The TRU WolfPack athletics department is one step closer to moving four more teams into the CIS.

Ken Olynyk, TRU’s director of athletics and recreation, was at Canada West meetings last week, where he put forward a motion to move the WolfPack’s men’s and women’s soccer teams into the conference alongside its to-be-formed swim team and cross-country running squad.

The motion will be voted on at Canada West’s annual general meeting in May. If TRU gets member support for it, those four teams will move into the CIS for the 2014 season.

TRU, which is a full member of Canada West, already has four teams in the conference — men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s volleyball.

The WolfPack soccer teams currently play in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association, while its cross-country runners attend local races and the CCAA championship. The swim team will be new for 2014.

Both soccer squads will continue to be run by the TRU athletics department, similar to its volleyball and basketball teams. The swim and cross-country teams will act as club teams, similar to TRU’s golf, hockey and baseball teams.

* * *

Kamloops will be home to the CIS curling championships next month, and two TRU WolfPack club teams are in Edmonton for the Canada West championships this weekend.

Rinks skipped by Darren Nelson and Tiffany Krausher are leading TRU’s hopes at the conference championships, which start Friday and end Monday. Both TRU rinks will appear at the CIS championships at Kamloops Curling Club from March 20-24.

Nelson, who curls with Russell Koffski, Jared Jenkins and Michael Hiram, will open Friday against the U of Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher.

Krausher, Alyssa Kyllo, Ashley Nordin and Kym Edgeworth are up against the U of Lethbridge’s Erin Mackey in Friday’s opener.

* * *

It’s the last weekend of the regular season for the WolfPack basketball teams, who are off to Kelowna to play the UBC-Okanagan Heat on Saturday.

TRU’s women (15-6) are playing their final game before playoffs, where they will open either in Regina or Calgary. The Heat women (5-16) are playing out a difficult campaign.

It will be the last regular-season game for graduating WolfPack players Jen Ju, Tracy Kocs and Diane Schuetze. Schuetze has 1,386 career points, good for 18th all-time in Canada West. She needs 17 to move into 17th, and 39 to move into 16th.

The WolfPack men (7-14) won’t make the playoffs, but would love to avenge a January loss to the Heat.
UBC-Okanagan, which is 3-18, beat TRU 76-59 on Jan. 5.

TRU never has won more than seven games since joining Canada West in 2005-06. Saturday also will be the final game for fifth-year guard Kevin Pribilsky.

* * *

Compton was friendly to the WolfPack baseball team, which opened its spring training trip with a 4-2 victory over the UYA Minor League All-Stars in California on Tuesday.

TRU is on its annual preseason trip to Arizona and California, and will play a University of Arizona club team in Tucson on Friday.

Jake Hein was credited with the victory Tuesday, as he struck out three batters in his only inning of work.

Wataru Asaoka started and allowed one run over two innings, and Alex Reid also allowed a run in two innings of work.

Dave Hole had a double in the victory, while John Apostolo went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.

* * *

The WolfPack is back to .500 in B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League action, and will head to Victoria for games Friday and Saturday.

TRU, which is 8-8-3 and third in the six-team league, can wrap up a playoff spot with a pair of victories and a

Selkirk Saints victory over the Eastern Washington Eagles in Castlegar on Saturday.

The Saints (17-1-0) are first in the conference, with Simon Fraser (15-4-1) sitting second.

TRU is 4-0-2 in its last six after losing seven of eight. TRU will have three games remaining after this weekend.