We’ve changed time zones and gone from Alberta to British Columbia as part II of Flotrack’s NTL coverage kicks off tonight for the Victoria Track Classic. While Edmonton showed us that meet records could be destroyed by the likes of Duane Solomon and Lashawn Merritt, the Victoria Classic promises to excite with tighter competition in the middle distance events as well as a number of athletes dropping down in distance.

As the Canadians get closer to the Commonwealth Games later this month in Glasgow, prep meets such as Victoria become all the more interesting as those athletes come into form heading into the rounds of international competition.

 

Women’s 800

 

If you’re like me, you saw that Nike ad with Mo Farah on the VO2 machine and thought, who is that other person in the commercial? If you guessed Melissa Bishop, you would be correct. Bishop will run the 800 in Victoria to prep for Glasgow, which she qualified for by running the 'B' standard earlier in the year. The Olympian showed excellent form at the Pre Classic in Eugene, running a season’s best of 2:00.52 to place third.

Bishop’s PB of 1:59.76 was set at last year’s Victoria Classic, and she will look to defend her title against the likes of Sarah Brown (4th in 1500 at USAs), as well as 2012 World Indoor Bronze medalist Erica Moore.

 

Men’s 800

 

What the men’s 800 in Victoria lacks in depth it makes up for in athletes looking to improve on their previous races. Although he had already achieved the 'B' standard for Glasgow, Geoff Harris was among those chasing Duane Solomon and a meet record Monday in Edmonton.

Unfortunately, Harris was only able to complete 300 meters before being tripped up and falling to the track. Even after a DNF, Harris took to Twitter to speak his mind about the tumble.

So I fell. Shit happens!

— Geoff Harris (@geoff800) July 6, 2014

I, for one, appreciate Harris’ lighthearted spin on the incident and will chalk it up to his lengthy beard creating a more relaxed mindset for this season. Well done, sir.

 

Another athlete returning from a rough outing is former Arkansas Razorback Duncan Phillips. You may know him from the Inside: Mexico series as he trains on/off again with Leo Manzano. At USAs, Phillips failed to reach the final after running 3:46.18 in the prelim, and on Tuesday in Victoria, Phillips will step down in distance to work on his speed.

Although Phillips has yet to make a name for himself as a pro, the tools are there for him to do so. His 3:56.10 full mile at the Festival of Miles last month was a strong performance, but it did not translate to a good meet in Sacramento. The Victoria 800 will give a good indication of how Phillips will bounce back from his latest shortcoming.

 

Best of the Rest

 

In other events throughout the evening, NCAA champ Shelby Houlihan will battle Angela Bizarri and Jessica Tebo in the 1500, while Charles Jock will step down to the 400.

 

Jock has been up and down recently, and his 1:49.22 in Edmonton did nothing to steady the ship. Not much can be said about the fall at USAs, as those things will inevitably happen, but his entry in 400 speaks to the concern he may have about his recent closing speed.

 

Tebo and Bizarri finished 10th and 11th at USAs, respectively, and will both be stepping down from their usual 5k to the 1500 in order to battle the Arizona State senior-to-be. Houlihan’s victory in Eugene was somewhat surprising, as she upset the likes of Cory McGee and Emily Lipari by kicking hard in a tactical final. She was also impressive at USAs, where she placed 7th with a 2:01 in a fast 800 final. That speed will be tough to match for the other competitors in the field.

 

Again, tune in tonight LIVE on Flotrack as we bring you the Victoria International Track Classic.