relationship with the facility in Saint John and we're expecting some outstanding performances from our team and other teams in the field.
"There is a positive feeling surrounding the UNB team," he added. "Everyone is super excited about hosting and showing what kind of talent we have at UNB. We are going to be very competitive and we're looking to make some history for a UNB team.
"We will be looking for some wins and lots of personal best performances at the best track and field facility in the Maritimes (which will host the 2021 U SPORTS national championship meet)."
Competitors will be looking to qualify for the U SPORTS nationals, scheduled for March 5-7 at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
AUS winners will advance and others can move on by meeting national standards.
The reigning champion Tigers are looking to post their best results of the year and head coach Rich Lehman is anticipating some tough competition.
"Schools are recruiting more aggressively, and training has become far more sophisticated across the whole conference," Lehman noted.
"This year's UNB men's team is probably the best team we've seen since I've been around and beating them is going to take pretty much a perfect weekend. They're probably the most well-rounded team in AUS history with gold medal threats in every event group and all three relays."
Lehman said the outstanding work of his assistant coaches, dedication of his athletes and support of his athletic director have combined to make Dalhousie's track and field team successful for many years.
"Track and field athletes tend to be very academically-minded and I believe I have the luxury of working at the best academic institution in Atlantic Canada," stated Lehman, who also works as the distance coach with Halifast Athletics.
The AUS championships get underway Friday with the first events beginning at noon and will webcast live at www.AUStv.ca. The full event schedule is available here.