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The 2019 Jerome Indoor Games will award the Pacific World Cup to the top university team on February 2 at the Richmond Olympic Oval. The University of British Columbia has captured this award the past three years.  The return of the Trinity Western University Spartans may challenge the UBC Thunderbird hold on this coveted award.  

Coach Shane Wiebe of TWU announced this week a preview of some of his entries.  His men’s team is lead by sprint talent both locally and internationally. UBC took the men’s 4x200m event in 2018 with a time of 1:33.71, just short of the meet record of 1:32.10 set by UVIC Track Club in 2014.  The Spartans will be lead by Ben Tjernagel, (100m-10.78), Kenny Blackman Jr. (100m-10.79), Praise Olatoke (100m-10.82) and Kevin Hughes, (100m-11.18) and will mount a serious challenge to the meet record.  Praise Olatoke comes to the Langley campus of TWU from Scotland for his first year here in Canada. Kenny Blackman Jr won the BC High School Championships over 100m last spring.

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UBC Coach, Laurier Primeau announced a partial list of entries which include 2018 BC High School Champion over 200m, Alex Pescitelli.  The freshman has personal best clockings of 100m-11.17, 200m-22.06 and 400m-48.81 coming in what was only his first season of competitive track and field.

Coach Primeau believes Pescitelli has a high ceiling and looks forward to helping him reach that potential.

"Alex embraces the intangible components beyond the athletic performances and the academic demands of university.  We expect him to make a meaningful impact by sprinting fast, but also by helping to create a cohesive unit of speed-based athletes at UBC.  The fact that he is so new to the sport makes us excited about the future for Alex".

Michael Aono (200m-21.94, 400m 47.91) will wear the UBC colours after a year’s absence, with a high likelihood of joining with hurdler, Bogdan Pavel (110mH-14.43) on Primeau’s 4x200m squad.

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Full information is available at www.harryjerome.com

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