June 23, 2008

VANCOUVER -- Mike Mason, the 2008 recipient of the Bus Philips Award that recognizes the University of British Columbia's top male athlete, is within centimeters of his Olympic dream -- three centimeters to be exact.

The three-time defending NAIA high jump champion needs to clear 2.30 meters in an outdoor competition in order to conditionally qualify for Beijing and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Mason cleared that height earlier this year at an indoor event in Washington and has posted the Olympic `B' standard of 2.27m on multiple occasions this year.

Although a leap of 2.30m would clinch his ticket to Beijing, Mason could also qualify with a victory at the upcoming Canadian Track and Field National Championships scheduled for early July.