A prominent UBC track and cross-country athlete and 1996 Human Kinetics graduate, Jeff Schiebler experienced a most impressive running career both at UBC and internationally.
While leading UBC to championship levels, Jeff in 1995, set UBC, Canada West and CIS national records in the 3,000m. In the 10,000m he achieved the Olympic standard and competed for Canada in that event at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
After winning silver medals at the CIS and Canadian Open cross-country championships he and his coach, UBC’s Marek Jedrzejek, were selected to participate in the 1996 World cross-country championships in Cape Town. It was here Jeff learned he was selected the winner of the 1996 Bobby Gaul award as UBC’s male athlete of the year.
From 1996 through 2003 Jeff ran professionally in Japan competing as a representative of a Japanese electronics firm. In 2000 the BC native again ran for Canada in the 10K at the Sydney Olympics, one of only six UBC track & field athletes to compete in two Olympics.
Schiebler’s career is highlighted by the fact he set Canadian records in the 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m with his 5,000m record still standing as of 2014. His university Can West and CIS records also remain unbroken as of 2014.
During his UBC career he brought attention to the school’s track and cross-country program and was unique in UBC history in that he ran professionally for over seven years.
Now a fire fighter, Jeff was during the 1990s and into the 2000s, the dominant 3K to 10K runner both at the Canadian university and national levels.
Fred Hume
Historian, UBC Athletics
