Anderson claims OUA gold in 1500m race

Fraser Caldwell

Sports Editor

Katie Anderson’s meteoric comeback on the track has been nothing short of remarkable this season, and that journey reached a new peak on Feb. 25.

Having excelled at the longer distances throughout the season, the Marauder veteran ran a personal best on route to a gold medal in the 1500m event at the OUA Championships. Running the race in 4:26.66, Anderson beat out her nearest competitor by nearly three complete seconds to cap a dominant performance.

Speaking in the wake of her gold medal finish, Anderson indicated her surprise at her ability to outpace the remainder of the field. Expecting a tighter pack, the Marauder found herself in only the most elite of company as the race played out.

“I didn’t really expect that,” said the fourth-year competitor. “It’s tough, because I thought that I could run 4:30 again, but I also thought that more of the girls who were running could run that. So I was surprised by how spread out the field was and by how comfortable I felt running that time. It was a huge personal best for me, both indoor and outdoor.”

Marauder coach Paula Schnurr noted that Anderson approached the OUA event wanting only to run to the best of her ability, unsure of what that would translate to in the standings. But with the provincial gold under her belt, Schnurr expects her star distance runner to take aim at a medal at the national level.

“She certainly has had a phenomenal year and it’s true that we’ve always kept in mind that the goal was always the CIS meet and a medal there,” said the coach. “That’s still the goal. Katie went into the OUAs just wanting to run fast and if that meant that she was going to win a medal, then great.

“I think she’ll probably take the same approach into the CIS meet but things are a bit different. When you get to that level, you’re racing to win and if the times are fast, that’s a bonus. So I think there’ll be a little bit more tactics involved. But Katie’s sights are set on a medal.”

Anderson echoed her coach in her belief that the CIS event will demand a more strategic approach. That necessity largely derives from the more evenly matched talent pool at the national level, where separating oneself from the pack is a much tougher affair.

“The OUA level has a very talented group of girls running and the thing about the CIS level is that you’re getting even more talent and even more girls running the same time,” said the Marauder veteran. “So you really have to figure out what your strengths are and pace it out that way.

“I know for example in the 1000m that there are a bunch of girls that can out-kick me through 600m or so, so I have to consider that tactically.”

In terms of a concrete goal at the upcoming national event at the University of Manitoba, Anderson stated that she would aim solely to achieve a personal best, and hope that such a time would stand her in good stead against the field on offer.

“My goal for every race has been to get a PB, because I feel that a personal best for me generally puts me in a fairly good position,” said Anderson. “So I would be happy if I could PB again. Even if I was dead last, if I was running 4:25, I’d be happy. It’s entirely new territory for me.”

While Anderson’s gold medal performance was the high point of the Marauders’ OUA efforts, the talent-laden women’s 3000m unit also made a splash over the course of the weekend, with Victoria Coates claiming a bronze at that distance.

Several McMaster runners are nationally ranked in that event, and Schnurr believes that the highly competitive nature of the Marauders’ longer-distance squad will stand them in good stead at the national championships.

With Coates, Lindsay Carson and Sarah Haliburton all slated to compete in the 3000m event in Manitoba, McMaster has a legitimate hope of reaching the podium at the distance.

“The CIS event will be the first time that all three girls will have run the 3000m at the same race,” said Schnurr of her long distance specialists. “Victoria and Sarah ran together at Notre Dame and Victoria came out on top, and then Sarah ran it a bit faster in Boston. It’s hard to know who’s got the upper hand but all of the girls are very fit and again it will probably come down to a bit of strategy.

“They want to get some energy from each other and there’s going to be some benefit from that. However, they’re going to want to beat each other as well, and they have to treat each other as competitors.”

On the men’s side, long distance standout Graham Bowes continued his outstanding season with a fifth-placed finish in the 3000m event, and notched eighth position in the 1500m. Schnurr explains that Bowes’ 3000m result in particular represented a shattering of his personal best, as he continues his rapid ascent up the national rankings.

“That was a huge personal best,” said the Marauder coach. “He ran 8:28 at Notre Dame and that was converted to 8:32 on the oversized track. For him to come back at the OUA Championship and run at 8:23 was unbelievable. After running that first PB he knew that he could run faster, but there just weren’t any chances.

“He knew he would have to put it all out there at the OUAs. It really paid off because now he’s off to the CIS event.”

Anderson, Bowes and the rest of the Marauder contingent will wrap up their season in Manitoba when they compete at the CIS National Championships from Mar. 8-10.