Even though she was a two-time Olympian as a competitor, Hilary Stellingwerff knew she had big track spikes to fill in becoming coach in 2020-21 and succeeding legendary former University of Victoria running mentor Brent Fougner.
She is doing just fine as Stellingwerff was named ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West women’s coach of the year in leading the Vikes to the conference cross-country championship on Sunday in Camrose, Alta. It was the 16th ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West title for UVic, but first since 2017, as the Vikes recorded 42 points on the reverse-scoring system to 52 for the runner-up and defending U Sports national champion UBC Thunderbirds. Bronze-medallist UBC-Okanagan had 72 points while the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and Alberta Golden Bears rounded out the top-five with 111 and 164 points, respectively.
“I came into such a great legacy created by Brent and am happy to be able to carry that legacy forward,” said Stellingwerff.
Erin Owens and Marisha Thompson of the Vikes were named to the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West women’s first all-star team and Delaney Chan, Colette Reimer and Elise Coates from the Vikes to the conference second all-star team.
“The girls ran strong and were determined over a very tough course,” said Stellingwerff.
Stellingwerff’s UVic men’s team, led by respective ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West first- and second-team all-stars Daniel Damien and Jacob Webster, came second behind the UBC Thunderbirds 64 to 83.5 points as Saskatchewan took the bronze medal at 84 points. Ian McAllister of UVic was named to the conference all-rookie team.
“The men were disappointed and wanted to win the conference, too, especially having beaten [defending U Sports national-champion] UBC twice this season,” said Stellingwerff.
“But we get another chance at them in two weeks at nationals.”
Stellingwerff, who represented ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ in the 1,500 metres in two Commonwealth Games and the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, said her experience has led her to give her young Vikes charges two, seemingly contradicting pieces of advice, that both hold true: “Be patient in your career because it’s not going to happen all at once, but also run every race like it’s your last.”
Ron MacLean from the Alberta Golden Bears and Constance Nankivell from the Trinity Western Spartans were the men’s and women’s ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ west individual champions.
The U Sports national championships are Nov. 9 in Kelowna.
VIKES SOCCER: Sophie Fingarson’s goal and Kayley Lidstone’s clean sheet gave UVic a 1-0 playoff quarter-final victory over Saskatchewan at Centennial Stadium and a repeat visit for Tracy David’s Vikes into the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West women’s Final Four coming up Friday and Saturday in Calgary. … The U Sports national No. 9-ranked UVic men’s team’s season came to an end with a 2-1 quarter-final loss to the Mount Royal Cougars.
VIKES RUGBY: The UVic women’s team, led by 2024 Paris Olympics silver-medallist Carissa Norsten, placed runner-up to UBC in the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West playoffs, which was good enough to earn a berth in the U Sports national championship this week in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. UVic meets Quebec-champion Laval Rouge et Or in the quarter-finals Thursday.
