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UVic Vikes coach Brent Fougner retires after 31 years

Brent Fougner is hanging up his whistle after 31 years as coach of UVic's XC and track teams

Brent Fougner, head coach of the University of Victoria Vikes cross-country and track teams, is stepping down from the position after a career spanning 31 years. Over his career, Fougner coached the team to 60 U Sports track medals and nine U Sports cross-country championships. He was named U Sports Cross-Country Coach of the Year five times with the men’s team and four times with the women’s team, and was an assistant coach with Athletics Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

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Before joining the coaching staff at UVic, Fougner was a successful athlete at the national level, and earned a gold medal in the triple jump at the 1981 CIS Championships (as U Sports was formerly called).

Beginning August 15, assistant coach Hilary Stellingwerf will take over the duties of head coach on an interim basis for the 2019-2020 season. Stellingwerf has been a member of 10 Canadian national teams, was the 1,500m national champion in both 2007 and 2008 (and stood on the podium another six times), and competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. A search for Fougner’s successor will be mounted in spring 2020.

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In the interim, Fougner will continue as assistant coach of the middle distance program.

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