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Stiff competition expected at this weekend’s UBC Open

Published by
Ben Thistlewood   Apr 5th 2012, 9:21pm
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Note: we preview select featured men’s events below – stay tuned for the women’s events preview coming out tomorrow

 

Men’s 5,000 m race walk

 

Ben Thorne, a first-year race walker and the current Canadian junior record holder in the men’s 10,000 m race walk, leads the men’s track and field team into the UBC Open this Saturday. Thorne, who has already achieved the Olympic ‘B’ standard in the men’s 20 km race walk, will be making his long-awaited debut as a Thunderbird. Joining Thorne in the race will be former T-Bird great Inaki Gomez, and Olympic hopeful Evan Dunfee. The 5,000 m race walk kicks off at 3:00 pm.

 

Men’s 100 and 200 m

 

UBC’s Andrew Nathan, winner of the 100 m at the WWU Ralph Vernacchia last weekend, will face stiff competition from Jarid Vaughan, and Keefer Joyce. Both have faster seed times than Nathan’s 10.82-seconds. Vaughan ran 10.42-seconds at the Texas Relays last month, and Joyce ran 10.61-seconds at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games last September.

 

In the 200 m, Vaughan is the fastest seed at 21.00-seconds, followed by 400 m specialist Nathan Vadeboncoeur at 21.02-seconds. Nathan is seeded third at 21.74-seconds.

 

Men’s javelin throw

 

The Richmond Kajaks’ Curtis Moss, a UBC alumnus and 2012 Olympic hopeful, headlines this event. Moss has a seed of 78.32 m – a mark he achieved at the Copenhagen Athletics Games in 2009. David Skermer, also of the Kajaks, is entered at 58.98 m, and Simon Fraser’s Ben Coles is seeded at 52.07 m. UBC’s Uluc Birol set a personal best at the Ralph Vernacchia of 47.46 m, and will be looking to improve on that mark at the Open.

 

Men’s 800 m

 

Point Grey TFC athletes Mark Wilkie and Nigel Hole headline this race, with seed times of 1:51.00 and 1:51.20 respectively. Both are UBC alumni, and began their careers in the shorter middle-distance events, but now focus more on the 1,500 m.

 

UBC’s Simon Bill will be looking to achieve NAIA ‘B’ standard or better after a tactical mistake lost him chunks of time at the Ralph Vernacchia meet last weekend.

 

Men’s 1,500 m

 

The field is led by Joseph Boland, of the Edmonton Thunder/University of Alberta, with a seed of 3:52.26. Simon Fraser’s Ryan Brockerville, a steeplechase specialist is entered at 3:52.79, and is a favorite also.

 

After achieving the NAIA ‘B’ standard last weekend at the WWU Ralph Vernacchia meet, second-year Justin Kent will be looking for an even better result – the NAIA ‘A’ standard of 3:55.25. He will not be alone as teammate Jordan Smith will also be hoping for a fast race to book his fourth straight ticket to NAIAs in the 1,500 m.

 

Men’s 3,000 m

 

Two-time NAIA All-American Luc Bruchet will make his season debut on the track in this event. First year Thunderbird’s Will Cliff and Matt Galea will also be in the race.

 

 

Meet Schedule

 

1:30pm                                                           LJ W fl.1          JAV W fl.1

1:45pm                        4x100 W                                                        

1:50pm                        4x100 M                   

2:00pm                        800m W                       HJ M                                                    SP M

2:10pm                        800m M                       LJ W fl.2                      JAV W fl.2

2:20pm                        200m W

2:40pm                        200m M                       LJ W Final                   JAV W Final

3:00pm                        5000m RW M & W

3:30pm                        400m W                       LJ M   

3:40pm                        400m M                       HJ W                JAV M              SP  W

3:55pm                        1500m W

4:05pm                        1500m M

4:25pm                        100m W                       TJ W  

4:45pm                        100m M                  

5:00pm                        4x400m W

5:10pm                        4x400m M

5:20pm                        3000m M

 

Follow @ubctrack on Twitter for live updates

 

By Devin Rajala and Ben Thistlewood



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