CBU Track and Field Club always on the hunt for athletes

Hitting its stride 

CBU Track and Field Club always on the hunt for athletes

By Corey LeBlanc 

One-step – and throw – at a time, the Cape Breton University (CBU) Track and Field Club continues to build towards its goal of gaining varsity status by the 2023 season.

Head coach John Hudec agrees the team has made great strides in the last decade or so.

"We have a great group," the assistant professor in CBU's community studies department says of his student-athletes, adding they are "incredibly dedicated."

Hudec remembers becoming "loosely associated" with what is now the CBU Track and Field Club in 2012 when a group of students asked him to serve as their faculty advisor.

"As a society at CBU, that was a requirement," he notes. 

His association with the group expanded and – by 2015 – Caper track and field athletes started attending competitions.  

The club reached a milestone in 2020 when a group of 10 student-athletes competed at the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championships.

'We were very proud," Hudec says of that accomplishment, noting that some Capers reached finals in their respective disciplines.

Like most sports – university and otherwise – the COVID-19 global pandemic has affected the CBU Track and Field Club, with competitions over the past several months wiped out, including the 2021 AUS championships.

"We had a bunch of recruits," Hudec says of the student-athletes that have joined the club in the past year.

He notes some of those newest Capers have not trained in-person with the club because they completed their university year virtually as part of CBU holding the majority of its past academic year online.

Hudec says his most recent recruiting class includes a "whole bunch of sprinters."

"We have a couple of dual-sport athletes as well," Hudec says of those who compete in running and throwing.

There are student-athletes with experience in the hammer throw, shot put, and discus, along with a jumper.

"We have a small but dedicated group," he says of the CBU Track and Field Club.

It is one not only to athletics but also academics.  After the 2020 AUS season, five Caper track and field student-athletes were named Academic All-Canadians.

"That demonstrates our team commitment to competition and to academic excellence," Hudec says.

When it comes to the club's make-up, Hudec explains that "anyone can train with us."

"We are open to everybody," he says, noting that there are Grade 11 and 12 students who train with the Capers.

Hudec notes that approach mirrors the one taken by Lyle Sanderson – the legendary track and field coach with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies – where he competed at the varsity level.

"We have been training quite consistently," he says of the club, noting that their regimen has only been interrupted when "[COVID-19] restrictions wouldn't allow it."

Training sessions currently take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays – from 5 to 7 p.m. – and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the CBU track and other local facilities.

Joining Hudec – who also ran cross country for the Huskies and served as an exercise physiologist with Canada's national women's volleyball team before coming to CBU – on the Caper coaching staff is Dean Abbass as assistant and distance coach.

"He does great work with our athletes," Hudec says.

Father Doug MacDonald, who is also CBU's chaplain, works with the club's throwers. The Antigonish native – a former Canadian Scottish heavy events champion – was one of the top athletes in the world in the caber toss when he competed.

"It is exciting," Hudec says of the "great strides" the throwers are making.

As for where the club trains, he notes that the Capers face a similar hurdle as other universities in the conference – dealing with the move indoors due to seasonal weather conditions. Noting CBU has second-to-none outdoor facilities, he explains that "we have to change our training" for the move into the Sullivan Field House or the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex dome. 

Although they have to modify their training, the Caper bench boss stresses that doesn't affect their focus or level of commitment.

"We know we are lucky to have this opportunity, so we make the best of it," Hudec notes.

As for what's ahead for the CBU Track and Field Club, athletes are expected to compete in some regional competitions over the summer months. 

Following an August break – as the summer winds down and moves into the fall, the club will begin their "training phase" in September, which is geared towards the 2022 AUS championships for eligible Caper student-athletes.

"We are building towards that," Hudec says of the annual culmination of the varsity season, which is scheduled for February.

As it embarks on summer competitions and getting ready for the upcoming season, including a return to the AUS championships, the club also continues its effort to grow its ranks.

Hudec notes there are myriad opportunities, including for those for runners with experience – who may have been away from the sport – or recreational athletes, who are looking to train towards making that next step. And, when it comes to throwers, there is always a fit for athletes with strength and other physical attributes who want to put the work in to learn technique and improve their skills.

"We want people to come out – it is a great group," he says.

For more Information about the CBU Track and Field Club, including how to join, contact Hudec at 902-595-4149 or john_hudec@cbu.ca.

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