By Joe Ryba

The CIS track and field championship is in full force this weekend at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg-and Dal is sending both the men's and women's teams. The second-ranked women's team will be battling for a top-three spot, while the men have their eyes set on cracking the top ten.

The women's team started slow this season but quickly moved up in the rankings.

"Every week we had a different athlete come up big," says coach Dan Hennigar. "This is the first year we've been ranked in the top two."

Despite the team's high ranking, Hennigar knows that nothing is guaranteed.

"The Cis are no cake walk," he says. "We'll be battling Calgary and Saskatchewan, and it's going to be a fight for third, assuming everything goes well."

On the individual level, the Tigers have two of the fastest runners in the country: Adrienne Power and Leanna MacLean. Power is the favourite to win the 60-metre sprint and the 300m.

"Adrienne is the fastest CIS athlete," Hennigar says. "She's ranked number one in the 300[m) and is two seconds ahead of the number two runner. She competes at a world-class level, and only a handful of people can run that fast in the world.”

Leanna MacLean's specialties are the 1000m and the 1500m.

"Leanna can really compete, but has to run exceptionally well," says Hennigar. In addition to the high expectations for Power and MacLean, Hilary Burn is a contender in the 1500m and the 3000m. The women's 4x200m and the 4x800m relay teams are strong as well. The women's team also has several athletes competing in the 60m-which, says Hennigar, reflects the strength of Dal's sprinting program.

On the men's side, though the team is not ranked, it won't deter them from putting in a strong performance. Paul Chafe in the 3000m, and rookie John Corbit in the 1000m and 1500m, will garner the attention for Dal.

"The men's 3000m is a tight field," Hennigar says. "Paul is ranked ninth and is one second out of fourth. He's much fitter now than when he ran his ranked time, and if he races to his potential, he can run with anybody in the country. John Corbit surprised a few people with his finishing kick.

"If he hangs in there, he may surprise a few people at the Cis."

First published in the Dalhousie Gazette vol 137, iss 22 on March 10, 2005.