Victoria International Track Classic - Thursday June 19, 2008 - University of Victoria, Centennial Stadium - The annual Track Classic as part of the PacifiCanada Track Series attracted a few bonafide stars in the Canadian track and field scene.

Canadian record holder in the Shotput from Kamloops, BC, Dylan Armstrong entertained the crowd by narrowly missing the Canadian flag that was flitting lightly in the very gently breeze. It was set as a marker, indicating how far he needs to throw to take down the Canadian record. He didn't, but he threw well, almost taking down the meet record and demolishing the competition around him. Dylan threw nearly 2 metres farther than his closest competitor, his result - 20.47m.

Meet record:

Dylan Armstrong - 2006 - 20.60m 

Javelin - men

Canadian, Scott Russell also entertained the crowd by far outdistancing his competitors with what seemed like several throws of similar distance, getting close to the 80m mark several times however, his best on the night stuck at 78.90m

100m Hurldes - women

Two long established names in the Canadian track and field stage specifically 100m hurdles showed up to put on a show. They are Canadians Angela Whyte from Edmonton, Alberta and Whitby, Ontario native Priscilla Lopes-Schliep.

Whyte holds the meet record from 2006 with a 12.90 incidentlally Lopes-Schliep won last night's race in that exact time, convincingly.

Whyte was a four-time NCAA All-American and five-time Big West champion at Idaho. She also earned Big West Female Athlete of the Year honors in 2001 and Big West Female Track Athlete of the Year honors in 2003.

Lopes-Schliep ran for the University of Nebraska Huskers. During her stint built an All American sprint resume, which contains too many stats to read in a day. Perhaps this is her year.

1500m - Women

American, Carrie Tollefson, coming back from long-term injury issues, handily took her race in 4:14'38, 5 seconds up on second place finisher and Canadian, Jessica O'Connell.

Tollefson ran for Villanova accomplishing much including and not limited to being the 2004 Olympic Trials 1500m champion; 2004 U.S. Indoors 3000m runner-up; 2nd at 2002 USATF Winter Cross Country 4k Champs; 5-time NCAA Champion; 1995 USA Juniors 1500m runner-up.

800m - women

Diane Cummins is a fixture in international middle distance running, holding the Canadian record for the 800m and medalling in both the Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games. She has been ranked as high as 5th worldwide by the IAAF.

"Training has been going well, but I am not feeling as strong as I would like at this time of the season, it's been too cold (in Missoula, Montana)," offered Diane the night before her race.

Diane needs to run 1:59 to accomplish the Canadian A+ standard. In my opinion we have someone here who can run 1:58/9 and has already done this, but do we want her knocking back near Canadian records in June/July when we also want her to be as sharp as possible for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing?

Of course not.

Diane Cummins ran 2:02, during for her, a cool evening. She turned on the jets a little with 200m or less to go, positive splitting approximately 59/60 to a 61/62 by the display clock's numbers. She won the race too, delighting 2000 of her closest fans.

800m - men

The showcase event was built up in the media a little, as a duel between long-time Canadian legend in the 1500m, Kevin 'Sully' Sullivan and Gary 'the Hitman' Reed. The dustup was billed as a toe-to-toe bought (for the masses) over 800m, however, anyone familiar with the two Canadian running rockstars, know well that the elder statesman, Sully is a 1500m specialist rumored to be moving up to the 5, 000m and 'the Hitman' Reed ...well everyone knows Reed is the IAAF World Track and Field Championships Silver Medallist; missing gold by less a margin than Tiger Woods recently won a round over Rocko Mediate.

Second place finisher, Canadian Andrew Ellerton made a race of it with his effort of 1:46'12.

In the pre-race press conference Sully joked that he may "pull a Rocko Mediate" on Reed, where Reed countered with, "but Tiger still won."

Reed won in 1:45. Look for very big things from Victorian, Gary Reed (by way of Kamloops, BC) leading up to the Olympics.

Dare we dream of Olympic Gold? Why not!

As past Olympian and Canadian race walk record holder Arturo Huerta told me, "hope was the last thing to come out of the Pandora's Box."

With Gary 'the Hitman' Reed, we have much hope and belief! 

In other events during the night, Canadian, Geoff Martinson ran a new personal best in the 1500m with his 3:42'83.

In the 5000m Mexican, Jaun Luis Barrios ate the field alive with his victory time of 13:28. Canadian, Ryan McKenzie put in a solid effort running alone for most of the race with his 13:42.

Master's runner, yes 40 year old Marilyn Arsenault, Varsity runner for the University of Victoria, Vikes for the upcoming 2008/2009 season, sang the national anthem Oh Canada, spent the day in a whirl-wind trip to Vancouver to audition for an upcoming commercial and raced the evening's 5000m event. Her husband refers to her as a 'white tornado'.

Check out the full results at www.trackclassic.com.

Watch for more Canadian track and field excitement Saturday, June 21st in the upcoming Vancouver Sun, Harry Jerome Track Classic http://www.harryjerome.com/ at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC (Vancouver, BC).

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Contact Chris: chriskelsall@flocasts.org