UNews - Larry Steinke

Olympic dreams realized for Bosch and Crozon

trevor.kenney — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 14:50:42 +0000

Basketball players part of large ULethbridge contingent headed to Paris Olympics

Could it really happen any other way? Kacie Bosch (BA ’20) and Paige Crozon punched their ticket to the Paris Olympics in the most dramatic of ways, winning the bronze medal match in the final 3x3 women’s basketball Olympic qualifying tournament. After years of crossing the globe, jumping through qualifying hoops and racking up win after win as the world’s top-rated 3x3 team, they are Paris bound.

“It doesn’t really feel real yet,” says Crozon, who along with Bosch is an assistant coach for the Pronghorns women’s basketball team. “We’ve been preparing the last five years for this, just hoping and wishing we’d get this opportunity. I’m so proud of our team and the resilience we showed to even get to this point, and we are honoured to play amongst these women in Paris.”

Kacie Bosch, left, and Paige Crozon, middle, celebrate with teammates Michelle and Katherine Plouffe after they clinched their spot in the Paris Olympics.

The duo, who will compete alongside Olympic veterans Michelle and Katherine Plouffe, earned their spot in Paris the hard way. They fell one win short at an Olympic qualifying event in Japan, then needed a top-three finish in Hungary to secure their Olympic berth, only to lose a semifinal game to Spain on a fluke shot in the last second. It set up a winner-take-all match against the home Hungary side, and while they easily dispatched the hosts, the adversity they faced is seen as welcome experience.

“That loss to Australia in Japan was devastating for our group and we were really disheartened. We wanted to come home, come back to our families and have more time to train for Paris and instead we had four days at home and it was back on the road for another qualifier,” says Crozon.

Bosch says the experience of the Plouffe twins guided their emotions through the nerve-wracking final qualifying tournament. They also refocused their sights on what truly guides their success — having fun.

“The pressure was on, and we started to focus on the outside noise, like who was refereeing and what might happen if we lost and that’s not good for us,” says Bosch. “That’s not how we play our best ball. When we have joy, when we’re laughing and joking before we run on the court, that’s what makes us play well.”

With their spot now secure, the focus is on gearing up for Paris. The Olympics begin July 24, with the 3x3 basketball tourney running July 30 through Aug. 5. While Bosch rehabilitates a litany of knee injuries, Crozon is playing with Canada on the FIBA professional circuit. The group will reconvene in Toronto for a short training camp and head to Paris a week before their Olympic opener.

“I’m a very emotional person, so I’m already picturing us wearing our Canada jerseys and competing for our country,” says Bosch. “It’s such a huge tournament and to have friends and family there who have been supporting me since the start of my career is going to be amazing. It’s a full-circle moment — everybody has worked so hard to get to this point, and I’m so thankful for all the people behind the scenes who have supported and pushed and been practice players for us and sacrificed their time. Putting that jersey on is just an amalgamation of everybody’s efforts.”

Crozon eyes the opportunity with gratitude and joy.

“To share this with all the individuals who have helped us get to this point is something I’m really looking forward to,” she says. “It will be a big stage, but it doesn’t change why I play basketball because I just love to play. I feel free and so much joy playing basketball, so I don’t think the stage matters, I’m just excited to have another opportunity to play the game I love with everybody I care about.”

As far as who they will meet in Paris, there are no surprises. All the world’s best teams will be there, and they have faced each other many times on the professional circuit. They fear nobody.

“We’ve faced every team multiple times in games that have come down to the last few seconds, overtime games, we’ve gone through the gauntlet,” says Bosch. “All the things we’ve had to overcome, that’s our advantage going into Paris.”

Pronghorns in Paris

Pronghorns track coach Larry Steinke (BA ’94) has been running the most prominent throws program in U SPORTS for years and has been consistently involved with Canada's elite athletes at the international level. He is excited to make his sixth Olympic appearance and says this may prove to be the most memorable yet.

“It’s always an honour to represent Canada at the international level. This one will be unique, as each one is, but we go in with the best Team Canada we have ever had in track and field, including six world champions. Without a doubt it will be a special Olympics in that regard,” says Steinke, who will serve as Team Coach.

Another team member serving as mission staff is Ryan Sommer (BA '16) who competed for Steinke as a shot put specialist for the Horns from 2011-2016. After leaving ULethbridge, he turned his sights to bobsled and represented Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics where he won bronze in the four-man bobsled. Meanwhile, Mike Tamura (BA), who competed for the Horns in judo in the 1980s, will serve as Judo sport director in Paris.

As well, former Pronghorns swimmer Apollo Hess and cyclist Sarah Orban (BA ’18) will compete for Canada in Paris.

Hess swam for the Horns for two seasons, winning gold in the 200-metre and 50-metre breaststroke at the 2022 U SPORTS Championships where he was named U SPORTS Rookie of the Year. After another outstanding 2023 season, he moved to Toronto to join the High Performance Centre. Hess is a member of the Kainai Nation, and the first Blood Tribe member and swimmer of Indigenous descent to participate in the Olympics.

Orban played Horns women’s soccer and ran track while at ULethbridge. In 2017, she participated in the RBC Training Ground program and won the Alberta Regional Final, sparking interest from the national skeleton and cycling teams. She chose to focus on cycling and was named to the national team 18 months later. She won team sprint gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games. Orban graduated with a double major in kinesiology and psychology.

See this story to learn about Kacie Bosch's journey as a student in the Faculty of Education

Olympic Competition Schedule (All times MDT)

Kacie Bosch & Paige Crozon (Women's 3X3 Basketball)

Tuesday, July 30 — 10 a.m. vs. Australia
Wednesday, July 31 — 10 a.m. vs. China
Thursday, Aug. 1 — 1:30 a.m. vs. Germany
Thursday, Aug. 1 — 2 p.m. vs. France
Friday, Aug. 2 — 10 a.m. vs. USA
Friday, Aug. 2 — 1 p.m. vs. Spain
Saturday, Aug. 3 — 9:30 a.m. vs. Azerbaijan
Monday, Aug. 5 — Playoffs (TBD)

Apollo Hess (Men's Swimming, 4x100-metre medley relay)

Friday, Aug. 2 — 3 a.m. (Heats)
Saturday, Aug. 3 — 3 a.m. (Heats)
Sunday, Aug. 4 — Finals (TBD)

Sarah Orban (Women's Team Sprint Track Cycling)

Monday, Aug. 5 — 9 a.m. (Qualifying)
Monday, Aug. 5 — 10:55 a.m. (First Round)
Monday, Aug. 5 — Finals (TBD)

Alumnus Linder carving out niche as Olympic host team coach

trevor.kenney — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 17:12:01 +0000

Alumnus Florian Linder (BSc ’00) has carved out quite a reputation in the international bobsleigh community. For the third consecutive Olympics he will serve as a technical coach for the host nation’s bobsleigh programs – this time the South Korean contingent. One might even call him a sled whisperer.

“This will be my third host nation, which is a fairly unique experience,” he laughs. “We’ve been successful as host nation coaches so far and I have high expectations for this team as well.”

Florian Linder works with the Korean team on start technique.

How a Lethbridge College instructor, and former kinesiology student and sprinter on the Horns track and field team, assumed the role of technical guru for Canadian, Russian and now South Korean bobsleigh programs is a tale of seizing opportunity. At no point during his U of L educational journey did Linder foresee such a future, and it wasn’t until years after graduation that he specifically applied his acquired kinesiology knowledge. Nonetheless, his time at the U of L set the foundation for everything that would follow.

“I really enjoyed my time here and my time with the track team. Larry (Steinke) and George (Gemer) gave me the base through which I was able to go into bobsleigh, so it all started here and gave me quite an experience,” he says.

Upon graduation, Linder still had hopes of running track at the highest level, so he moved to Calgary to continue training. He took jobs as a personal trainer and worked on his dream. A year later, he got his break, but rather than it being on the track, it came from a bobsled coach who spotted him at a shared indoor training facility. They talked off and on for the next year before Linder agreed to take part in a bobsled testing camp in the summer of 2002.

“I did fairly well, I guess, because I got picked up by the national team and competed for Canada for the next four years,” says Linder.

Racing in both two- and four-man events, Linder travelled the world as a bobsled athlete, culminating with his inclusion on Canada’s 2006 Turin Olympic Team. Following Turin, he retired from competing, but a year later he was back, this time as an intern technical coach with Bobsleigh Canada.

He coached for the next four years, taking Canada through the 2010 Vancouver Olympics before again leaving the sport. His sojourn was brief though as he was summoned out of retirement by a good friend, Canadian bobsleigh legend Pierre Leuders. The most decorated driver in Canadian bobsleigh history, Leuders had been approached by the Russian Olympic Federation to coach their bobsleigh team in preparation for the Sochi Olympics. Linder signed on and then repeated the cycle with Leuders for 2018 and Pyeongchang, joining the Korean contingent in May 2017.

Linder’s expertise comes from his sprinting background and his responsibility is the explosive start of each race.

Linder, pictured here far left, represented Canada at the 2006 Turin Olympics.

“I’m a technical starts coach and performance analyst, so I’m responsible for the first 60 metres, the actual push,” he says, adding he was enthused to apply his kinesiology education when he got into coaching. “I work with them on push technique, how they get into the sled and how they sit. I also do some sprint training with them and then analyze the data of the group going down the track, their acceleration and deceleration, and where we can find time for them throughout the run.”

Over the years, Linder also worked with Swiss luxury watch giant Omega, which operates virtually all the timing mechanisms in high-level sport. He helped develop data boxes, currently implanted on every bobsled, that track a litany of measurements that allow coaches to analyze how a sled moves down a track.

He readily admits that bobsleigh is not for everyone and he didn’t exactly fall in love with the sport his first few times in a sled.

“I remember getting out at the bottom of my first run and I didn’t know what happened,” says Linder. “I still have a hard time describing to someone what it’s like because there really isn’t anything to compare it to.”

He says the fear factor is real and something that motivates athletes to stay focused.

“The danger is always in the back of your mind. You never know when you might crash, accidents do happen and you have to have respect for the sport,” he says. “All the athletes respect what they are doing. It’s when you think it’s easy and it gets routine, that things can go wrong, and it’s not pleasant.”

Still, the sport has shaped virtually every aspect of his life. He met his wife Jill, the 2002 Salt Lake City two-woman Olympic bobsleigh gold medalist, through the sport and together they have two children, Bergen (six) and Anelise (five). They moved to Lethbridge in 2014 following Linder’s second retirement. He’s been an instructor in exercise science and physical education at Lethbridge College since.

Having just turned 40, Linder says he’s always open for future coaching appointments should they arise. He’s excited about Korea’s chances, despite the country being relatively new to bobsleigh.

“They’ve been fairly strong the last couple years and I have high expectations for them,” he says. “To be honest, I wouldn’t have taken the position if they weren’t going to do well. For me, the Olympics aren’t about just going to compete, it’s about doing well on the biggest stage.”

He’ll then return home with more Olympic memories tucked away, all the result of seizing an opportunity and making the most of an experience.

Steacy's connection to Pronghorns everlasting

trevor.kenney — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 16:54:37 +0000

He last competed for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge seven years ago, and yet when it came time for Jim Steacy to announce his retirement from athletics, there was no question as to where the event would take place.

“This is my second home. Outside of my actual house, this is where I spent most of my life,” says Steacy, the most decorated U of L Pronghorn athlete in history.

The most decorated athlete in Pronghorn history, Jim Steacy still holds the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge close to his heart.

Undefeated in five years of competition at both the Canada West and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) levels, Steacy’s accomplishments in the throwing circle (both weight and hammer throw) are their own story. He still owns the furthest weight throw in CIS history and for good measure added three Canada West and CIS shot put titles to his name too. Beyond the U of L, Steacy went to two Olympic Games (2008 Beijing and 2012 London), travelled to six continents and represented Canada 17 times in international competitions. The highlight was winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2014 as the Canadian team’s captain.

After setting down the hammer for the final time and reflecting on a 17-year career, Steacy fondly motions to the now retired throwing field affectionately referred to as the Boneyard.

“That’s where I broke the national record, where the best throw of my life happened,” he says. “I spent so many hours and thousands of throws in that circle and knowing that it’s never going to happen again is kind of strange to think about.”

Ever mindful of his station as more than a Pronghorn athlete but a brand ambassador, this announcement was less about Steacy and more about recognizing those in his life who helped him achieve his unprecedented success. He thanked them all, from head track coach Larry Steinke, to family and friends, his wife Brittany, athletic directors, teammates and training partners.

“It’s family to me,” he says of the U of L community. “I was fortunate to compete for all five of my eligibility years as a U of L athlete and it’s thanks to people like Larry and the other coaches on campus who have built a culture by bringing in quality athletes and quality people to be part of the Pronghorn program.”

Two major influences were absent from the announcement ceremony. His sister Heather is training to compete in hammer at the Rio Olympics in August (her second Olympic appearance), while his mother Debby Steacy passed away in April 2014.

“The last couple of days, a lot of thoughts went to how much mom believed in all three of us (Jim, Sean and Heather), and really all the Pronghorn athletes, she looked out for everybody in the Pronghorn community. There’s not very many people who went through Pronghorn track and field who haven’t been touched by her love for the sport and for athletics,” says Steacy. “Personally, it sucks not having her here today. All the hours she spent supporting all three of us, from driving us back and forth to helping us overcome injuries, to celebrating successes and dealing with upsets, all that, it’s tough not having her here but I’m so glad both my dad and my brother were here, along with my wife and my extended family. As long as that’s always there, that’s all I can ask for.”

And while the medals and achievements garner the most interest from outside observers, it was the time away from the spotlight that is dearest to Steacy’s heart.

“To see that old hallway by the weight room, and thinking about all the hours we spent as a team down there, bonding, building friendships, training toward common goals. It’s neat to think how many tremendous people have set foot in these facilities in the last 20 to 30 years and how fortunate I am to call them teammates and friends,” he says.

Steinke, who recognized Steacy’s formidable talent as a young teen and convinced him that he could reach international prominence without ever leaving home, says the Horns culture revolved around his exploits.

“You can’t say enough about what Jim’s career has done, not just for track and field at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ but all of the sports,” says Steinke. “There was a camaraderie when he was at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ that wasn’t there previously across all sports because he gave people a focal point, a role model. He showed that in a relatively small place like Lethbridge you can still do the things you want to do at an international level.”

His legacy extends beyond the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, as he will go down as the country’s greatest hammer thrower ever.

“As far as hammer throwing in the country itself, he was at the forefront of showing what can be done,” says Steinke. “We hadn’t had an Olympic finalist in hammer throw since 1924 until Jim and then really his whole family came along. I think we’re seeing the legacy of that impact today as Canada is now one of the stronger nations in women’s hammer.”

Steacy’s impact on the U of L continues today. Current Pronghorn thrower Peter Millman, now a two-time CIS shot put champion and the first Pronghorn since Steacy to win the CIS Athlete of the Year award for field events, has consistently said that Steacy’s success lured him to the U of L from his hometown of Truro, Nova Scotia.

It would not be surprising to see Steacy back with the Horns in the future, as a mentor and possibly coach.

“I’ve had the opportunity to do some coaching with different schools in the city and it’s a blast. I love working with kids and I love teaching what I know about my sport and other events in track and field,” he says. “After a few years off of being a competitive athlete, I’d love to get involved in coaching. Right now, I need a break away from it, just to reset and put things in perspective.”

That perspective will reflect a career that achieved excellence at every level, and yet Steacy’s greatest success might just be the humility with which he competed – the true essence of a Pronghorn student-athlete.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2003 – Pan Amserican Junior Championship hammer throw gold medalist
2004 – North American, Central American and Caribbean Championship hammer throw gold medalist
2007 – Pan American Games hammer throw gold medalist
2008 – Set current Canadian record in hammer throw of 79.13 metres, May 2008
2008 – Placed 12th at Olympic Games (Beijing)
2014 – Commonwealth Games hammer throw gold medalist
2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009 – Undefeated in Canada West and CIS competition in the 35lb weight throw event. Currently holds CIS record of 24.08 metres
14-time Canadian National Hammer Throw Champion

Horns track team debut is impressive

trevor.kenney — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 23:24:39 +0000

Competing for the first time as a team this season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team jumped out of the gates and produced exceptional early season results this past weekend at the Golden Bear Open in Edmonton.

Making her debut on the university circuit, freshman Sandra Latrace served notice that she will be a threat this season in both the long jump and 60-metre sprint. In the long jump, Latrace moved to the top of the CIS rankings by more than 15 centimetres and claimed the top spot at the Golden Bear Open with a leap of 6.17 metres. The mark in the long jump was also an Alberta junior and under-23 record.

In the 60-metre sprint, Latrace moved into the CIS top 10 with a time of 7.72 seconds, which placed her second among university finishers at the meet this past weekend.

Two-time reigning CIS champion Aaron Hernandez continued to prove he will be the man to beat in the triple jump as he moved to the top of the CIS rankings with a solid meet winning jump of 15.19 metres.

The Horns other reigning CIS champion, Peter Millman, continued the team’s strong performance in the throwing events by winning both the shot put and weight throw in Edmonton. The 2015 CIS shot put champion moved into second place in the CIS rankings in both disciplines. The Pronghorns placed 1-2 in the shot put with Millman taking top spot with a toss of 16.62 metres, while teammate Ryan Sommer finished second and moved into the top ten in the CIS rankings with a throw of 14.80m.

Millman won the weight throw by nearly four metres with a toss of 18.78 metres. Rookie teammate Ben Ingvaldson made his mark in Canada West in the weight throw, finishing third with a toss of 14.64 metres in his first university meet, while Ryan Sommer was fourth.

In the women’s throwing circle, Diane Marin placed fourth in weight throw with a mark of 13.80m while teammates Lara Roth, Ariel Chessall and Amanda Weiler finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.

On the track, the top results on the men’s side came from senior sprinter Phillip Rockerbie and rookies Matthew Knapik and Garrett Mckay. In the 60-metre hurdles, Rockerbie finished third with a time of 8.70 seconds, while Knapik was second in his 300-metre heat with a time of 36.32 seconds and McKay won his heat with a time of 36.67sec.

“Sandra’s results in the 60m and long jump were definitely the highlight of the weekend, but we had strong results from the majority of the team,” says head coach Larry Steinke. “This is the third competition for most of the teams in Canada West and our first, so to have this strong a showing is definitely promising for the rest of the year."

Next up for the Horns is a split trip on the weekend of February 5-6 when they head to Winnipeg for the Bison Classic and to Edmonton for the Alberta Indoor Games.

Pronghorns to be well represented at Pan Am Games

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 18:13:20 +0000

As Canada prepares to host the Pan American Games in Toronto, Pronghorn Athletics will be well represented with four former athletes and one current Pronghorn competing with the maple leaf on their chest.

The Pan Am Games will open July 10 with closing ceremonies wrapping the games up July 26. For full games information and results, visit the Toronto 2015 website.

Former Pronghorn track star Jim Steacy is a veteran of international competition.

Of the five people representing the Pronghorns at the Pan Am Games, three come from the Steacy family. Siblings Jim and Heather Steacy, as well as sister-in-law Ashley Steacy (nee: Patzer), will all compete under the family name, a true rarity in Canadian sport history. Aaron Hernandez and Kayla Moleschi round out the group of Pronghorns and former Pronghorns competing at the games.

For the first time, Rugby Sevens will make an appearance at the Pan Am Games and Ashley Steacy and Moleschi will play prominent roles for the Canadian side.

Steacy was one of the most decorated CIS women’s rugby players by the time she graduated from the U of L, winning three national championships and two CIS player of the year awards. This year, she was named the Canadian Sevens player of the year, and at the last stop of the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, she was named to the overall series Dream Team.

“Pan Am’s will be my first multi-sport games and I'm very excited to get there and get a feeling for what the games are like,” says Steacy. “Women's 7s Rugby is new to the Pan Am Games so having the opportunity a year out from the Olympics to participate in a multi-sport games is going to be a big advantage to our team.”

Steacy says it's special to be competing in the same event with Jim and Heather.

“It’s pretty cool that my brother and sister-in-law will both be at the games, but unfortunately we will miss each other because of the timing of our sports," says Steacy. "I would love to stay and watch them throw but our team is travelling down to Rio to do a site visit leading into the Olympics next summer.”

While Moleschi only played one season for the Pronghorns, she had an immediate impact. Moleschi was named the Canada West Rookie of the Year and a CIS All-Canadian in her lone season and quickly earned the attention of the Canadian national program.

The Steacy siblings are no strangers to national team nominations, but say it is always an honour to represent their country.

“As an athlete, there is no greater feeling than being able to compete at a level where you can represent your country,” says two-time Olympian Jim Steacy. “I am so proud to have been selected to compete for Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto this July; it will be particularly special to compete in the red & white in front of a home crowd.”

After starring at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, winning nine CIS gold medals and going undefeated throughout his university career in the weight throw, Jim has achieved national and international success. He represented Canada at the Beijing and London Olympics, is the Canadian record holder in the hammer throw and most recently won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Sister Heather was also a star at the CIS level, winning four Canada West titles in the weight throw and four CIS medals (two gold, silver and bronze). She also is an Olympian, having joined her brother at the 2012 London Olympics.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be named to the Canadian team for the Pan American Games,” says the youngest Steacy. “The last time I competed for Team Canada was in 2013, and I was dealing with some injuries then. The past couple years have been challenging for a myriad of reasons, but this year has been filled with some changes that have been a big step in the right direction.”

Heather moved to Kamloops last fall and changed coaches – a move that has paid dividends with some great early season results.

“I was out in Victoria a couple weeks ago for a meet, and Ashley and I were able to meet up for dinner and chat about us all representing Canada at the same time and in the same event,” says Heather. “I think it’s a big deal that the rugby teams get to participate in Pan Am’s as a major multi-sport competition before their first go at the Olympics next year in Rio. It’s such a different atmosphere when you’re surrounded by not only athletes from other countries and cultures, but from completely different sports.”

Current Pronghorn Aaron Hernandez is enjoying his first senior team appointment through his participation at the Pan Am Games. Through two years of his university career, Hernandez has been nothing short of spectacular. He has won two national titles in the triple jump, been named the CIS Rookie of the Year, and this past year registered the second furthest jump in Canada West history.

“It's an unbelievable feeling to be nominated to compete for your country,” says Hernandez. “Ever since I started competing in track & field the goal has been to wear the Canada singlet. To be able to do it in front of a home crowd and at a huge event like this is just the cherry on top. Big thanks has to go out to my coach, Jaime Thomas, and coach Larry Steinke, my family and friends and all the support I have received lately. I wouldn't be here without everyone's dedication.”

“I am looking forward to competing against some of the best in the world, it will be a great learning opportunity and I'll be soaking up the atmosphere from the moment I get to athletes village to the day I compete, and through to the closing ceremonies. I can't wait!”

The city of Lethbridge as a whole will be represented well at the Pan Am Games with another eight athletes with Lethbridge connections participating in Toronto.

“I am so proud to represent Lethbridge and it is so awesome to have such a strong showing from our city!" concludes Ashley Steacy.

Hernandez, Millman claim CIS track gold medals

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 22:14:20 +0000

Peter Millman and Aaron Hernandez led the way with gold medal performances as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team capped the 2015 university athletic season with an outstanding performance at the CIS Track and Field Championships in Windsor, Ont.

Aaron Hernandez has now won back-to-back CIS gold medals in triple jump.

Millman captured gold in the shot put while Hernandez claimed his second successive national gold medal in the triple jump event. Both athletes entered the CIS championship meet as Canada West champions.

"It was a great weekend; everyone performed as expected and it's obviously great coming home with two national champions,” says Horns head coach Larry Steinke. “It's not only a nice way to cap the season, it sets the tone for next season as well."

For Millman, a third-year Truro, Nova Scotia product, the CIS title was sweet redemption. In the past two CIS meets he'd failed to reach expectations and come up shy in his quest for the medal podium. He would not be denied in Windsor.

Peter Millman earned his first CIS shot put gold by the slimmest of margins.

“It’s extra special (this year) considering I did quite horrible, actually, the last two years," Millman told the Truro Daily News.

Millman had to come from behind to claim the shot put gold, using his fifth throw of the event to post a 17.18-metre distance, one centimetre ahead of Marc-Antoine Lafrenaye-Dugas of Sherbrooke ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. The throw was also only five centimetres shy of the personal best he set only three weeks ago at the Canada West Championship. Millman then sat back and watched as Lafrenaye-Dugas attempted two more throws to get back into the gold position, but faulted on each attempt.

“The fifth throw was awesome,” Millman told the Daily News shortly after his win. “I knew I had to go for it on that one, I couldn’t play it safe anymore. It’s just amazing right now.”

Millman's teammate, Ryan Sommer, finished sixth with a throw of 15.54 metres.

Hernandez, the defending CIS Champion and reigning CIS rookie of the year, continued his dominance in the triple jump. His jump of 15.33 metres was an astounding 40 centimetres better than the rest of the field. During his six jump sequence, four of Hernandez's five recorded jumps would have been good enough for the gold medal victory.

With all three of their competing athletes scoring points, the Horns accumulated 26 total points, which was the third best among Canada West schools and the top among the three Alberta schools participating at the championships. It gave the men's team a 10th-place ranking nationally.

Horns sweep shot put podium, win six medals at Canada West

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 16:55:10 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team continued to dominate the men’s throwing events, returning home from the Canada West Championships in Winnipeg with six medals and a major award.

For the second consecutive year, Peter Millman was named Field Athlete of the Year following a double gold medal performance.

For the second consecutive year, Peter Millman was named Field Athlete of the Year after completing a double gold medal performance, claiming both the men's shot put and weight throw titles.

For only the third time in Canada West history, a team swept the podium in a men’s event, with the Horns sweeping the gold, silver and bronze medals in the shot put event. Millman won the shot put with a personal best throw of 17.23 metres, while Ryan Sommer claimed the silver medal and Madison Hurst earned the bronze medal with a personal best toss of 14.06 metres.

Pronghorn athletes were responsible for the only other two podium sweeps in Canada West history as well. In 2003, the Horns swept the men's weight throw and in 2004 the Horns swept the men's shot put event.

Millman and Sommer also medalled in the weight throw event, with Millman winning gold and Sommer claiming a bronze medal. Hurst was seventh in the weight throw and Jordan Armstrong finished ninth. Armstrong also picked up an eighth-place finish in the shot put.

Reigning CIS Rookie of the Year, Aaron Hernandez, continued his dominance in the triple jump, winning his second consecutive gold medal and registering the second furthest jump in Canada West history with a leap of 15.50 metres. Hernandez was an honorable mention for both the Performance of the Meet and Field Event Athlete of the Meet awards.

On the women’s side, the Horns did not return with any medals, but had some noteworthy performances. Montana Forsyth and Lara Roth narrowly missed the podium in the weight throw, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Amanda Weiler finished in 10th spot. The Horns women's 4x200-metre relay narrowly missed a school record and finished seventh.

Other results for the women’s team included: Rebecca Bermel 13th in the women's 60m and 15th in women's long jump; Bryna Cline 13th in women's triple jump with a personal best of 9.95m; Jessi Fersch 18th in women's long jump; and Amaka Ashiofu 16th in women's 60m.

"I was definitely pleased with the weekend’s results and couldn't be happier to see the men complete a sweep of the shot put podium,” says head coach Larry Steinke. "Almost every athlete achieved a personal best and every athlete moved up from where they were ranked going into the meet, so I really couldn't have asked for more.”

Millman, Sommer and Hernandez all qualified for the CIS Championship meet that will be hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Windsor, March 12-14.

Horns looking for medals at Canada West Track Championship

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 18:51:37 +0000

The 2014-15 Canada West Track & Field Championships will see a small but talented ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge team compete this weekend at the Max Bell Fieldhouse in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba.

The Horns will send 12 athletes to the championship meet this year, with seven women and five men ready to challenge for conference titles.

Reigning CIS rookie of the year Aaron Hernandez and two-time Canada West weight throw gold medalist Peter Millman lead the Pronghorns this season and are favourites to win their respective events. The men’s team as a whole has been ranked 10th in the country for the past three weeks.

Following a stellar freshman campaign where he won both the Canada West and CIS gold medal in the triple jump, Hernandez enters the championship meet as the jumper to beat, ranked first in both the Canada West and CIS in his event.

Millman has had an exceptional start to his third season and goes to Winnipeg as the top ranked thrower in Canada West. Undefeated thus far this season, Millman sits atop the rankings in both the weight throw and shot put amongst Canada West competition. He is also ranked second in the CIS.

Ryan Sommer sits in second place in the Canada West rankings in both weight throw and shot put and sixth in CIS. Madison Hurst and Jordan Armstrong round out a strong men's team, ranking sixth and 13th in conference rankings for shot put and weight throw respectively.

On the women’s side, third-year Truro, Nova Scotia product Montana Forsyth is the top ranked Pronghorn athlete, ranking fifth in the weight throw, while Lara Roth is ranked one spot behind her at sixth.

The women's 4X200m relay team is ranked sixth in Canada West and looks to better its season's best time and ranking.

Overall, the Horns are poised to take home five medals and build on their preparations for the CIS Championships.

"We have had a strong season from a number of athletes thus far, but Canada West is where the rubber really starts to hit the road and preparations for CIS begin to show through,” says head coach Larry Steinke. “I'm expecting strong results from everyone and signs indicate that we will have some very notable performances again this year at Canada West."

Laying the Groundwork

david.kirby — Thu, 15 May 2014 21:35:00 +0000

Larry Steinke (BA ‘94), the architect and head coach of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team, has cultivated a program of excellence over the past 15-plus years, and while the team continues to pile up medals at Canada West and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships, his focus is squarely on maximizing the opportunities of his athletes well beyond their years in Pronghorn blue and gold.

Pronghorns head coach Larry Steinke has been with the program for 15 years.

“From the very beginning, I wanted to establish a program that was sought after by athletes but not every athlete. I wanted to sift out those people who would make a good fit with the program,” says Steinke, who took over the track program in 1998. “I want athletes who have loftier goals than just CIS. A lot of schools are only worried about maximizing their athletes for the four years that they are in school. We’re a little different here because I look at each athlete from a long-term approach.”

Those who buy into the philosophy understand the big picture mentality. They also have to look no further than a few lockers away – at Olympians Jim Steacy (BASc '09) and Heather Steacy – to get a sense of the success it reaps.

“I still have Jim’s autograph up on my wall at home,” says Peter Millman, who came to the U of L from Truro, N.S.

A second-year Pronghorn who won Canada West gold medals in both the weight throw and shot put, Millman saw the U of L as his only destination from the time he first started working with Steinke on a training trip to Lethbridge when he was in Grade 10.

“Meeting Jim and having the opportunity to throw with an Olympian when I was in Grade 10 was one of the coolest things ever,” he says. “There were offers for me to go to different places but they were never entertained; it was always going to be Lethbridge.”

Now recognized as a throwing power, the U of L is truly a destination school for the country’s elite throwers. Kayla Gallagher, another Truro product, just won her second consecutive CIS gold medal in weight throw and is one of 10 track athletes who have come to the U of L from outside of Alberta.

(L-R) Kayla Gallagher, Aaron Hernandez and Peter Millman.

All the while, Steinke is now beginning to see golden results outside of the throwing disciplines, noting that success really does breed success.

“That is our challenge now, to try and move away from just the throws to create a culture of excellence across all of the event groups,” he says.

Aaron Hernandez, from Coaldale, Alta., is one of those success stories after he won the CIS gold medal in triple jump and was named CIS Rookie of the Year. He’s won early in his career but understands his ultimate goal is years away.

“For any track and field athlete, their ultimate is to compete in the Olympics and that’s something I hope to see one day,” says Hernandez, who works with jump coach Jaime Thomas (BSc '04).

Hernandez, along with Gallagher, Millman and the rest of the Horns team get the Steinke program, knowing full well that the greatest rewards will come long after they have completed school.

“They all have bright futures internationally and that’s why I wanted to work with them,” says Steinke. “We are about longer-term development. It’s whether the athlete has the wherewithal to stick it out for that long. I see that mentality in this group.”

Something that bodes well for their futures, in any path they choose.

This story appears in the Spring 2014 edition of SAM magazine. For a look at the full version in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Mercer is schooled by Horns track team

trevor.kenney — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 21:17:03 +0000

The CBC's Rick Mercer might not be the most imposing figure to take his turn in the throwing circle, but there is no denying the size of his heart.

Rick Mercer, centre, and the U of L Pronghorns throwing team.

The popular CBC television personality spent a day at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge on Monday, Mar. 10 as he learned the finer points of the art of throwing from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns throwing team.

Mercer was learning from some of the country's best athletes, including ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus and Olympian Jim Steacy (BASc '09), his sister and fellow Olympian Heather Steacy, as well as Canada West shot put and weight throw champion Peter Millman and two-time CIS women's weight throw champion Kayla Gallagher. The group is busy preparing for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland at the end of July.

Led by head coach Larry Steinke, the Horns have created a centre of excellence here at the U of L, so it was only fitting that Mercer came to Lethbridge to learn from the best. He entered the ring and tried his hand at each of the shot put, weight throw, hammer throw, discus and javelin disciplines.

"I did everything, I always try to do everything and I tried my hardest," says Mercer. "I'm not very good at any of those things, I learned that, but they are incredible."

Head coach Steinke says that Mercer has a little work to do before he's ready to enter competition and represent Canada.

"He has one of those techniques that will take a number of years to get better and well enough to compete in the 2016 Olympics, but there's a definite possibility there," says Steinke.

Look for the full Rick Mercer Report to air Tuesday, Mar. 25.

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