Horns track and field compete at Canada West Championships

By Lethbridge Herald on February 23, 2023.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Track and Field team have 26 athletes competing at the Canada West Championships in Saskatoon today and tomorrow.

Horns head coach Larry Steinke has been pleased with the preparation from his team heading in.

“I’ve been very pleased with the preparation and competing of the team so far,” said Steinke.

“We periodize everything towards Canwest and USports Championships and everything is coming together nicely towards that end.”

Steinke sees his Horns stacking well in all the events but the distance ones.

The team has young athletes that are making progress in the sprints and  hurdles that will hopefully see medals in the next couple of years.

Part of the strong Horns field is because of throwers Andreas Troschke and Jinaye Shomachuk and jumper Lauchlan Irish.

“(I’m)expecting strong performances from those athletes,” said Steinke.

“And all three of them thrive on competition and typically perform well under pressure, so it will be an exciting weekend for them.”

Both Shomachuk and Troschke are undefeated this season and lead Canada West and U Sports in weight throw, while Irish sits second in Canada West and fifth in USports.

Some surprises from the Horns could be Xavier Crosby,Parker Allen, Naomi Klassen, Lauren Morris and Avery and Myah Sluik in throws.

“Crosby is in the top 6 in USports while the others are just outside of the 12th spot in USports and looking to qualify for the national championships,” said Steinke.

“Canwest is always an exciting meet, as it’s the largest single event in Canwest,” said Steinke. “And lots of team spirit and comraderie amongst the teams, (and) along with some long standing rivalries that are great to watch.”

The weekend rankings will determine how many go to nationals back in Saskatoon on March 9-11.