Teamwork is not an attribute associated with most track and field events, but don’t tell that to Carl Georgevski. And judging by the outstanding results his team has achieved this year, it’s clear that he knows what he’s talking about.
Georgevski coached the women’s track and field team to a silver medal at last weekend’s Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The Windsor Lancers were the only ones better than the Blues at the event, as they claimed gold in both the men’s and the women’s competitions.
“It was a tremendous accomplishment to earn a silver at this high-calibre tournament,” said Georgevski. It was one heck of a performance by our team.”
Megan Brown stood out for the Blues at the championships, winning three gold medals en route to being named tournament MVP, CIS athlete of the week, and Ontario University Athletics (OUA) athlete of the week. The first-place finishes came in the 1000m, the 1500m, and the 4x800m relay.
Brown is the second female track star to be named CIS athlete of the week this year. Beth Wightman was given that honour last November.
The coach believes that the team’s motivation helped push Brown to victory: “The team motivated her, and she motivated the team. There are two times a year where they really keep score at track meets [OUA and CIS championships] and it brings everyone closer together.”
Georgevski was also honoured in Saskatoon. He was given the Sue Wise award as the women’s coach of the year.
“It is definitely an honour to be selected by my peers for this award, but it’s more a reflection of our coaching staff,” commented Georgevski. “I can’t say enough about our entire staff.”
Other Blues did really well at the event. Wightman won silver in the 1500m, while Sarah Boyle and Melissa Clifford finished first and second, respectively, in the high jump.
Boyle, Clifford, and Jacqeline Stillman were three athletes whose performances surprised and impressed their coach at the championship. They were major contributors to the Blues’ podium finish.
“Sarah Boyle, a freshman, winning in the high jump was great, and one of the more delightful performances came from Melissa Clifford. She came back to track and field from years of volleyball and had a personal best performance in the high jump,” said Geogevski. “Jackie Stillman running a personal best by four or five seconds in the 4x800m,…leaving Windsor…in the dust was also very pleasing.”
“It’s a tribute to our coaching staff that work with them and their teammates. Ross Ristuccia worked with Brown and Wightman and he did a wonderful job,” continued Georgevski.
The men’s team didn’t quite make it into the top three at the national final, finishing in a tie with Saskatchewan for fourth place with 28 points. Windsor’s 50 points paced the field, while Sherbrooke and Alberta captured the silver and bronze, respectively.
“The men were really not that far off,” explained the coach. “Unfortunately, we had a number of key injuries and they weren’t ready to compete at the highest level. It’s just the luck of the draw.”
Jason Wurster was one of the bright spots for the men’s team. He won bronze in the pole vault, which is phenomenal for a rookie competitor.
The men’s team will have another shot at attaining a podium position next year, as the majority of the team will still be eligible to compete. The women’s team will be losing Wightman and Stillman to graduation, but the rest of the team will return to challenge for gold.
