CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — For 50 years, student-athletes have given up many weekends and evenings to represent UPEI on the turf, ice and hardwood.
They have played through pain and worked around the clock to get their schoolwork done in order to play games.
They have achieved greatness in their sports and brought pride to the university.
Forty-seven players, coaches, builders and teams have received the highest recognition. They were celebrated and welcomed to the UPEI Sports Hall of Fame, but there was no actual Hall where that history lived on until now.
Each member now has their photo and citation etched on black granite along the wall of the walking track in the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre.
“One of the most important things you do is recognize the past – to recognize the history,” said athletics director Chris Huggan. “There’s an extensive amount of excellence that’s happened on this campus as UPEI, Saint Dunstan’s and Prince of Wales. And if you don't look back and recognize what has happened, it’s a disservice to those who have invested so much.
“But it’s also inspirational for the current student-athletes and our future athletes to say, ‘Wow, look at what they did’.”
The Hall includes a who’s who of the Panthers’ past. It includes people who continued playing their sport after university and those who became doctors, lawyers, educators and other professionals.
Many remained connected with the university and some worked for the athletics department.
Glen Miller is the Panthers women’s soccer coach but during the mid-1990s he was an elite soccer player who was named an all-Canadian four times. He was inducted into the Hall in 2010.
Miller thought of his teammates and coaches – Bruce Norton, Dave Snowie and Lewis Page – when asked what it meant to be part of the permanent display.
“For me, it was always an honour and a privilege being a Panther,” he said.
Miller said he never thought about awards during his playing days and always just wanted to be the best team player he could be.
“A lot of my teammates that weren’t named all-stars were excellent, and they were all-stars in my opinion.”
While the first plaques went up in the spring, the Hall won’t be officially launched until Thursday when the Class of 2019 is inducted bringing the membership to 50 in the university’s 50th year.
The university is also updating the history boards by the squash courts and will have its 2018-19 athletes of distinction life-size portraits in place by Friday. There will be a section on the walking track where UPEI athletes of distinction through the years will be recognized and another area for all of the Panthers championship teams and individuals.
Related links:
• UPEI Sports Hall of Fame website
UPEI Sports Hall of Fame
History – The Hall was founded in 2001 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the athletic programs at UPEI, Saint Dunstan’s University (SDU) or Prince of Wales College.
Class of 2019 – Tessa Roche, soccer and hockey; Vernon Pahl, football; and the 1984-84 men’s hockey team. It will bring the list of inductees to 50 in the university’s 50th year.
Previous inductees:
2001 – 1946-47 SDU men’s hockey team, Jack Reardon, Mac Beck, Paula Edwards and Peter Gordon.
2002 – Dr. Vincent Grant, Jim Foley, Mike Kelly, 1988-89 women’s basketball team, A.J. MacAdam and Alan Spink.
2003 – 1943-46 Prince of Wales hockey line of Clayton (Nick) Nicolle, Wilmont Robertson and Elmer Blanchard, 1964-65 SDU men’s hockey team, Dave (Hermie) MacNeill, Glenn Smiley and Tracy MacEachern.
2004 – 1952 SDU men’s rugby team, Debbie White-Lamont, Ed Hilton, Gil Collins and Wilfred MacDonald.
2005 – 1983 men’s soccer team, Dr. Brian Chandler, Dave Shellington, Libby O’Brien and Mike Lyriotokis.
2006 – Dr. Frank Garrity, Dr. Kathie McNally and Richard Little.
2008 – Dr. William (Bill) Stanish, Janet Rogers, 1985-86 men’s basketball team and Dick Tingley.
2010 – Glen Miller and Tracy McGee.
2011 – Curtis Robinson.
2012 – Hubert (Sock) MacDonald and Jennifer Moore.
2017 – John (Jack) Hurry Kane, Jack Kane Jr., William (Billy) MacMillan, Vince Mulligan, Barb Mullaly, Alanna Taylor and George Morrison.
2018 – Amy Connolly and Ryan Anstey.
