Two top athletes from The University of Western Ontario have been named to the national team for the Jeux de la Francophonie 2009, being held in Beirut, Lebanon Sept. 27 to Oct. 6.
Mustangs Jennifer Cotten and Jason Kerr were named to the team by Sport Canada.
“This is great news,” says Vickie Croley, Head Track & Field Coach at Western. “Anytime an athlete has an opportunity to gain international experience, it will help with their overall development as an athlete.”
Croley says this is Kerr’s first national team, and she believes it may be the beginning of good things for the athlete.
“With the times he has been running this summer, Jason is quickly becoming noticed as one of country’s top 100-metre sprinters,” says Croley. “He’s healthy and he is getting some good solid training in, so the Francophonie games experience will add to that strength to take him to the next level.”
Cotten, a heptathlete, has competed internationally for Canada as a junior at the Pan Am juniors, and in various combined events, and she will be competing for Ontario at the Canada Summer Games in P.E.I. August 15-29, but this is her first major senior national team appointment.
Tim Konoval, from Parry Sound will also represent Canada on the team in the 1500 metre. Tim will be coming to Western in the fall as a graduate student in the Kinesiology Master of Science Program specializing in Exercise Nutrition and Coaching. He will not be able to compete for Western, however, as he has completed his eligibility while at the University of Pittsburgh.