Summer07

BLUE+GOLD UBC’S WORLD TRAVELERS

A CENTURY OF T-BIRD ATHLETICS

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

SUMMER 2007

HE’S BACK!

Chris Ciezki returns to strong-arm opponents

THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA THUNDERBIRDS

CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #41473026

THE LINEUP

BLUE+GOLD SUMMER 07

DEPARTMENTS

2 10 12

EDITOR: Marc Weber

THE LOCKER ROOM Ciezki returns for his senior season, Djekanovic suits up for Toronto FC, women’s golf completes its Drive For Five, and lots more. Plus, we ask coaches The Big Question.

BLOCK WATCH Hall of Fame inductions abound, we uncover a skeleton from our track and field closet, and one former UBC hoopster is making sweet music off the court.

DEVELOPMENTS Women’s hockey receives a boost in the name of living legend Hayley Wickenheiser, the Olympic rink is on track, and the men’s basketball endowment reaches the magic mark.

FEATURES

6 8 11

WORLD TRAVELERS A record number of current and former Thunderbirds are representing Canada all over the world this summer. We take a ‘Birds eye view of the situation.

TAKING FLIGHT On September 15, the UBC Athletic Department will release Flight of the Thunderbirds: A century of varsity sport at the University of British Columbia. We sat down with author Don Wells.

FORCE OF NATURE Hamilton Tiger-Cats fullback and former Thunderbird Julian Radlein cares as much about the environment as he does about his teammates. By Lowell Ullrich

T-BIRDS TAKE ON THE NCAA

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Steve Tuckwood DESIGNER: Brent “Sol” Sallee CONTRIBUTORS: Marc Weber, Steve Tuckwood, Lowell Ullrich, Fred Hume PHOTOGRAPHY: Richard Lam, Charlie Booker, Paul Giamou, Sam Leung, Andrew Feil, Lawrie Johns, RCGA, Red Deer Rebels, Marc Weber Blue+ Gold is published twice a year by the UBC

Department of Athletics and is distributed free of charge to UBC alumni and friends. Opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Athletics or the University.

Address correspondence to: The Editor, UBC, Department of Athletics 272-6081 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1 email to varsity@interchange.ubc.ca Letters will be published at the editor’s discretion and may be edited for space. For advertising rates, please contact Kavie Toor, UBC Athletics senior business development manager, at 604.822.1688.

CONTACT NUMBERS AT UBC ATHLETICS General Inquiries 604.822.2503 BLUE+GOLD Editor 604.822.9115 War Gym Box Office 604.827.4547 Group Tickets 604.822.3094 Development Office 604.822.1972 Sponsorship 604.822.1688 Address Changes 604.822.8921 via email alumni.association@ubc.ca Volume 3, Issue 1 • Printed in Canada by Benwell Atkins Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #41473026 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Development Office UBC Department of Athletics 272-6081 University Blvd.

Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1

Labour Day Weekend Basketball Saturday, September 1 Women vs. Arkansas, 2 pm Men vs. Oklahoma, 7 pm Sunday, September 2 Women vs. Wichita State, 6 pm Men vs. Air Force, 8 pm

ON THE COVER: What penalty? Chris Ciezki, pictured in action against SFU last season, has a shot at some lofty records in his senior year. UBC opens at home against the Clan on Sept. 4, followed by Manitoba at home on Sept. 8. RICHARD LAM PHOTO

Monday, September 3 Men vs. Boise State, 10 am All games at War Memorial Gym Tickets at the door

24-hour scores and info: 604.822.BIRD www.gothunderbirds.ca

THE LOCKER ROOM

Ciezki Returning For Fifth Year Record-setting all-Canadian running back Chris Ciezki is headed back to the UBC campus to play out his fifth year of eligibility.

The Sherwood Park, Alta., native had signed on with the BC Lions but was cut during training camp. Defensive back Konrad Wasiela and receiver Braden Smith are two other key T-Birds returning to the fold with CFL training camp experience, Wasiela with the Lions and Smith with Montreal, which drafted him in the sixth round.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a number of seniors who have chosen to come back for their fifth year and that’s a great sign for the program,” said head coach Ted Goveia, who will also count returning all-stars Derek Townsend and Ryan Thompson among his senior class. “While we were wishing the guys all the best with their CFL tryouts, it’s great to have them back and have that leadership component. We know

they are going to be better because of that experience and hopefully they will leave UBC as even stronger players.”

Ciezki, a three-time Canada West all-star, finished with 1,082 yards in seven regularseason games last season and led the CIS in rushing touchdowns (14), yards per game (154.6) and yards per carry (9.2). He set a school record for touchdowns in a game with five against Simon Fraser and his 16 majors overall in conference play were also a school record, just one shy of Don Blair’s Canada West mark set in 1995. In three seasons at UBC, he has piled up 2,423 yards rushing, 2

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

UBC athletes and teams making headlines

?

THE BIG which places him sixth all-time, 1,015 yards behind leader Akbal Singh. His 31 career TDs are a UBC record.

“I’m really excited to be back in a Thunderbird uniform and I’m going to contribute as much as I can to help get this team to the Vanier Cup,” said Ciezki. “We’ve got a lot of key players returning and all the guys have been working really hard in the offseason to improve.”

UBC went 4-4 in 2006, losing to the Vanier Cup finalist Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West semifinal. The T-Birds open the 2007 season on the first day of school, Tue, Sept. 4, at home to crosstown rival SFU. Training camp is scheduled to start on Sat, Aug. 18, culminating in the Blue and Gold scrimmage on Sun, Oct. 26.

Tee ‘Birds Complete Drive For Five The UBC women’s golf team outdueled UVic on the final day to win its fifth RCGA University/ College Championship in as many tries on June 1 in Fredericton. Sophomore Kaitlin Troop, who transferred to UBC from Illinois State, finished fourth overall to lead the T-Bird charge. Two weeks prior, Troop earned AllAmerican honours by placing 15th overall as UBC claimed third spot at the NAIA national championship in California. At press time, the two-time defending Manitoba amateur champ was set to compete at the Royale Cup National Women’s Amateur in Stouffville, Ont. On the men’s side UBC placed sixth at the NAIA championship, their best ever finish, with sophomore Cory Renfrew earning AllAmerican honours by tying for 12th. The TBirds then finished third at the RCGA event after leading through two rounds. Renfrew was the top T-Bird at 2-under for the tournament, good for 12th place.

Renfrew, Blake Rowe-Sleeman and incoming recruit Seon Kim will all compete at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at the Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, Aug. 10-17.

QUESTION

We asked members of our Thunderbird coaching staff about the books they draw on for inspiration and insight.

The Education of a Coach, by David Halberstam. It’s something written about a proven winner [Bill Belichick] that provides insight into the small details needed to build a winning program. And High Hopes: Taking The Purple To Pasadena, by Gary Barnett.

It takes an inside look into the struggles of building a winning football program at a school with high academic standards [Northwestern].

It starts out as a total disaster and then he took them to the Rose Bowl. It’s very inspirational.

e Ted Goveia, Football The Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck, although mostly just the first section, and The Fifth Discipline, by Peter M. Senge. The latter is all about building learning organizations and shared visions. Pat Riley’s The Winner Within is a classic, and for something more obscure: Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl. It’s a fascinating and inspiring read.

e Doug Reimer, Women’s Volleyball The 12 Leadership Principles of Dean Smith,

by David Chadwick. I really enjoyed the team building aspects of it and I saw his principles as going across the board. It really gave me a lot of ideas about creating a program that starts with relationships and builds out. My other big one is the Collegiate Baseball newspaper. I’ve spent more and more time reading about what the top programs are doing and this is the best source for news about D1 schools. I’m a believer in looking to the best in your profession and trying to emulate that.

e Terry McKaig, Baseball Teaching Character Through Sport: Developing a Positive Coaching Legacy,

by Bruce Brown. It’s just a really good resource book on building character through sport and I use it as a springboard to exploring those sorts of topics with the team. Any of John Wooden’s books. He was a breakthrough coach and one of the most successful in history. He talks so much about people and character and family. He was a great teacher and his vehicle was basketball.

Simple ideas but not easy lessons to learn.

e Deb Huband, Women’s Basketball

THE Mason And Gleadle Golden Thunderbird junior Mike Mason won gold at the 2007 RBC Canadian Track and Field Championships in mid-July, leaping past favourite and two-time Olympian Mark Boswell. Mason, who has claimed back-to-back NAIA high jump gold medals since transferring to UBC, took first with a jump of 2.27 metres, followed by Boswell (2.21). Next up for the Nanoose Bay, B.C., native and former world junior champion is the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, this August.

“It went exactly as we were trying to plan

recognizes donors who have made lifetime contributions of $25,000 to $249,999 to UBC. Esteemed educator Dr. Carl Wieman, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2001 and was recently lured to the Point Grey Campus, joined Johns as special guests for the evening.

“It was a huge honour to be invited to the Chancellor’s Circle Dinner,” said Johns, who has won more university medals than any other swimmer in CIS history. “It’s not an aspect of the university – as a student or as an athlete – that you get to see very often; you don’t always see the people who make the programs possible. It was great to meet everyone who helps out the university so much and it’s a unique experience to meet a Nobel laureate.”

Johns spoke to the crowd about his experiences at UBC and with the Thunderbirds, as well as his reasons for staying in Canada to pursue his goals.

STAT SHEET 75

Canadian Interuniversity Sport titles won by UBC – more than any school in Canada – after swimming brought home their tenth straight banners in February.

Also in 2006-07, women’s field hockey won their sixth in nine years and women’s soccer won their third in five years.

T-Birds On The Thames

it,” said Mason. “Usually there are a few things that go wrong along the way, but my mental and physical preparation was good and everything went perfectly. Mark was coming off surgery so he wasn’t at 100 per cent, but it was still the first time beating him so that feels pretty good.”

Also at the NAIA championships, freshman Liz Gleadle saved her best for last, winning the javelin with a 49.29-metre effort on her sixth and final throw. The Vancouver native recently broke the Canadian junior women’s javelin record with a 52.36-metre toss.

Johns Speaks At Chancellor’s Circle Graduating Thunderbird swimmer and twotime Olympian Brian Johns was one of two honoured guests to speak at the Chancellor’s Circle Dinner in May. The 400-person dinner, which was held at the Life Sciences Centre,

The UBC Thunderbirds coxed fours of Kevin Devlin, Tim Love, Graham Harris, Mitch Wilson and coxswain Kristen Kit enjoyed a solid showing at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta in early July, losing out in their semifinal race to the University of London.

UBC opened its bid for the Prince Albert Challenge by knocking off top-seeded Durham University and then powered past the University of Exeter to advance to the semis.

“It was frustrating to not have all the engines running in the semis,” head coach Mike Pearce said in reference to a back injury to Love.

“The crew were confident in their speed and knew they were capable of going the distance prior to the injury. The regatta was still a great experience for the team and will add some good momentum to the varsity program in the fall as all these student-athletes will be returning.”

Incoming UBC recruits featured at Henley as well, with Simon Woods and Sebastian Kallos competing for the Brentwood College eights that fell just short in the final of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. Three alums have also found success in the water this summer (WORLD TRAVELERS, Page 8).

This journey marked the first trip to Henley for a Thunderbird men’s crew since 1994. First held in 1839, the Henley Royal Regatta is one of the oldest sporting events in the world and this year featured a record number 467 crews from 18 nations. More than 250,000 spectators line the banks of the Thames for the five-day event that pits crews against each other in head-to-head knockout format.

33 52 107

4.6

Gold medals for Brian Johns in 34 career CIS races. The three-time CIS male swimmer of the year finished second in his first ever race, the 200 freestyle won by Olympian Rick Say, then couldn’t be beat.

Thunderbirds were named to their conference or regional all-star teams in 2006-07, and the same number were honoured nationally as All-Canadians, All-Americans or All-Rookie team members.

Thunderbirds were named Academic All-Canadians in 200607, for achieving 80 per cent or better in their studies while playing varsity sport – the most in Canada.

Million dollars now sits in the TELUS Millennium Breakfast scholarship endowment after another sold out event at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre.

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

3

THE LOCKER ROOM

Djekanovic Suits Up For Toronto FC Goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic, who backstopped the Thunderbirds to the 2005 CIS title, was happy just to be on Toronto FC’s roster when the Major League Soccer team signed him in May. As it turns out, he’s been their goto guy.

An injury to No. 1 keeper Greg Sutton has opened the door for Djekanovic, who at press time was 2-3-2 with two shutouts and a 1.28 goals against average in eight appearances.

“I was excited for the opportunity to come to Toronto knowing that Greg was going to play in the Gold Cup and I’d have the chance to step in for three or four games,” said Djekanovic. “I’ve played a lot more and it’s been a great experience playing in front of sold out crowds going nuts. It’s a very European environment and it’s been great for my career.”

Better still, a recent decision at the CIS annual meeting means that Djekanovic is still eligible for CIS competition and he will return to the Point Grey campus in October to help championship-host UBC take a run at another banner.

“It took me a while to decide if I really wanted to give up the CIS eligibility and it’s brilliant, I’ve got the best of both worlds.

Coming back to UBC next year I’ll definitely be a better keeper and I’m looking forward to us hosting nationals and getting another shot at a CIS title.”

When Toronto faced Houston, Djekanovic also had the chance to chat with former UBC and Canada keeper Pat Onstad, who has won multiple CIS and MLS titles. The two exchanged well wishes and jerseys after the 0-0 draw.

For more T-Bird news: gothunderbirds.ca

Two New Hires For T-Birds Former CIS champion and current Canadian national team member Carrie Watson has been named the new fulltime assistant coach of the UBC Thunderbirds women’s basketball team, while former University of Winnipeg setter Ryan Henley becomes the first ever full-time assistant of the men’s volleyball program.

Watson led UBC to the 2004 CIS championship, the school’s first in 30 years at the time. That season she was recognized as a second team CIS All-Canadian and defensive player of the year before taking home championship MVP honours. The Agassiz, B.C., native has since gone on to a career with the senior national team that started in the summer of 2005.

“I’m thrilled to have an alum on board who was such a contributing member of our program,” said head coach Deb Huband.

“Carrie helped us rise from the middle of the pack to one of the front runners in the CIS and she’s an outstanding fit. She knows the program, the coaching style, the demands of a student-athlete, and I think she will have an immediate impact on the development of our players and our program.”

Henley, 28, set for two Douglas College teams that went to the Canadian college nationals and later captained the University of Winnipeg to the CIS national final in 2002.

He also suited up for the Canadian national team that year in a series against Australia.

The New Westminster native has been a volunteer assistant coach at various levels, including with the Capilano College men from 2003-05. This past year, he served as the

“ ”

QUOTABLES “I’ve never been compared to a fish before.” e Chris Ciezki after play-by-play broadcaster Jim Mullin compared his tackle-breaking runs to a salmon swimming upstream.

“Christine, the little one, she’s just like a wind-up toy. She just goes and goes.” e Hash Kanjee on senior midfielder and CIS player of the year Christine De Pape.

“I tell a lot of people that the fifth-year me would eat the first-year me alive.” e Kelsey Blair on the development her game from her rookie to senior season.

“Coming from that background with the nature, the hiking, all wilderness, I thought to myself, ‘That guy must have the strength in his legs’.

And I thought ‘He is not going to be afraid to go wild in races as well.’” e Marek Jedrzekek reflecting on recruiting cross country star Shane Carlos, who is from the Yukon.

“You don’t go into a boxing match with a big smile on your face and then wonder why your teeth are on the floor.” e Ted Goveia on being mentally and physically prepared to play a football game.

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

technical director for Volleyball BC. “Ryan’s attitude toward the game and eagerness to pass on his knowledge will allow all of our players to benefit and I’m excited for him to be a part of the UBC program,” said head coach Richard Schick. “I always admired the way Ryan competed and I respected the level of skill in his game.”

Schick, in fact, coached against Henley the player both in the CCAA with Red Deer College, and in the CIS with the University of Alberta. It was Schick’s Golden Bears squad that defeated Winnipeg in the 2002 CIS championship game.

UBC is the only Canadian school to employ fulltime assistant coaches in a sport other than football. Men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and hockey, as well as baseball and swimming, have two fulltime coaches to run the varsity program.

All In The Family Several UBC teams have announced their recruiting class in recent weeks and many TBirds-To-Be have ties to the Point Grey campus.

Defenceman Max Gordichuk, one of four Western Hockey League Scholarship players announced in June has a famous grandfather in Stu “Gunner” Bailey, a star member of the 1949-50 UBC squad that is enshrined in the UBC Sports Hall of Fame. Red Deer Rebels defenceman Jason Lynch (pictured) joins brothers Scott and Jeff on the T-Birds.

Men’s volleyball welcomes Joe Cordonier as part of an impressive incoming group this fall. Sister Emily was an All-Canadian women’s volleyball player at UBC and now plays for

Canada’s senior national team, sister Liz is an up-and-comer with both the T-Birds and the national program, and dad, John, was an Olympic rower during his time at UBC. Among the women’s volleyball recruits is junior national team middle Kyla Richey, whose mom, Jan, played for the last UBC championship team in 1978. Men’s basketball recruit Nathan Yu is following in the footsteps of brother Jordan, and women’s basketball forward Robyn Fashler returns to War Gym where she was a ball girl for UBC games throughout elementary school.

In women’s soccer, Natalie Hirayama, whose father Garry played rugby for UBC in the mid-’70s, enters the fold, while in men’s rugby, a third Jones brother is entering the mix, as Under-19 world cup team member Harry Jones joins brothers Ben and Charlie as Rockridge Secondary products who have landed at UBC.

the two Canada West semifinals on Nov. 3.

Thunderbird teams will also be on the radio more than ever, with campus radio station 101.9 CiTR FM set to broadcast around 40 events during the regular season. For the first time ever, the entire men’s and women’s basketball schedules will be available through CiTR or webcast at www.gothunderbirds.ca.

AWARDS & HONOURS Back in late March, UBC Athletics handed out its annual awards at the Big Block Banquet.

Casey Archibald from basketball took home the Bobby Gaul Memorial Trophy as the outstanding graduating male, while swimming’s Brian Johns became the first recipient of the Bus Phillips Memorial Trophy as male athlete of the year. On the women’s side, basketball star Erica McGuinness was honoured as the

Field Hockey New Zealand Bound The UBC women’s field hockey team is headed to New Zealand from Aug. 10-31 for a preseason training tour, and they will hope for a similar impact as 2006, when a trip to Australia played a role in them winning the national championship.

The T-Birds will be in Whangarei, Hamilton and Auckland, playing eight matches against the likes of Northland Selects, Waikato Juniors, Waikato University and Auckland University.

“Our opponents are teams of a very high standard,” said head coach Hash Kanjee, who will also employ the services of guest coaches from the Waikato High Performance system.

“The main purpose of this tour is to jumpstart the season by training and playing as much field hockey as possible against some of the better field hockey players in the world. Through it we will gain new knowledge on technical skills and team tactics used in a leading field hockey nation.”

A large portion of UBC’s baseball team is off to France in late August to play for Team Canada in a series against the French national team, while members of the men’s basketball team recently returned from Taiwan, where they lost 105-98 to Boston University in double overtime of the Kainan Tournament championship game.

‘Bird Broadcasts The Canada West Conference has reached a three-year agreement with Shaw TV to broadcast a Canada West Football Game of the Week across Western Canada. UBC will be on TV three times during the regular season: Sat, Sept. 9 vs.

Manitoba; Sat, Sept. 29 vs. Saskatchewan; and Sat, Oct. 13 at Manitoba. Shaw will broadcast a total of 11 games across Western Canada, including

Marilyn Pomfret Award winner as female athlete of the year, and standout soccer player Amy Bobb left with the May Brown Trophy, another new award created to recognize the outstanding graduating female.

Also handed out for the first time were the rookie of the year awards that went to swimming’s Matt Hawes and soccer’s Caitlin Davie. Peer-voted Thunderbird Athletes’ Council (TAC) Leadership Awards went to rugby players Eric Wilson and Barbara Lelj, as well as Claire Hanna from volleyball (pictured with TAC board members Haleigh Callison to her left and Chad Grisdale to her right).

In the spring, Wilson won the Howie MacPhee Award, presented to the top player in the Vancouver Rugby Union who demonstrates excellence in the areas of sportsmanship, leadership and playing ability. “Not bad for a midget missing a tooth,” commented head coach Spence McTavish at the time.

In addition to the Bus Phillips Award, Johns also left the Big Block Banquet with the TAC Performance Award and, later was named Sport BC University Athlete of the Year – the fifth UBC athlete to receive the award in the last six years. ■ BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

5

T-Birds front and centre at Pan Am Games RIO DE JANIERO – Annamay Pierse battled through a nasty stomach bug, while Scott Dickens proved that his neck and back injuries are behind him as the Thunderbird swimming duo made headlines in the pool at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Thunderbird rower Nathalie Maurer and the Canadian men’s field hockey team, which featured three T-Birds, were also front-page news at the July Games.

World Travelers Trading in the blue and gold for the red and white has become a remarkably common occurrence for Thunderbird athletes. This summer alone, more than 30 have passed up the lure of summer school and summer jobs for a chance to represent their country, and in three sports – swimming, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball – UBC is enjoying disproportionate representation.

In May, Swimming Canada announced the 33-member team that it is sending to Bangkok, Thailand,

“It’s great to play with people at such a high level and improve every day. You learn a lot just from watching the veterans. International-level players can focus and refocus so well and their competitive nature is a step up. The World University Games will be my first international experience so I’m really excited. I’m just trying to anticipate what it’s going to be like so I’m not overwhelmed.”

Pierse capped off an impressive Games by smashing the longest-standing Canadian record (19 years old) en route to a silver medal in the 200metre breaststroke. Later that day, she helped Canada to a silver in the women’s 4x100-metre medley relay and, earlier in the Games, she broke the Canadian and Pan Am record in the 100-metre breaststroke preliminaries, going on to win silver.

Carla Bradstock, Volleyball

‘’I just wanted to swim, nothing was holding me back,’’ said Pierse, who had dropped eight pounds and been hooked up to an I.V. to replenish fluids hours before the 200-metre final. ‘’That 200 breast record I’ve wanted since as long as I can remember.

That’s been my goal in swimming, to surpass that, because it was a world record when it was done and Allison Higson was just an amazing swimmer and I am so honoured to be swimming that fast.’’

Dickens, who sustained major injuries last April when he blacked out in his bathroom hours after having his wisdom teeth extracted, took home Canada’s lone gold in the pool, winning the 100metre breaststroke by coming from behind to out-touch American Mark Gangloff. The Ancaster, Ont., native added a bronze in the medley relay, a foursome that also featured up-and-coming Thunderbird Matt Hawes of Ottawa.

“I squeaked in for the last place [on the PamAm Games team], but now I know I’ve proven I should be here,” Dickens told The Canadian Press afterwards. “I was doubting myself [after the accident] and it’s really only the past two months that I have kick-started my focus towards the Olympic trials. I’m so excited for next year.”

UBC alum Liz Collins brought back a silver and bronze medal from the two freestyle relays.

Maurer won two medals in three days, following up a silver-medal effort in the pairs with a gold in the quad. The North Vancouver native is studying for her master’s degree in resource management at UBC and will continue training with the national team this year with hopes of making a seat to the Bejing games.

The Canadian men’s field hockey team, ranked 15th in the world, earned its way to Beijing with a huge shootout win over Argentina in the gold medal match. Current Thunderbirds Anthony Wright and Scott Tupper joined goalie and alum Mike Mahood in celebration.

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007 14

Location: France Event: 2007 IRB Rugby World Cup T-Birds: Mike Burak* Location: Colima, Mexico Event: 2007 Pan-American Women’s Volleyball Cup T-Birds: Shelley Chalmers*, Emily Cordonier* Notes: Both will also play for Canada at the NORCECA Continental Championships in Winnipeg in September.

“I’m proud that our UBC connection with the national team is at its strongest point ever. It’s been a goal of our program to help players develop towards international play and it’s rewarding to see that come to fruition.”

Coach Doug Reimer, Women’s Volleyball Location: Rio de Janiero, Brazil Event: Pan American Games T-Birds: Women’s Basketball – Sheila Townsend, Carrie Watson; Women’s Field Hockey – Kim Buker*, Christine DePape*, Stephanie Hume*, Stephanie Jameson* and Tiffany Michaluk*; Men’s Field Hockey – Mike Mahood*, Marian Schole, Scott Tupper, Anthony Wright, Scott Fraser (physiotherapist); Rowing – Nathalie Maurer; Swimming – Liz Collins*, Scott Dickens (pictured), Matt Hawes, Caitlin Meredith, Annamay Pierse

for the World University Games and 14 of the athletes are T-Birds. Our women’s basketball program has six current players or recent alums posted on various national teams, while six Thunderbirds (pictured opposite page, top) turned Volleyball Canada’s national training camp in Winnipeg into a UBC reunion of sorts. We take a look at a sampling of where in the world you can expect to find a T-Bird playing for Canada this summer. *Denotes Thunderbird alumni

Location: Lucerne, Switzerland Event: Rowing World Cup T-Birds: Kyle Hamilton*, Ben Rutledge*, Rob Weitemeyer*

Location: Gstaad, Switzerland Event: SWATCH FIVB World Championship T-Birds: Sarah Maxwell*, Conrad Leinemann* Notes: Both Maxwell and Leinemann are staples on the FIVB World Tour, playing all over the globe including Singapore, Portugal and France. After two years of playing professional indoor in Spain, another former T-Bird, Izzy Czerveniak, is back on the FIVB World Tour, making stops in Spain and Korea among others this summer.

Notes: At press time, Hamilton and Rutledge had helped Canada to a world cup win over defending world champion Germany. This trio was also in England for the Henley Royal Regatta in June, with Hamilton and Rutledge winning another Grand Challenge with the national team eights.

Location: Moscow, Russia Event: FIBA U21 World Championship for Women T-Birds: Leanne Evans, Devan Lisson, Megan Pinske, Deb Huband (coach)

“It’s a real feather in our cap to have so many current players and alums representing Canada this summer.

For our younger players, it’s a tremendous honour for them to be selected and a great opportunity to compete against the best age-group teams in the world.”

Coach Deb Huband, Women’s Basketball

Location: Bratislava, Slovakia Event: FIBA U19 World Championship for Women T-Birds: Devan Lisson, Zara Huntley

“This is a great reward for all the hard work this year. I’m looking forward to meeting athletes from all around the world and getting an international experience. I just can’t wait.”

Melissa Coré, Women’s Golf

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

“Multi-sport Games are such a different experience than going to just a swimming competition – it’s more of an overall experience – and it should be good preparation for Beijing with the environment being similar. It’s a pretty tough meet but I think a medal is realistic and the Canadian team will be a formidable group.”

Brian Johns, Swimming

Event: World University Games T-Birds: Women’s Basketball – Leanne Evans, Erica McGuinness, Megan Pinske (pictured above left); Women’s Golf – Melissa Coré; Men’s Soccer – Michael Elliot (pictured right), Steve Frazao, Paul Seymour, Mike Mosher (coach); Women’s Soccer – Amy Bobb, Anja Sigloch; Swimming – Liz Collins*, Scott Dickens, Jordan Hartney, Matt Hawes, Matt Huang, Tara Ivanitz, Brian Johns, Michelle Landry, Sandy Lockhart, Caitlin Meredith, Callum Ng, Annamay Pierce, Darryl Rudolf, Kelly Stefanyshyn*, Derrick Schoof (coach); Track & Field – Mike Mason; Women’s Volleyball – Emily Cordonier*, Shelley Chalmers*, Carla Bradstock, Liz Cordonier.

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

7

Flight of the Thunderbirds author Don Wells pores over proofs with UBC Athletics historian Fred Hume. RICHARD LAM PHOTO

TAKING FLIGHT Nineteen hundred and eight was the year in which the provincial goverment passed the University Act, upon which the University of British Columbia was built. Through the subsequent seven years until UBC finally opened in 1915, the province’s growing demand for higher education was met by UBC’s predecessor institution, McGill University College of British Columbia. The first record of a McGill College team is 1908-1909, in which the fledgling institution’s rugby team won the 1909 Miller Cup as city champions. When UBC opened on the McGill site in 1915, it inherited its buildings, its faculty and over half of its students. The athletic tradition that began in 1908-09 was similarly passed on in a seamless transition.

This September 15, as the football team battles the Alberta Golden Bears on Alumni Weekend, the UBC Athletic Department will unveil to the public Flight of the Thunderbirds: A Century of Sport at the University of British Columbia.

Blue+Gold sat down with author Don Wells, a former sports information and marketing director for UBC Athletics, to reflect on this remarkable project.

8

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

Q + A WITH DON WELLS

B+G: How did the idea for the book come about and when did it become a reality?

DW: About 10 years ago [UBC Athletics Historian] Fred Hume completed a research project aimed at uncovering varsity sport highlights from the early days up to 1989. I had taken over as sports information officer in 1987 and accumulated all the data for the most recent period, so between the two of us, we had most of what we needed in terms of facts, figures and photos. A book seemed logical, but I have to confess it took another ten years before I found the time to get it done. In a way though, that was a good thing because here we are entering the 100th season of varsity athletics, so there couldn’t be a more appropriate time to do it. Not only that but one of our former soccer players, Brian Petersen, agreed that the time was right and it was his generosity that ultimately made it possible to bring it to fruition this year.

B+G: You knew a lot about UBC’s history going in but what did you learn along the way?

DW: If I had to narrow it down, I would say there are three conclusions that are obvious and compelling. First, it was clear that UBC’s sport history was shaped by an equal combination of British and American influences. For most of its history, UBC has been very strong in what I call “old-world sports” like rugby, field hockey, soccer and rowing, but it has also had tremendous success in traditional North American sports like football, basketball and volleyball.

It’s also the only Canadian school with a baseball program. That is what makes the program particularly unique. What other athletic program in Canada has produced Olympic champion rowers and major league baseball players? So what kind of jumps out at you is how UBC’s sport history mirrors that of Vancouver itself – a city and region that have been profoundly influenced by the proximity of the USA on the one hand, and its traditional British roots on the other.

The second thing that captured my imagination was the impact of the two world wars on campus. The exodus of so many students to the battlefields of Europe and all the uncertainty of where the world was going during those years must have been an all-consuming experience. Sport activity slowed down and football stopped altogether in 1943 and 1944, but then when the war ended, there was a tangible sense of re-birth and revelry among students, much of which centered around the university’s teams. I really do believe that school spirit soared at the end of both wars, especially when you had a team like the 1945-46

basketball team that dominated competition.

That was a big deal not just for UBC, but for the whole city and I think it helped students put the war years behind them. The fact that it was a student-led campaign which resulted in the construction of War Memorial Gym illustrates not only their enthusiasm for varsity sport, but also their profound sense of sadness over having lost so many friends and classmates, including athletes like George Pringle and Jim Harmer who were both killed in Normandy shortly after D-Day. The third conclusion that is overwhelmingly clear is that sport was a big part of the educational experience for so many of the university’s most outstanding graduates.

The list is endless of former Thunderbirds who emerged as leaders and achievers in virtually every field of endeavour. It makes

The final test of a university athletics programs rests not with the transitory successes of its stars, but with the abiding qualities which it produces in its alumni, including those who just gave it a go. ~ Bob Osbourne sense when you think about it. To become an Olympic medallist in a demanding sport like rowing, for example, all the while pursuing a course of full-time study is not for the faint of heart, but UBC students have been doing that since 1932. It shouldn’t surprise anybody how many of them went on to other forms of achievement later in life.

B+G: Who stands out to you as the true characters of the last 100 years.

DW: In terms of the builders of the program, I would say Bob Osborne was a remarkable individual in every way, as was Bus Phillips, whom Osborne appointed as athletic director.

Gordon Shrum beat the drum for varsity athletics incessantly in the early days, and Marilyn Pomfret was a trail-blazer for gender equity in the more modern era, thanks in large part to people like May Brown and Bim Schrodt who went before. Frank Gnup appears to have been universally popular throughout the city, as is Buzz Moore. I feel personally honoured to know Jack Pomfret, who was one of BC’s greatest athletes and contributed more to varsity sport at UBC than most people realize and did it with

great humility. Much of the same could be said about Nestor Korchinsky for what he did for Intramural Sports and student life in general. Bob Hindmarch and Bob Philip had different ideas and leadership styles priorities, but the combination of their efforts has really differentiated the modern UBC athletic program from any other in Canada.

All of UBC’s presidents appear to have been enthusiastic believers in the importance of sport on campus, but Martha Piper really stepped up on the athletic scholarship issue by agreeing to match donations to the TELUS Millennium Breakfast. I think that it’s important to note that what all of these people had in common is an innate sense of caring for the students they served.

B+G: There have been countless success stories over this period. Can you isolate some of the more remarkable athletic achievements?

DW: That’s a tough one. In chronological order, it appears that the rugby team’s defeat of Stanford on Christmas Day of 1920 helped forge a spirit and identity for the school, at least according to the student journalists of the era. Harry Warren made a powerful statement when he tied the world record for 100 yards on grass shortly after not being chosen to compete in the sprint event at the 1928 Olympics. The women’s basketball team’s trip to Prague in 1930, where they won the world championships, is a big piece of British Columbia’s sport history. Bob Osborne’s basketball teams of the late forties were legendary. The rowing crews that captured gold and silver medals at the 1956, ‘60 and ‘64 Olympics is perhaps the most compelling testimony to UBC being a destination for student-athletes who wanted to compete at the very highest level.

The first Vanier Cup football championships in 1982 and 1986 were nationally televised, so that did a lot for the program from a publicity perspective in the more modern era. The string of national championships for the women’s field hockey team and both soccer teams over the course of the last 20 years stands out, as does the 10-year run by the swim teams. Even though they didn’t win a national title, I would say that the women’s volleyball teams that Doug Reimer and Erminia Russo coached over the past 15 or so years have been among the best teams in the university’s history. There are so many others though, including so many individual achievements.

B+G: What were your favourite stories that you came across?

DW: The stories about what people did after they graduated. Vic Chapman was a football continued on page 13 BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

9

BLOCK WATCH

News+Notes from the Big Block Club

Inducted Into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in March, UBC coach, teacher and supporter May Brown (pictured with VP Students Brian Sullivan). Nineteen twenties boxer and track athlete Eddie Mulhern, volleyball standout Ermina Russo and field hockey Olympian David Bissett went in as athletes. More inductions followed in the summer, as the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame welcomed in the 1929-30 UBC women’s team and the 1976 senior men’s national team that featured Derek Sankey. The former UBC hoop star also went into the Basketball BC Hall of Fame along with former T-Birds Bev Preston (nee Bland), Bob Osborne, Carol Turney Loos, Ed Pedersen, John McLeod, Sandy Robertson and the 1969-70 men’s team.

Recorded His first solo album, titled Raised on Rhythm and Rhyme, former Thunderbird hoopster Chris Frye. A busy man of late, Frye is also playing rhythm guitar for the critically acclaimed jazz group, The Marc Atkinson Trio, and serves as lead singer and front man for the inventive and inspired folk band, The Bills, who took home Entertainer of the Year honours at the Western Canadian Music Awards in Winnipeg last year. The Bills third release, Let Em Run, was also nominated for the 2005 JUNO award for Roots/ Traditional Album of the Year. Find out more about Chris’s acoustic solo album at www.chrisfrye.com.

Ranked Number 1 in the M55 decathlon heading into the 2007 World Masters Athletics Championships, former T-Bird great and Commonwealth Games silver medallist John Hawkins.

A standout member of UBC basketball and track and field teams during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Hawkins holds several Canadian masters records, including the M40, M45 and M55 marks in the high jump and the M55 standard in the pole vault. In fact, since 1984 Hawkins has won more than 60 gold medals in B.C., Canadian, U.S., and world masters competitions. The World Masters Championships run Sept. 4-15 in Riccione, Italy. Log on to www.riccione.wma2007.org to follow the Games.

Added To the list of all-time Thunderbird Olympians, skeleton legend Jeff Pain, who, as it turns out, competed in the high jump at UBC from 1992-94. The Anchorage native and Calgary resident won the silver medal in Torino and finished first overall on the World Cup circuit in both 2004-05 and 2005-06. With three world championship medals and more than 15 world cup podium finishes, he is considered the greatest male in the history of Canadian skeleton.

One distinguishing feature of Pain’s skeleton gear is his custompainted helmet, depicting the face of an enraged beaver.

Signed A contract with WBC Wels of the Austrian Bundesliga, graduated all-Canadian guard Casey Archibald. The second-leading scorer in UBC history will make his debut in the northern Austrian city near Linz this fall. Archibald ended his T-Bird career by scoring 89 points in three games at the CIS championship, the second-highest total in tournament history. His 3,024 career points at UBC trail only the great J.D. Jackson (3,581). Other T-Birds signing recently include: former volleyball all-Canadian Emily Cordonier with Albi, a first division team in France; rugby (and basketball) alum Mike Burak with Pau, also in France; and a pair of hockey players in Stephane Gervais (Les Dauphins Epinal, France) and Chad Grisdale (Elmira Jackals, East Coast Hockey League).

Thunderbird Alumni, we want to hear from you!

Share your accomplishments or honors with us by emailing varsity@interchange.ubc.ca

10

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

Ex-UBC captain Hartley was only 30 The UBC Athletic Department and Thunderbird football program mourn the loss of Strachan Hartley, who passed away July 5 at the age of 30. The former Thunderbird captain and 1997 Vanier Cup winner succumbed after a valiant, 18-month battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Hartley completed a bachelor of science degree at UBC in 1998 before transferring to McGill in 2000 for a master’s degree in experimental medicine, focusing on cancer research, followed by his medical degree in 2006. Despite advice that combining treatment with academics would prove too demanding, Hartley successfully completed all requirements and graduated in the top 15% of his class, beginning his residency in orthopedic surgery with the McGill University Hospital Centre in July of 2006.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound defensive back from Handsworth Secondary played three seasons at UBC and two more at McGill, earning Academic AllCanadian honours five times. He merited all-star status in both the Canada West and Quebec conferences and was twice awarded the Canadian Interuniversity Sports Top 8 Academic All-Canadian award, presented to the most outstanding male and female student-athletes in the country for outstanding academic, leadership and athletic performance.

Hartley’s younger brother, Wyatt, also played football at UBC while studying for his master’s degree.

The Strachan Hartley Legacy Foundation is designed to further Strachan’s life goal of making a difference in the world, by ensuring that children, youth and families are provided with life-enriching opportunities that will allow them to develop and reach their full potential. All donations will receive a taxdeductible receipt.

Tides Foundation c/o Strachan Hartley Legacy Foundation 468 Arbutus Ave. Duncan , BC V9L 5X6

FORCE OF NATURE

BY LOWELL ULLRICH

JULIAN RADLEIN is in one of his branch offices and sitting to talk to a reporter. It is, to be sure, a rare sight.

It’s not like the guy is some wallflower. It’s just that he never stops long enough to contemplate everything that is going on in his life.

It takes close to 15 minutes to document his pursuits, and only at the end of the discussion does the conversation swing around to what the UBC product really does for a living.

Radlein, of course, tries to bowl over opposing blockers as a fullback with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and, as such, spent a couple of days recently with his team for a game against the B.C. Lions, stopping long enough to discuss his life in a dressing room at B.C. Place Stadium.

Yet is clear as the well-spoken Radlein lists his many pursuits that he would ultimately be more satisfied should he become more known for something other than the relatively docile pastime called football.

Like, maybe, getting people to wake up to the idea his fellow humans are destroying the planet.

That was the driving force behind the decision by the former T-Birds running back to set up a company that helps businesses monitor the waste they produce.

Photograph: Les Bazso, The Province

He started with high goals and achieved them right away. One of Radlein’s first clients was the City of Hamilton and he dove right into the job, literally.

After the Tiger-Cats’ first home game of the season, he ditched his shoulder pads and started picking through a heap of garbage that had been produced by fans attending the contest.

“There’s some forces that will have you believe it’s not necessary to change but we have the tools to do them. We’re using cars that were based on a model made in the 1800s,” he said. “Are you telling me we can’t do better?

Sustainability is about making simple choices, like walking to the grocery store instead of driving.”

Radlein named his company SymbiAudit, explaining it is a take-off of the symbiotic relationship people must need to develop with the environment.

That also explains why another pursuit for Radlein was to serve as a spokesman for a Hamilton campaign which encourages residents to buy local fruit and vegetable products.

“Eating local food is the easiest thing to do with the largest ramifications,” he said.

But Radlein is not so focused so as to avoid somewhat smaller issues. In his

spare time, Radlein also co-founded a UBC resource group known as Allies, which he said basically is an organization where men can support women’s empowerment.

“What we want to promote is critical reflection of gender rules assigned by society,” he said. “It’s not an equality group.

It’s an equity group.”

He works in Hamilton, but it seems as if at times the guy never left Vancouver. Radlein and another former Birds’ standout, Lions linebacker Javy Glatt, are still tight.

That chat lasts 15 minutes and could have lasted 15 hours. With Radlein, there always seems like there’s more behind the surface.

You ask him if there is anything else that occupies his time, and he has to stop for a moment, as if unsure.

Maybe it was because of the ribbing he might take from his teammates that he failed to mention he’s also been taking ballet lessons the last few months.

It seemed apparent he wasn’t going to stop long to think about anything else, however.

There’s still way too much to do. ■ Lowell Ullrich covers the B.C. Lions and CFL for The Province BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

11

DEVELOPMENTS

DEVELOPMENTS

The latest on UBC Athletics fundraising efforts

Wickenheiser Award To Help Women’s Hockey

Millennium Breakfast Slated For March 3

Men’s Basketball Surpasses $1M; Football Sets $1M Goal

The UBC women’s ice hockey program is the recipient of the Hayley Wickenheiser Endowment Award, named in honour of Canada’s team captain. In March, Wickenheiser and her husband Tomas attended a lunch celebrating the establishment of the award.

Also in attendance were members of the UBC women’s ice hockey program, some ice hockey alums and a very special guest – Lieutenant Governor, The Honourable Iona Campagnola.

More than 80 people attended the event at the Pan Pacific Hotel.

The award was made possible through the generosity of Lois Mitchell. Mrs. Mitchell, a businesswoman in Calgary who also attended the lunch, is a longtime supporter of UBC Athletics, along with husband Doug, a former football star at UBC. With the commitment from Mrs. Mitchell and other donors to women’s ice hockey, the scholarship endowment will reach $400,000 in the next four years.

The date has been set for the continuation of the largest fundraising event in Canadian varsity athletics. The annual TELUS Millennium Scholarship Breakfast will be held Monday, March 3, 2008 at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre in hopes of adding an additional $600,000 to the UBC scholarship endowment. Details on the event will follow in the winter issue of Blue+Gold, or visit our website at www.gothunderbirds.ca for more information.

The men’s basketball endowment passed the $1M mark following another successful golf tournament in Whistler. Thanks in large part to David and Brenda McLean, the fund is now the largest team-specific endowment in Canada. The Thunderbird Football Association, the organizer of among other things the annual Gnup Coaches’ Classic golf tourney, has committed to bringing the football endowment to the same $1M level. Led by Julian Kenney and football alum Dan Smith, the TFA has supported, for more than a decade, scholarships and other team purchases. The plan is to have the funds in place for the 2009 football season.

UBC Athletes Supporting Canuck Place If you purchased a 50/50 ticket at a Vancouver Canucks game this year, chances are a UBC varsity athlete sold it to you. Moving into its third year, the UBC Thunderbirds/Canuck Place partnership has seen more than 400 UBC athletes sell tickets benefiting the Canucks For Kids Fund – one beneficiary being Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. In return for volunteering, the Canucks donate to the UBC varsity teams, helping with purchases of equipment and additional resources for travel.

12

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

Three down and one to go The busy Thunderbird golf tournament season will close out with the 8th annual UBC Baseball Fall Classic at Mayfair Lakes on September 25.

Spots are still available for teams and individuals.

Contact Briony Reid at 604-808-8864.

The Thunderbird Golf Society tournament kicked off the golfing summer in support of UBC athletes. With more than 130 golfers, the event raised in excess of $35,000 for the men’s and women’s golf teams.

The annual Father Bauer Invitational was held June 27 at Hazlemere with special guest Cesare Maniago in conversation with Jim Robson. The event, as always supports the men’s ice hockey program, the team that Father Bauer coached in the 1960s.

The 35th annual Gnup Coaches’ Classic was held July 11 at UGC with alumnus Scott Rintoul of TEAM 1040 radio emceeing the event that is hosted by the Thunderbird Football Association in support of Athletic awards for members of the football team.

Mitchell Endowment For Football Doug Mitchell has begun an endowment fund in his name, most of which will provide scholarships for members of the UBC football team.

A longtime supporter of the program, Mr. Mitchell is active with the UBC Alumni Association and has also been a part of the Thunderbird Council Advisory group. The Calgary Stampeders owner has also been supportive of football through the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais, of which he is a senior partner, sponsoring the annual Gnup Coaches’ Classic golf tournament.

PHOTOS (L-R): Hayley Wickenheiser, Lois Mitchell and Bob Philip. Ted Colyer, Greg Douglas, Cesare Maniago and Jim Robson. Prof. Stephen Toope.

David McLean and Alex Murphy.

Adopt A T-Bird Eclipses $80K The successful Adopt-a-T-Bird program once again reached its goal for 2006-2007 with more than $80,000 raised for UBC student-athletes.

The funds are directed to the teams and athletes specified and help to enhance meal money for travel or costs for the purchase or equipment.

Thunderbird Arena – Phase 1 Complete On schedule, the Thunderbird Winter Sports Centre opened some of its doors on July 31, welcoming young players to UBC hockey camps for 2007.

With the Father Bauer Rink (former main arena) and a new Olympic practice rink in place of where the twin arenas once stood, the TWSC will operate two sheets of ice this winter as construction continues on the main 2010 competition venue – the site of ice hockey and sledge hockey for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Completion of the 5,000-seat main arena (7,000 for the Olympics), is scheduled for next summer with the Thunderbirds beginning play in that space in the fall of 2008.

Once completed, the TWSC will also be home to the UBC Sports Hall of Fame, providing plenty of space for the stars of UBC teams that date back to 1908.

Entrance to the TWSC is off of Thunderbird Blvd., with parking in the new Thunderbird Parkade directly across the street. For details on available ice time and public skating visit www. icerink.ubc.ca or call 604-822-6121.

continued from page 9

player that went on to be the press secretary at Buckingham Palace. Norm Burley was a manager of the football team who had a hand in launching the career of Loretta Lynn. John Turner became a prime minister. Art Phillips became mayor of Vancouver.

In terms of sport stories, I can’t help but think about how rowers Roger Jackson and George Hungerford weren’t exactly favoured to win in the pair event at the 1964 Olympics, but did. The gold medal win by UBC’s eight-man crew on the Vedder Canal during the 1954 British Empire Games is a great story. So is the basketball team’s win over the Harlem Globetrotters in 1946. The 1930 women’s basketball team’s win in Prague made them the toast of the province. Then there were the offbeat things, like Frank Gnup smoking a cigar while riding his bike out to campus with his beagle in a carrier basket on the front. Gnup was kind of a renaissance man. While attending Manhattan College he worked as an usher at the Metropolitan Opera. He had a habit of watching a football game on TV while listening to opera music. The hockey team’s 1973 friendship tour of China is an interesting story. The Cold War hadn’t ended, yet here was this Canadian team helping to bridge the cultural divide. UBC should be very proud of things like that.

B+G: Are there universal statements that you can make about UBC Athletics that carry through the generations?

DW: I think that the timeless element is that it always has and always will take a special kind of person to excel in sport at the same time as they are pursuing a course of full-time study at a prestigious institution like UBC. Anyone who has a dim-witted jock stereotype in their head isn’t at all attuned to the student-athletes of UBC. I know there are professional athletes who are good role models for kids, but I don’t think any athlete sets a better example than the university student who plays his or her heart out for nothing more than the love of the game.

B+G: Has your research changed your mind in any way as to what the purpose of an athletic department is or should be?

DW: No, I always had pretty clear ideas about what it represented within the context of a place like UBC, but I never heard it encapsulated by anyone better than Bob Osborne when, back in 1966, he said: ‘The final test of a university athletics programs rests not with the transitory successes of its stars, but with the abiding qualities which it produces in its alumni, including those who just gave it a go.’ ■

UBC ALUMNI WEEKEND

Saturday September 15, 2007

Block Club & Friends Barbecue and UBC football game vs Alberta $5 gets you parking, lunch, a football ticket and a chance to catch up with old friends 12:00 p.m.

1:15 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

Postgame

Barbecue lunch at UBC flagpole plaza Flight of the Thunderbirds for sale Parade to the stadium (stadium shuttle also available) MEI Screaming Eagles Marching Band Kickoff – UBC vs Alberta Cheer the T-Birds on to victory Thunderbird shuttle back to your car

Attendees must RSVP for lunch and the football game!

To RSVP visit www.alumni.ubc.ca/events/alumniweekend Or, contact Jennifer Wong at 604.822.6183 or jenwong@interchange.ubc.ca

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007

13

BLUE + GOLD | SUMMER 2007