Ubc bg winter 2006

blue+gold WINTER 2006

MEN’S SOCCER GOLDEN IN P.E.I.

THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA THUNDERBIRDS

Supporting local sports.

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As such, we’re proud to support amateur athletics in Canada.

INSIDE: Mark Capone | Kelly Stefanyshyn | Women’s Volleyball

NEWS+NOTES Breakfast with Bobby Another sold out ballroom is expected on March 6 when the 2006 TELUS Millennium Scholarship Breakfast takes place at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre. Bob Ackles, President and CEO of the BC Lions, is the keynote speaker PRESIDENT & CEO, BC LIONS at the 7:15 a.m. event, which will raise GOVERNOR, CFL another half-million dollars for UBC athletic awards. In just six shor t years, with the amazing suppor t of our alumni, the greater community and the University, the Breakfast Bob Ackles has been an instrumental member of the BC Lions for over 50 years. Despite his endowment has grown to $3.3 million. humble beginnings within the organization, Bob’s star rose quickly, and by 1966 he was Tickets and tables are still available. Please director of Football Development for the Lions. Bob was promoted again and named Assistant download an online brochure from www.

General manager in 1971. Four years later he was promoted to GM and held that office until 1986. Under Bob’s guidance, the Lions captured the 1985 Grey Cup—their first CFL title in gothunderbirds.ca/millennium_breakfast.asp 21 seasons. However, to the dismay of many, Bob ended his 34-year tenure with BC to order or place a donation.

BOB ACKLES

and accepted an offer to join the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Bob, a Schenley Award of Excellence winner, went on to spend six seasons in Dallas, three as Vice President of Pro Personnel, and three as Vice President of Player Personnel. He Keys to winning also played a key role in helping the Cowboys back into the playoffs in 1991. Bob left Dallas that off-season, but the team that he helped assemble went on to win Super Bowls in 1993, 1994 and 1996.

UBC men’s volleyball coach Richard Schick

went to Brandon looking for a pair of wins After Dallas, Bob moved on to the Phoenix Cardinals, taking the position of against the Bobcats in January. He left with Director of College Scouting before a promotion to Assistant GM in 1994. Bob the four points and also a key to the then city,went to Philadelphia, where he became the Eagles’ Director of Football for the 1995 season. Bob’s last NFL job was in Miami, reuniting presented by councilor Murray BlightAdministration in him with Jimmy Johnson to become Director of Football Operations, a position he recognition of his leadership in developing held for five years. the spor t of volleyball in the western In 2000, Bob was named the Vice President and General Manager of the Las Vegas Manitoba area. The T-Birds head coach grew Outlaws. This move put Bob in the history books as the only man to hold executive up a Brandonite, playing club volleyball as positions in the CFL, NFL and XFL. However, the XFL failed after one tumultuous season. well as a season of varsity basketball there Bob then took time off football and enrolled at the UNLV entering the Fine Arts Program. before going on to an outstanding playing and In 2002, Bob was voted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in the Builder category. He coaching career across the Prairies and with solidified his commitment to the Lions in December 2003 when he signed a 3-year contract the national program. extension. He also brought in the CFL’s second most winning coach of all time, Wally

Buono as Head Coach and General Manager. In 2004, Ackles was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Accolades for Ackles’ work have continued in 2005 when Bob was honouredThird-year with the Jackright Diamond the Jewish Community as Sportsman side Award hitter by Andrew Bonner has ledCentre a resurgent UBC of men’s volleyball team to a fifththe Year. place CIS ranking this season. Richard Schick’s young squad, which has scored victories over No. 1 Chris MacDonald kept busy over the holiday Alberta and NCAA champion Pepperdine, has held its own in the nation’s toughest division. The Tbreak, adding three players to an already Bob and his wife,are Kay, in Vancouver, have into two sons.

Steve and wife Sherri have Birds in live search their firstand berth the national championship tournament since 1988-89. Playoffs three children, Robert, Ashley and Kyle. Scott and wife Theresa have two children, Kasey fine men’s golf roster for the upcoming for volleyball, basketball and hockey all get going on the Point Grey campus in late February. Check and Robyn.

NAIA spring season. Vancouver freshman www.gothunderbirds.ca for details, or call the BIRDLINE at 604.822.BIRD for up-to-date scores and James Roxburgh, son of Doug, the legendary schedules. (PHOTO: RICHARD LAM)

Swinging into spring

(cont’d over)

EDITOR: Marc Weber DESIGNER: Brent “Sol” Sallee CONTRIBUTORS: Marc Weber, Fred Hume, Steve Ewen, Steve Tuckwood, Theresa Jantzen COVER PHOTO: Brian McInnis PHOTOGRAPHY: Richard Lam, Yuxiang Li, Tom Hanson, UBC Archives, Athletics Canada

Blue+Gold is published three times a year by the UBC Depar tment of Athletics in conjunction with the UBC Alumni Association 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 of British Columbia.

Address correspondence to: Marc Weber, Editor UBC, Depar tment of Athletics 272-6081 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1 email to varsity@interchange.ubc.ca

winter 2005 | blue+gold | 1

(news+notes cont’d)

Canadian amateur and current head of player development and high performance for the RCGA, has transferred to UBC from Langara College, while Western Washington junior transfer Stuar t Bell of West Vancouver and true freshman Nathan Ward of Summerland, one of B.C.’s top amateurs, have also joined the T-Birds. With a talented roster already in place, led by Blake Rowe-Sleeman, David Stewar t and Cory Renfrew, UBC should be a contender for the national title in May.

growing full-time coaching staff. Chambers, who has more than 30 years of coaching experience and is currently the head coach for the B.C. Centre For Performance as well as an assistant with Canada’s junior national women’s team, will join Deb Huband’s staff for the 2006-07 campaign. The longtime Terry Fox bench boss worked with Huband at the 2003 World University Games and has also spent time on the Point Grey campus, serving as interim head coach of the T-Bird men in 1997-98.

Bound for Down Under Several current and former T-Birds are gearing up for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne this March. On the field hockey pitch, all-Canadian Tiffany Michaluk (7 caps) will be joined by alumni Steph Jameson (50), Steph Hume (25) and Kim Buker (46) on the women’s team, while T-Birds David Jameson (42), Anthony Wright (9) and Philip Wright (15) suit up for the men. In the pool, Olympians and current T-Birds Brian Johns, Scott Dickens and Kelly Stefanyshyn will all don the red and white cap, as will four th-year varsity swimmer and national team rookie Darryl Rudolph. Ex-T-Bird Brent Hayden is also a very strong medal hope for Canada.

Gleadle commits to UBC

Ex-T-Bird Stephanie Hume

Chambers to join women’s hoop staff Legendary B.C. High School basketball coach Rich Chambers is the latest addition to UBC’s

Standout Kitsilano High javelin thrower Liz Gleadle has announced her decision to attend UBC next season, much to the delight of head coach Marek Jedrzejek. Gleadle, the B.C. High School and Canadian Youth record holder, was one of two recipients of the Myrtle Cook trophy for 2005, presented by Athletics Canada to the top youth athlete. She took gold in the javelin at the Royal Canadian Legion National Track and Field Championships and finished fifth at the World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morocco. Another rising track and field star, Canadian junior high jump champion Mike Mason, transferred to UBC this past off-season.

Nice package.

Open it up for complete sports coverage.

Start now. Call 604-605-READ.

4 | blue+gold | winter 2005

PHOTO: RICHARD LAM

WE ASKED

Darrell May

Megan Huzzey

Sport: Men’s Hockey Position: Centre Age: 21 Faculty: Arts Birthplace: Erie, Pennsylvania Hometown: St. Albert, Alta.

Sport: Track Event: Race Walk Age: 20 Major: BioPsych Birthplace: Victoria Hometown: Victoria

Five years in the WHL, now you’re a rookie in the CIS. Talk a bit about the transition.

People have different priorities here. When you’re playing in the WHL, you’re playing with guys who are striving to make the NHL. Now some guys want to play pro hockey but it’s more about school and life in general. It’s been a big adjustment but I’m enjoying it. You do miss playing in front of four or five thousand people every night though.

When you played for the Giants, the Vancouver media dubbed you a “Superpest”. How do you feel about that label?

I think I did what I had to do at that time to earn ice time. When I was 17, 18, I was in a role with the team where they had two centremen who they thought were more offensive than I was and I had to find my niche. It was something I was pumped about doing because I guess I could release some anger or something. It was fair at the time but I think I’ve moved on. I’ve development a lot since then but it’s definitely still one of my attributes and it allows me to be successful in other ways.

You don’t see too many CIS freshmen leading their team in scoring.

Have you exceeded your expectations coming in?

Yeah I have, but honestly I didn’t really have many expectations.

Coming here things were pretty open so I wasn’t sure what to expect. At a school like U of A they’ve got guys who have been there three or four years so roles are established, but here it seemed like a situation where there were a lot of newer guys and it was a good opportunity to fill a bigger role.

What’s been your career hockey highlight so far?

Two years ago in Portland I scored three overtime goals in three straight games. That was probably my highlight. (Darrell is the only player in WHL history to accomplish that feat.)

Who’s the best hockey player to ever come out of St. Albert?

That’s a tough one. I think it’s probably a tie between Jarome Iginla and Mark Messier.

Are you third best?

(Laughing) Probably about fiftieth.

Darrell has helped the UBC program to its best season in 16 years and, at press time, the Thunderbirds were trying to clinch their first home playoff date since 1970-71, also the last time the club won a post-season series.

PHOTOS: RICHARD LAM & ATHLETICS CANADA

To the best of your ability, can you explain what race walking is exactly?

Well, there are two rules. One is that when your heel hits the ground, your knee has to be locked. The second is that you always have to have one foot on the ground. It’s more similar to running that it would be to normal walking.

How did you get into the sport?

I’ve always run. My dad is a runner. I joined a track club in Victoria when I was 11 and they had race walking at all the meets. It was one of the events that they had for all the kids and I tried it and it came naturally to me so I just kept going. When I first starting doing it, I guess I was ashamed of it. Like I never wanted to do it in front of people. But now it’s different. Not many people do it, so it’s unique and I like that.

What’s the biggest misconception about race walking?

A lot of people think it’s just easy. Friends will say “Megan, I want to race you someday,” but that’s like me playing soccer against a good soccer player. I’m not going to be able to do much. I like to tell everyone to come and do a race with me and see how much pain they’re in. Then come back and tell me that it’s easy! I guess because the word “walking” is in there, people think it’s easy.

What have been your career highlights?

I’ve been to junior Pan Ams in Barbados in 2003 and then junior worlds in Grosseto, Italy in 2004. Grosseto was definitely the highlight I think. I got a huge personal best in the race and I was just coming off an injury. It was an amazing experience racing with so many girls from across the world.

Where do you hope race walking will take you?

As far as I can go. Beijing in 2008 or the Olympics in 2012. I think 2012 is a more realistic goal but it’s still pretty far away and I have a lot of work to do between now and then.

Megan was a four-time B.C. High School race walk champion and holds provincial records at several distances. She’s going for her third straight NAIA gold this spring in Fresno, California.

winter 2005 | blue+gold | 3

IN THE SPOTLIGHT MEN’S SOCCER

True team effort brings home title If you want to know why the UBC Thunderbirds won the 2005 CIS men’s soccer championship, you don’t have to look any fur ther than the post-tournament awards. Midfielder Mike Elliot, arguably the best player for any team all weekend long, wasn’t named the MVP. In fact, he wasn’t even named to the all-star team.

But such was the nature of the T-Birds’ march through the national field en route to the 10th title in program history and first since 1994: you could have throw dar ts at the roster and made a MVP case for just about anyone.

Each game brought a new hero to the fore. Hobbled senior striker Dave Wong managed to balance on one leg long enough to head home the game winner in their opening 1-0 victory over Montreal.

Goalkeeper Serge Djekanovic sealed the UPEI Panthers fate with a pair of world-class saves in a 1-0 semifinal win. And Niko Marcina stepped up to the penalty spot and delivered the final blow in a 2-1 defeat of Toronto in the championship final, earning the University its 63rd CIS banner all-time.

In between all those moments were standout performances from top to bottom, with graduating midfielder Jon Poli named tournament MVP, joined by defender Christoph Barrow, Marcina and Djekanovic on the all-star team.

“Everyone bought into what we were trying to achieve,” reflected

Defender Brian Reems heads home the winner in UBC’s 1-0 victory over the host UPEI Panthers in the national semifinal.

UBC coach Mike Mosher. “It’s not a case of being able to turn it on in the playoffs. The players showed the commitment right from the spring term, through training camp and through the season. It all comes back to the nature of the players and their desire, and we had a great group of guys and a great team atmosphere.”

Although the parity from coast-to-coast vir tually rules out a return to the true glory days of UBC men’s soccer – eight titles in 11 years from 1984-94 – Mosher feels his squad will be strong for seasons to come.

“The stage is set pretty well for us to compete next year and the following,” said Mosher, whose club will have an automatic host ber th into the national tournament in 2007. “We’re well situated moving forward. I like the mix currently and I like what we’ve got coming in.

Obviously winning helps with recruiting, too, and there’s a great buzz around the program.”

Aside from losing seniors Poli, Wong, all-Canadian forward Steve DeBlasio and former Canada West all-star midfielder/forward Darren Prentice, the T-Birds will remain largely intact for 2006. All-Canadian Luke Sandilands returns up front and is expected to be joined by Vancouver Whitecaps extended roster forward Steve Frazao, who led the CIS in goals the last time he suited up for UBC. And with depth throughout the defence and midfield, and perhaps the top goalie in the CIS between the posts, don’t rule out a repeat performance.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

We’re Number One!

2005 World University Games team member Pasha Bains

4 | blue+gold | winter 2005

In mid-January, the UBC men’s basketball team garnered its first No.1 national ranking in a decade. Three weeks later, every rater in the country had given the Thunderbirds their first-place vote.

While the ultimate goal for Kevin Hanson’s squad is nothing less than a CIS championship – what would be the program’s first since 1972 – it’s wor th noting their achievements to date.

PHOTOS: RICHARD LAM & YUXIANG LI

At publishing time, UBC was sitting pretty atop the Canada West at 18-0, heading to Langley in search of the perfect conference season. The last UBC team to do that was the 1969-70 lineup that went 16-0 in regular season play, then finished 23-0 including playoffs en route to the school’s first men’s basketball title. The 20-0 feat has only been accomplished once before in Canada West play, by Victoria in 1979-80.

“It’s really been a phenomenal season so far,” said Hanson. “Guys have done a tremendous job of accepting their roles and where we’re at is really a result of that chemistry.”

Chemistry and talent. This is by far the most skilled team in Hanson’s six years, the result of some savvy recruiting and a rise in alumni and community suppor t of the program that has kick-star ted a healthy scholarship fund. Former CIS player of the year Pasha Bains has bolstered an already stacked group that includes all-star sharp shooter Casey Archibald, while on any given night four or five other players can step up and score 20-plus points.

“By far it’s the deepest team we’ve had and a lot of guys could be star ting at other programs across the country,” Hanson said.

“Our goal this year is to peak when it counts and to prove that we belong among the CIS elite. We want to get to the stage where the program has a legitimate shot of contending for a championship on an annual basis.”

It might already be there.

BIG BLOCK

Five more bound for the Hall On March 28, 2006, at the annual Big Block Banquet hosted at the Hyatt Regency, five more outstanding inductees will be enshrined into the UBC Spor ts Hall of Fame, while the Athletic Depar tment hands out its annual awards. Here is a quick look at the latest additions to the Hall.

For more information, please visit us online at www.ubcspor tshalloffame.com.

Rick Cuttell (Athlete) While competing for UBC, he was acknowledged by many to be Canada’s best all-round track and field man, a three-time Canadian champion in both the long jump and high jump and a winner of five Canada PHOTOS: UBC ARCHIVES & RICHARD LAM

1986-87 Men’s Soccer (Team) This team ranks with the best among UBC’s Canadian soccer champions with an overall season record of 11-0-2. Its 33 goals for and 3 against featured ten shutouts, nine recorded by goalie Brian Kennedy – one of four from this team to play professional soccer. The ‘Birds outscored their opposition 7-0 in the national CIAU (CIS) championships winning a third straight national title, the first for coach Dick Mosher.

FOOTBALL Melanie Slade

West golds in these, his two specialties.

This ‘72 Olympian, who once won medals in six different events at the Canada West Championships, is one of the few to jump seven feet and still holds the Canadian university record in the long jump.

Ken Witzke (Athlete) UBC and Canada’s dominant volleyball spiker during the ‘60s and ‘70s, Witzke is an inductee in Canada’s Volleyball Hall of Fame and UBC’s Spor ts Hall of Fame as a member of the 6667 UBC team. Providing elite power hitting for several champion UBC volleyball teams as well as for Canada, he also competed on UBC’s track team, winning gold in the shot put, and for UBC’s varsity eights crew. He graduated from UBC with an MBA degree in 1971.

Bobby Koch (Athlete) A UBC hockey star during the late 1940s, Koch led UBC’s ‘49-50 Hall of Fame team to victories over the best of U.S. and Western Canadian university competition. The onetime NHL prospect’s 27 goals in 19 games in ‘49-50 is the second best goals per game average in UBC history. Koch continued to play professional hockey after attaining his degree in Pharmacy at UBC in 1950.

Goveia promoted to head coach UBC athletic director Bob Philip was pleased to announce in mid-January that offensive coordinator Ted Goveia, 35, has been promoted to head coach and GM of the Thunderbirds football program.

Before coming to the Point Grey campus, the former Mt. Allison graduate spent three years under Greg Marshall at McMaster, where he helped the Marauders to a trio of Yates Cups. Goveia, who is the 16th head coach in the history of the program, has also worked away from the field to develop the program, helping to rejuvenate the annual Frank Gnup Coaches’ Classic golf tournament among other things.

UBC finished 4-4 in the 2005 regular season, falling to the second-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West semifinal. All but four players from last season’s roster are eligible to return next season.

“I’m extremely excited to take over the UBC program,” said Goveia, “not only from an on-field perspective but also with regards to connecting to our alumni and the football community and enhancing the position of UBC football in British Columbia and the CIS.”

Melanie Slade (Athlete) A star and captain with UBC field hockey during the 1980s and future UBC assistant coach, Melanie was a three-time CIS championship tournament all-star, leading UBC to the national championship four times.

Melanie was selected both a Canada West allstar and All-Canadian three times. A national team member and ’88 Olympian, she was also twice selected UBC’s outstanding female athlete. winter 2005 | blue+gold | 5

FEATURES

Maya Miguel (far left), Emily Cordonier, Kirby Dow and Shelley Chalmers celebrate a point against Calgary in the 2005 national semifinal.

A SENIOR MOMENT

Graduating five looking to end careers on a high

T

BY MARC WEBER

he best thing about having five star ting seniors, quips UBC women’s volleyball bench boss Doug Reimer, is that it will render game tapes completely useless to opposing coaches when scouting the T-Birds for the 2006-07 season.

The truth is, the best thing about having five star ting seniors is that they could very well render those game tapes, especially ones recorded in March, invaluable – to themselves and their teammates as keepsakes, to the coaching staff as a motivational tool, and perhaps even to the athletic depar tment as footage for a Hall of Fame video a decade or two from now.

6 | blue+gold | winter 2005

PHOTO: RICHARD LAM

“

I think of the friendships we’ve made and of playing for Doug, and how those are things that are going to stay with me forever.

For graduating players Emily Cordonier, Kirby Dow, Danielle Van Huizen, Shelley Chalmers and Maya Miguel, this is a bittersweet time.

Bitter, of course, because it marks the end of a long and wonderful journey together – hours in the gym, in physio, road trips, late-night study sessions, fundraisers, movies, victory, defeat – but undoubtedly more sweet, as the team moves towards its first national championship since 1978.

“I think it’s more sweet because even though it’s coming to an end it’s been a great season and a great five years,” says Van Huizen, who along with Cordonier and Dow entered the program as freshmen.

“Now that it’s at the end, I’m thinking about all these years and all the hours of training and how close we are to the national title. I think of the friendships we’ve made and of playing for Doug, and how those are things that are going to stay with me forever.”

When Van Huizen first set foot on the Point Grey campus she was a lanky project out of Single A Langley Christian, not even strong

Danielle Van Huizen

PHOTO: RICHARD LAM

”

enough to par ticipate in some practice drills. By her third season she was a Canada West all-star, and now, arguably, she’s the best defensive middle blocker in the country.

Her progression is emblematic of the whole group.

Cordonier was a blue chip recruit out of high school but her transformation from a middle blocker to a star ting power hitter for the senior national team in just three-and-a-half years was remarkable.

Dow has become one of the most consistent and versatile players in the CIS, able to play several positions at a high level, while Chalmers, who was a sophomore Douglas College transfer, is quite simply the most gifted and intimidating attacking middle in the nation, and Miguel, who played at Camosun College, has managed to parlay natural talent on the track into volleyball prowess through sheer determination and hard work.

But perhaps more impor tant than their development as athletes has been their development as distinctive personalities and leaders.

No one senior has to carry the leadership burden and each brings a different intangible to the mix when a spark is needed.

Chalmers is the fiery one, showing the way with fearlessness and intensity. “When you go into battle,” says Reimer, “you want to go in with people like Shelley.”

“When I see the fire in her eyes,” Van Huizen echoes, “then I crave it, too. I want to jump on her bandwagon.”

Cordonier is the prototypical captain, leading with her play on the cour t and her presence in the locker room, in time outs, at team functions. Van Huizen sets the tone with her defence and has a quiet confidence about her that is unmatched, while Miguel, with her drive and desire, is inspiration personified, and Dow’s wor th as the glue that holds all these pieces together cannot be quantified.

“I think that’s what makes us great,” says Chalmers. “We don’t have five clones on the cour t. Everybody is so different and brings unique things that make us that much better.”

How much better will be determined at the CIS championship, March 2-4, at the University of Calgary. The T-Birds came up one win shor t of their title dreams last season, falling to a powerful Sherbrooke squad in the final. But now there are five graduating seniors, each a year wiser, a year closer, and there’s a heightened sense of urgency.

“It’s something we’ve been looking forward to ever since the day we finished the national finals,” Cordonier says of another shot at gold.

“It just makes it so much more fun and it means so much more when you’re playing with your best friends and you know that it’s your last run.”

But win or lose, Reimer already knows that this group of five will leave more behind than a banner or a trophy. “We were having a team meeting the other day,” he says, “and [rookie setter] Katie Tyzuk said, ‘I’m just happy to have had the chance to be led by this group of people.’

“That’s their lasting impact. That’s their legacy.”

winter 2005 | blue+gold | 7

Badda Bing, Badda Boom

Opposing pitchers can’t seem to escape UBC hitman Mark Capone

By Steve Ewen

M

ark Capone helps the UBC Thunderbirds win. He also helps the West Division, and they eventually lost in the league semifinals to the local economy along the way, what with the way he undoubtedly Medicine Hat Mavericks. has opposing coaches purchasing aspirin after trips to Nat Bailey “I’d like to hit .400 this year,” Capone said of the UBC season, Stadium. which kicks off Feb. 8 with a visit to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. “That’s

Capone, the T-Birds’ plucky second baseman, is a plain pain when a goal this year.” he has a bat in his hands. He gets around on fastballs, he recognizes And what about the goal of having a bunch more years after this and reacts on breaking stuff, he takes outside year, the goal of signing on with a pro team? pitches the opposite way.

Capone hasn’t ruled that out, but he also He does all of that so well so often that, knows that it’s not easy.

“Do I wonder what heading into his senior year, he already has

The big-league scouts who follow the Tmight be if I was the top two single-season batting averages in Birds already know that the Etobicoke, Ont., 6-foot-2 and 200 T-Bird history, thanks to following up his .364 native can hit for average. Capone will need to performance as a sophomore with an absurdly show that at least one more attribute, like slick pounds? That’s just proficient .390 a campaign ago. fielding, to proceed. His size also works against wishful thinking,”

“There have been plenty of times where him when it comes to projecting him at the pro Mark has hit a tough pitch and I’ll look over level. at the other dugout and the other coach will

McKaig says that he is a hard worker and be throwing his hands up in the air and shaking his head,” UBC bench has tried to improve all facets of his game. For his part, Capone says boss Terry McKaig said of his 5-foot-9, 160-pound lead-off man. that his biggest concern this year is getting UBC to the NAIA World

“I’ll talk to the other coach after the game, and one of the first Series in Lewiston, Idaho for the first time. The T-Birds have come things he’ll say is that they don’t know how to pitch to Mark. Nobody close to qualifying for the tournament before, including last year when has found a way to get him out consistently,” they lost to the Biola Eagles in Super Regional playoffs, the last step

And the frightening thing, at least for those opposing coaches, is before Lewiston. that Capone could be even better this upcoming season. Proving that “Do I wonder what might be if I was 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds? his prowess at the plate isn’t a product of the aluminum bats used in the That’s just wishful thinking,” Capone chuckled. “Nobody has told me NAIA, Capone topped the wood-bat Western Major Baseball League that it’s a size thing. Nobody has given me a reason why [I haven’t been this summer with a .432 average, a mark nearly 30 points ahead of his drafted]. next closest competition.

“I’m not mad about it. Not at all. I enjoy playing the game. And

Capone and his usual UBC keystone combination cohort, making the World Series this year is what would put an exclamation shortstop Davey Wallace, helped the Calgary Dawgs to a 21-16 record mark on everything for me. We’ve got a lot of seniors this year. That’s in the regular season, which was good enough for second spot in the what this year is about for us.”

8 | blue+gold | winter 2005

PHOTO: RICHARD LAM

Getting Her Groove Back

Former Olympian Kelly Stefanyshyn has rediscovered her magic touch in the pool

By Marc Weber

Kelly Stefanyshyn waves to the crowd after recieving her gold medal in the 100m backstroke at the ‘99 Pan Am games in Winnipeg.

T

he butterfly is a powerful symbol for transformation. It reminds us that we can reinvent ourselves, spread our wings and reach greater heights. For Kelly Stefanyshyn, the butterfly – the stroke, not the insect – represented all these things.

For as long as she could remember, the backstroke had been her thing. It had launched her into the spotlight with two Canadian records at the 1998 Maritime Life Nationals – one that had stood since 1978, the oldest in the books. It had elevated her to a silvermedal finish at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and to the top of the podium at the ‘99 Pan American Games, again in record time.

It had lifted her to the top of the World Cup circuit, and it had earned her a trip to the 2000 Sydney Olympics and a spot in the 200-metre and medley relay finals there.

But sitting with coach Tom Johnson in the spring of 2004, she couldn’t bare to think about it anymore. “Every time I would sit and think about backstroke, I would literally feel tired – my arms and legs would feel tired,” says Stefanyshyn, now back on the Point Grey campus for her fifth season of varsity swimming and final year of her human kinetics degree. “I thought I was done, I thought I’d had enough.

I wasn’t swimming fast and I wasn’t sure I could ever get back to that level. I wasn’t even sure if I was motivated enough to try.”

Not much had gone right for the Winnipeg native in the years since Sydney. In 2001 she had a freak weight training accident, falling off a bench and breaking her right wrist – an event she has to backup by saying,

“yup, that actually happened.” That fall also caused inflammation in her ribs, which brought on intense chest pains a few months later. Shoulder problems followed a year after that, leaving her, by 2003, a shadow of the rising swimmer who once hoped to follow in the footsteps of her childhood idol Mark Tewksbury.

“I was in total shock. I thought maybe the timer stepped on the touch pad. I had to ask, ‘Did I really just do that?’”

Now, swimming backstroke felt like a burden, it felt stale. And the harder she tried, the slower she went. Lots of swimmers peak as teenagers only to burn out by their early 20s.

Perhaps she was one of them.

“I think I was more leaning towards packing it in,” Stefanyshyn says of her meeting with Johnson, “and he was trying to find a way to keep me involved. It was either quit or try another stroke.”

Johnson won the battle and the butterfly experiment began. Right away, she knew it was enough to keep her around for at least a little while longer. “That day changed everything,” Stefanyshyn says. “I went home on a high and

I was excited to try something different. It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”

The metamorphosis wouldn’t last forever, though. She focused on the butterfly for Olympic Trials that year – actually winning silver in the 100 but missing the standard – and she continued with the stroke through the summer and into the start of her exchange at the University of Western Australia in Perth, where she had decided to go almost a year before.

The trip Down Under was the next step in her long climb back to the top.

There she was in a new environment with new swimmers, new coaches and a new training regimen. It piqued her interest a little more, enough to keep her going for another few months.

“I used to feel obligated to swim but then I felt like I didn’t have to do it,” says Stefanyshyn. “I just wanted to take it a few months at a time and enjoy myself, and I started getting better.”

Just how much better was revealed at the world championship trials in Montreal in the spring of 2005, and no one was more surprised than Stefanyshyn.

First came the 100 fly and 100 back, both good showings but not good enough to make the team. Then something strange occurred in the 200 back, not the event she had been training for. After the race she would say, “My only explanation for what happened tonight is that racing it again felt new and fresh for me.”

She came out strong and things just started to click. At 150 metres she expected to hit a wall, but it didn’t happen. She didn’t fade. Then, two minutes and 14.36 seconds after she launched herself off the blocks, she qualified for the national team again, in an event she had set a Canadian record in six years before.

“I was in total shock. I thought maybe the timer stepped on the touch pad,” she chuckles.

“I had to ask, ‘Did I really just do that?”

She did.

And, after a decent showing at the worlds, she did it again at the Commonwealth Games trials in November, dropping down to 2:13.67 in the 200 back and 1:02.91 in the 100, not too far off those lofty times from the ’99 Pan Am Games and good enough to book her a ticket to Melbourne.

If there are two basic paths to success, an easy one and a hard one, then Stefanyshyn had now travelled them both. cont’d on page 10

PHOTO: CP/TOM HANSON

winter 2005 | blue+gold | 9

“When I was 16, I just did it,” she says of her early success. “I couldn’t explain why, and I always knew I would do it. But you go down that road where you can’t do it anymore and you appreciate what it actually takes. You appreciate it more when you know how hard it is to get there.”

It was the backstroke that brought Kelly Stefanyshyn to the forefront of Canadian swimming almost eight years ago, and it’s the backstroke that has put her back on the map today. But it was the butterfly that allowed her to reinvent herself.

BeforetheCommonwealthGamesinMelbourne this March, Stefanyshyn has some unfinished varsity business to take care of: leading the Thunderbirds to an unprecedented ninth straight CIS title in late February at Laval. In the process, Stefanyshyn, who holds four CIS records and has won 25 medals, will have a great chance at passing both Sarah Evanetz (28) and Jessica Deglau (29) for top spot on the all-time UBC medal list. Fellow Olympians Brian Johns andScottDickensleadthemen’steamintoaction – also in seach of their ninth consecutive banner – and several CIS records are expected to fall.

Former Thunderbird a Hero in Germany From 1992 through 1995 UBC quarterback Adrian Rainbow was a record-setting passer with the Thunderbirds but what might be interesting to local football fans is that for the past ten years he has been a star with the Braunschweig Lions of the German Football League (www.braunschweig-lions. de). The personable Kelowna native, who still holds seven UBC individual passing records, has emerged the focus of the Lions’ internationally active team fan club. The German fans love their football and they love their quarterback. The passionate leaders of the fan club (www.lionhearts.de) Holger and Heidemarie Fricke of Helmstedt Germany, can’t say enough about Rainbow: “Adrian is one special guy who has a lot of friends and much sympathy from the fans. He is a great leader for the team and a smart and nice guy. With Adrian, we win four German national titles and two European titles since 1997, so you can not imagine what will be with the team when Adrian quits.”

As Adrian heads into April, likely his final year as

10 | blue+gold | winter 2005

a player, he has not only made a name for himself in German football but has the ringing endorsement of his devoted fans, the Frickes.

“The fans are unbelievable,” says Rainbow, who played in front of 33,000 in the ‘99 German Bowl.

“They are absolutely crazy about football and our team.They bring to the games a fervour that’s similar to that of college football in America. It makes for a great atmosphere. What I like more than anything is that the fan clubs always stick by the team, regardless of whether we win or lose. For them it’s more than that, it’s a hobby by which they are connected to us. I know that all the players appreciate them.”

It can also be said that Rainbow is one of only three former Thunderbirds to quarterback a professional football team. Ted Duncan with Calgary in 1957 and 1958 and Shawn Olsen in Austria, 2002 to 2005 were the others but with Rainbow being especially vital in that he has led his team to two continental championships and to his adoring fans is seen as a “hero.” — Fred Hume

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

1920

CHRONICLES

by Fred Hume

“Since Christmas Day, 1920, days have run into weeks and weeks How then, did UBC knock off this giant? It was not just that they into months, and the notable victory of UBC over Stanford on the stepped on to the field prepared to play the game of their lives. It was, rugby field remains in the minds of many … our victory on Christmas as the Totem put it, “the backing and intense desire to win burning in Day is well worthy of a place on the scroll of fame and ranks as a the breast” of every one of the over 800 students filling Brockton Oval.

“We couldn’t lose, glancing toward the packed stands, resplendent in precedent for future teams to emulate.”

These words, written in the 1921 UBC Totem Annual, describe the dearly loved Blue and Gold … a strange thrill of power and a surge the one athletic event that could be considered the most important of wild joy … UBC could not go down to defeat that day.”

Apparently that intangible something called spirit materialized in UBC’s history, not only to UBC athletics, but the school itself. for UBC on this occasion.

Nineteen-twenty was this university’s UBC coach Art Lord had his heroes sixth year of operation. UBC was about the With the last shrill blast, of the day – Lou Hunter, Val Gwyther, size of a high school, with 1000 students Geh Ternan and Buck Buchanan – but it and crude facilities. UBC borrowed the Varsity rooters went was the team of UBC that outplayed its another school’s gym and conducted many crazy and swarmed out over heavier Stanford opponents. A 12-0 victory of its outdoor sports at Stanley Park’s the field … round the track before a record rugby crowd – frenzied fans Brockton Oval. School spirit and identity went the joyous, madly witnessing what many thought to be the were definitely in their formative years, happy mob of students. impossible, who at game’s end erupted. with sports taking a major role as a catalyst “With the last shrill blast, the Varsity in the enhancement of these special school rooters went crazy and swarmed out over qualities.

The second annual rugby match with highly-touted Stanford the field … round the track went the joyous, madly happy mob University was looked upon as the highlight sporting event of the year. of students. Staid professors vied with the newest freshman in wild The international nature of this game gave this particular contest a outburst,” reported the Totem on this crisp Christmas Day.

Even the Vancouver Sun got caught up in this magic moment special air of excitement.

Stanford came into town with a formidable reputation. They were stating “…hundreds of fans and UBC students swarmed upon the field not only unbeaten but nine of their players had been selected to play lifting the players high above the throng, staged serpentine parades and for the 1920 U.S. Olympic rugby team – the team that won gold! The danced and sang to a whisper. It was absolutely wonderful!”

In these, the early days of UBC, the victory gave the school Cardinal Red from the Bay area represented a large, well-established university with athletes of a brilliant caliber, facing a very small school something to be proud of – the start of a tradition. It no longer doubted itself. In those two 45 minute halves, the students learned about who, although B.C. champions, were of a relative unknown quality.

At Brockton, UBC fans and “yell kings” would be in fine form, morale, esprit de corps, and college spirit, qualities without which a “…equipped with noise producing devices of every description.”There university exists in name alone.

“As the December evening closed in,” the Totem continued, “the would be students bedecked in the Blue and Gold with ribbons and streamers flowing in the breeze as“…never before was so much interest happy crowd wended its way homeward, secure in the knowledge of a and attention aroused in the student body.” The betting however, was University which had won a game, won a spirit, and found herself.” heavily in favor of the Californians.

PHOTO: UBC ARCHIVES

winter 2005 | blue+gold | 11

DEVELOPMENTS CN Desert Classic goes Feb. 27 Thanks to CN Rail’s Chairman of the Board David McLean and Harmony Airways CEO Gary Collins, the inaugural CN Deser t Classic will take to the course at Deser t Willows Golf course in Palm Deser t, California on Monday February 27th.

A longtime suppor ter of UBC Athletics and university spor t, CN Rail has taken on title sponsorship of the event, while Harmony Airways is providing discounted flights on their direct route from Vancouver to Palm Springs.

The fundraising component of the event will benefit UBC’s men’s and women’s golf teams, both currently ranked in the top 15 of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Looking for a last minute golfing holiday to the sunny south? Contact Mar ty Zlotnik at mar tyz@zlc.com.

Thunderbird supporters endowing future scholars No less than six separate endowment funds have been established in the past five months, with eight teams to benefit from donor generosity.

A commitment by the Thunderbird Football Association will see the TFA Endowment fund grow to more than $600,000 over the next three years. Led by an anonymous gift of $100,000, the endowment will raise scholarship dollars for the program as it builds on back-to-back playoff seasons.

Men’s volleyball is the recipient of a gift that will launch the Dale Ohman endowment fund. The former coach of the Thunderbirds is excited to give back to the program that he played with and coached for more than 25 seasons.

Ian Rober tson has established an endowment fund for eight-time national champion UBC swimming programs.

Rober tson, who swam for the ‘Birds in the ‘80s also organized an alumni event in October that saw close to 100 former swimmers join the team for the Thunderbird Cup event.

The family and friends of Kiran Van Rijn have star ted an endowment for rowing in his memory. Kiran, a former Thunderbird and avid competitive rower, was tragically taken from us at the young age of 29. He will be remembered as a great rower and a great friend to those who had the pleasure of 12 | blue+gold | winter 2005

The UBC women’s basketball team shares a moment with some of their Cuban counterparts during a December tour that involved as much culture as court time.

knowing him.

The Thunderbird debating team will also have an endowment fund in its name thanks to a generous gift from UBC alum Bob McGavin. The former four-spor t athlete – football, track, weightlifting and rugby – has established the Bob McGavin Thunderbird Debating Endowment to suppor t the activities of UBC newest varsity team.

A commitment from Lynda Hamilton will see the Julie Hamilton Women’s Ice Hockey Award double in size over the next few years.

The team continues to attract some of the best players from B.C. to come to UBC in one of the fastest growing women’s spor ts.

Rowing alumni Beats the Beast Several UBC rowing alumni gathered at St. Georges School to compete in the first annual Beat the Beast - Corporate Indoor Rowing Challenge. Crew members from the ‘60s, Roy McIntosh and Daryl Sturdy, and ‘70s, David Dunnison, John Gjervan, Ar t Grant and Rob Har tvikson, along with Princeton grad Lewis Lukens (US Consul in Vancouver) combined forces and won a tightly contested event.

Teams of five to seven rowers entered and each team member rowed a 1000m race on a Concept II rowing ergometer. Times

were handicapped for age, and the top five times for each team counted. When the calculations were all in the top three teams were separated by less than 20 seconds.

The rowing alumni have become reacquainted through the fundraising and construction of the John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse, a facility that the UBC rowing crews will move into later this year.

Women’s Basketball Cuba Trip The women’s basketball team spent a week of their winter break training in Havana, Cuba through the Canada-Cuba Spor ts Organization. The trip consisted of four exhibition games against a local Cuban club team and the T-Birds won three out of four.

Not only was the trip valuable athletically, the team also gained invaluable social and cultural experiences. With tours of Old Town Havana, dining at authentic restaurants, salsa dancing socials with the local Cuban team, and a community service project, the Thunderbirds enjoy an experience of a lifetime. This trip became a reality because of the numerous donations made to women’s basketball through the Adopt a T-Bird program. From coach Deb Huband and the team, “Thank you to all who made this trip possible.”

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Adopt a T-Bird tops $50,000 In its inaugural year, the Adopt a T-Bird program has been a tremendous success. Thanks to the generosity and suppor t of more than 80 donors, money has been raised to help cover student-athlete costs such as travel, meals and equipment. Approximately $52,000 has been raised since fall and we anticipate growing this program even fur ther before the end of the spring term. Thank you again to those who have par ticipated thus far and we hope you will consider Adopting a T-Bird in future years.

For more information, please visit the Development link at www.gothunderbirds.ca or contact Theresa Jantzen at (604) 822-6183.

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

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