From his first step onto campus to the last day in his office, Lyle Sanderson’s 44-year journey at the University of Saskatchewan is highly revered.
The longtime Huskies track and field coach was inducted Friday into the Canada West Hall of Fame, as the conference’s celebration of 100 years of university sport in Western Canada continued.
Sanderson came to the U of S in 1960 as a student-athlete, competing on both the cross country and track and field teams while studying in the College of Physical Education.
Not long after graduating in 1965, Sanderson was appointed head coach of Saskatchewan’s track and field program. That posting would last 39 years, over which time Sanderson became one of the most decorated coaches of any sport in Canadian university history.
Sanderson led the Huskies to 10 national titles, beginning with the cross-country crown in 1968. He later guided Saskatchewan teams to nine track and field national titles. He also coached 33 conference championship-winning teams.