Athletics at the U

Pronghorn duo to represent Canada

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:19:22 -0700

Ryan Pottruff and Dustin Moore came to the University of Lethbridge for a quality education and to continue their hockey careers. Getting an opportunity to travel to China and represent their country — that’s just an added bonus.

The Pronghorn duo will join the Canada West all-star squad that’s slated to compete in the 2009 Winter Universiade in Harbin, China, Feb. 18-28, providing another highlight in what has been a turnaround season for the men’s hockey program.

“I can’t even describe how excited I am,” Moore, a right wing out of Red Deer, Alta., says. “When (coach Greg Gatto) told me, it didn’t even set in until about two days later, and I couldn’t sleep at night. The opportunity to go and put on a Canadian jersey all the way over in China is going to be an unbelievable experience.”

It will be the first time either player has laced up for Canada, something that evokes a unique feeling of national pride.

“I’m really looking forward to experiencing what it’s like to go play overseas,” Pottruff, a defenceman out of Woodstock, Ont., says. “It’ll be amazing to see China and feel what it’s like to put on the red maple leaf and play for your country.”

The two arrived on campus just over a year ago with similar backgrounds. Each came to the Pronghorns after concluding junior hockey careers (Pottruff with London and Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League and Moore with Red Deer of the Western Hockey League) and each had a brief look at the pro game. While Moore seems more interested in taking another crack at professional hockey, Pottruff has already mapped out a career plan away from the rink.

“I had a pro experience and it wasn’t really what I wanted to do at the time,” he says of a playoff stint with the Central Hockey League’s Corpus Christi IceRays in 2007. “Right now, all I have my mind set on is getting my degree and becoming a high school gym teacher.”

While he wouldn’t rule out looking at a professional opportunity following the completion of his degree, Pottruff is squarely focused on life after hockey.

“You’ve got to know when it’s time to shut it down, and I’m not going to waste away in the East Coast league or somewhere else. I’m here to get my degree first,” he says.

Moore, in his first year of pre-management studies, would like to see his university hockey career dovetail into a pro contract overseas. To that end, playing for Canada on the world stage could be a springboard.

Coach Gatto, a member of the Pronghorns 1994-95 CIS national championship squad, did just that when he wrapped up his university career. He played two-plus seasons of professional hockey in Britain, then another four seasons of minor pro in the United States, all of which came on the heels of his appearance in the 1997 Winter Universiade in South Korea.

“For me, it was something I’d never thought of, going on a trip or holiday to Korea and I’m sure they are thinking the same way, now they get to go to China and that’s a cultural experience they otherwise never would have had,” Gatto says.

“It’s also a good opportunity to open some eyes to go play in Europe when they’re done.”

Canada is coming off a gold medal victory at the 2007 Universiade in Torino, Italy as a group of players from the Atlantic University Sport conference took the title. Moore likes the challenge of defending the crown.

“You expect to win a championship every time you put on a Canadian jersey,” he says.

GET THE FACTS

• Moore is sixth in Canada West scoring with 17 points in 16 games

• Pottruff is tied for second in Canada West defenceman scoring with 12 points in 16 games

• Canada West, Atlantic University and Ontario University conferences rotate sending players to Universiade, meaning a conference only represents Canada once every six years

• University of Alberta leads all Canada West schools with seven players on the Canadian squad

• Gatto’s 1997 Universiade team won bronze for Canada in Chonju, South Korea

Scandinavian tour an eye opener for Horns

trevor.kenney — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:43:27 -0600

Scandinavia Tour 2011 – call it an applied study course for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s soccer program.

The Horns just recently returned from a 10-day trip through Denmark and Sweden, an invaluable experience of exhibition matches, training opportunities and sight-seeing trips that they expect will reap dividends once the ball is again kicked closer to home this fall.

“It was phenomenal,” says Horns head coach Ilsa Wong. “We had the opportunity to see some top level professional women’s soccer in Sweden, and for our girls to watch that level of play, I think it was a real wow moment for them. It was great for me to see their response to that incredible level of soccer.”

The tour offered the Horns three exhibition matches. They won the first, 5-1, over a 2nd division Swedish professional team, and lost the next two, including a 6-0 shutout at the hands of the Danish national U18 champions and a 3-1 decision to a Danish professional team’s scout squad.

“It was a much better experience than the tour we had three years ago in England,” says Wong. “It was a good level of soccer for them and nothing really outside of the level they’d participate in here in Canada. They were definitely challenged, especially against the youth squad. It’s funny, to see them
before the game, they are just these skinny little blond girls and then they get on the field and all of a sudden they are these tough, fast amazing players. It was a very good experience.”

That, in essence, was the goal of the trip, to give the Horns an experience they couldn’t find here in Canada. It opened their minds to new ideas and new possibilities.

“It was quite eye opening to see the way they coach versus the way we’re coached here,” says Horns captain Kathy Curtis, who also took part in the English tour. “Then playing against the junior national team, some of them were 14 years old and they were so good. It was really neat to see that level of play in such a young team. These girls probably could have taken down any team in CIS.”

Wong says that many of the girls came away with a new appreciation for their sport, and it raises the bar on their expectation level for what can be achieved.

“Seeing how other countries play your sport and the passion they have for it is invaluable,” she says. “I think sometimes we can get complacent in thinking that post-secondary sport is something you just do as an activity. If we can show some of these student athletes that it’s a way of life for some people, it raises the standard for them.”

The Horns planned and fundraised for the excursion for the last two-plus years. They served as bleacher cleaners at Pronghorns home basketball games, provided the labour for the Books on Beds program offered by the University Bookstore, sold scarves, ran booster club events and participated in Operation Red Nose.

For Curtis, a defender, she says the experience pushed her to a new level and she could see the rest of the team raise its play simply by virtue of trying to keep up to the competition.

“Playing the whole 90 minutes against a team the calibre of the junior national team really pushes you, but that’s good. I always find my best games are when you’re playing the best teams. I could see in the rest of the girls, that was like a light bulb that went off.”

The only downside to the trip is that it couldn’t be scheduled before the start of the Canada West season.

“We’d really love to bring a lot of that back and use it for next year but it’s hard because now we have a break and we’re not back again until the fall,” says Curtis. “It’d be nice to go on that trip in July, get that experience and then go right into the season.”

GET THE FACTS

• The tour took the club through Copenhagen and Kolding in Denmark, as well as Malmo, Sweden. The team visited castles and was able to dip their toes in the water at the Skagen Odde, where the Kattegat and the Skagerak seas meet.

• The Horns were able to train at the FCN Academy in Copenhagen. The professional men’s team boasts Canadian star Patrice Bernier.

• Wong says the program offers an international trip every three years, something that serves as a strong recruiting tool. “The fact we do it every three years means players will get an opportunity to participate at least once if not more, and in a way it sort of shows them where some of their fundraising dollars go.”

• A total of 26 people were on the trip, including some parents. Soon, they will begin planning their next excursion in 2014.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Horns hand out year-end hardware

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:55:51 -0600

Pronghorns Athletics celebrated with its annual Blue and Gold Awards Banquet recently, announcing its Male and Female Athletes of the Year, President’s Award winner, Team Academic Award, as well as the respective most valuable players for each program.

Male Athlete of the Year
Andrew Courtney (men’s hockey)

Over his five seasons with the Pronghorns, Andrew Courtney not only excelled on the ice, but he was active in the community, embracing the true spirit of what it means to be a Pronghorns athlete.

He was known throughout the program as the first to support other Horns teams and is actively involved in the local community with the Boys and Girls Club. Courtney also planned and executed the highly successful Movember campaign that raised over $10,000 for prostate cancer research.

On the ice, Courtney returned from a serious knee injury to finish fourth in the conference in goal scoring, leading the Horns with 14 goals. He was also 13th in the Canada West in total scoring with 23 points, despite missing all of the pre-season and the first two weeks of conference action.

Courtney finished his Pronghorn career with 43 goals and 26 assists in 97 conference games.

Female Athlete of the Year
Heather Steacy (women’s track)

Throughout her Pronghorns career, Heather Steacy has become synonymous with outstanding performances. This past season she raised her performance to an unprecedented level.

Steacy opened the season by reaching a monumental mark, becoming the first woman in Canadian Interuniversity Sport history to eclipse the 20-metre mark in the weight throw with a toss of 20.28 metres at the Bison Open in Winnipeg. She followed that performance with her fourth Canada West gold medal victory, setting a new conference record of 19.82 metres in the process. Steacy was also recognized with the Outstanding Female Performance of the Meet.

Steacy completed her season by then winning silver at the CIS Championship meet in Sherbrooke, Que., her fourth medal in as many trips to the national meet.

President’s Award

Emily Brown of the women’s track & field team earned the President’s Award, which rewards the student athlete with the highest academic standing at the University of Lethbridge. Brown achieved a GPA of 3.92, while balancing her academic and athletic commitments.

Team Academic Award

The Horns women’s basketball team received the Team Academic Award for accumulating a combined GPA of 3.32.

Following are team most valuable players, as voted by their fellow team members.

Men’s Soccer – Steve Brown
Women’s Soccer – Kathy Curtis
Men’s Hockey – Winston Day Chief and Andrew Courtney
Women’s Hockey – Shelby Ballendine
Men’s Basketball – Randy Davis
Women’s Basketball – Becky Heninger
Men’s Track – Kyle Murray
Women’s Track – Heather Steacy
Women’s Rugby – Kelsey Willoughby
Men’s Swimming – Jeff Nicol
Women’s Swimming – Jessica Kelly

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

1971 Chinooks get their due

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:43:05 -0600

Long before the Pronghorns men’s hockey team skated away with a national title on Maple Leaf Gardens ice, another group of young athletes brought glory to the University of Lethbridge.

The 1971 U of L Chinooks women’s basketball team won the institution’s first national crown, the Canadian Junior Women’s Basketball Championship, 23 years before Mike Babcock and company claimed the school’s second. It was a monumental achievement that went relatively unnoticed, both then and over the ensuing years.

Only now are we beginning to realize just what this motivated group of small-town overachievers accomplished and fittingly, their induction into the Pronghorns Hall of Fame is finally shining a spotlight on their legacy.

“The very best fans we had were the janitors at the Civic Centre,” laughs Joan Langille (Cannady) (BASc, BA ’73). “We didn’t have a lot of people come to our games. What really struck us though, was when we arrived back in Lethbridge from winning the championship, the only people at the airport to greet us were the boyfriends, the parents and the janitors; they supported us right to the end.”

With a roster stocked by southern Alberta products, the Chinooks proved that small could play big if given the opportunity.

“Basketball was a comfort zone for many of us from the smaller communities,” says Langille, a Taber native. “Those of us from high school, it seemed pretty daunting to make a university team but we managed.”

Linda Joncas (Dogterom) (BEd ’72) grew up in Broxburn, went to McNally School as a youngster and then finished high school at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. The majority of the rest of the team came from the Coaldale area and the powerful Kate Andrews program.

“It was really neat because we all kind of knew each other growing up, either playing with or against one another and then we reunited once we got to university,” says Joncas.

“For me, it was a struggle to go to school. I ended up being in a single parent home after my parents divorced, and I had to get student loans and an academic scholarship to get me through. Basketball and the team meant so much to me, it really helped me through what was a tough time for my family.”

Langille and Joncas were co-captains of the Chinooks in 1971, both playing out their final years before graduation. Each used their U of L degrees to carve out satisfying careers, Langille as a longtime provincial government employee and Joncas as a teacher and guidance counsellor. They both laud the personal learning environment the University offered.

“There’s really something to be said for small schools and it was exciting to be a small school playing against the big universities. In terms of education, it was also such a great experience and years after, I would recognize that both in my career and when I would see other U of L graduates applying for positions in the provincial government,” says Langille. “More often than not, they were very successful.”

Joncas says she is an unabashed supporter of the U of L experience, and was for years in her role as a high school guidance counsellor.

“I remember coming back to the University 10 years after I’d graduated and as I was walking down the hall, somebody called my name and it was Dr. Petherbridge and he remembered me,” she says. “That was very significant to me, 10 years after this man still knew who I was. There’s a real student-centred focus at the U of L and in my experience, there’s nothing much that compares.”

That the University has now recognized the Chinooks for their significant contribution to the school’s sporting history, brings the team back into the fold.

“We’re very appreciative, honoured and in a way humbled,” says Joncas. “You don’t realize at the time that it was a big deal. We were all young and it was fun and it was a “Wow, we did it” feeling, but in terms of the bigger perspective, I don’t think we really understood the way we do now.”

The only regret the two have is that their coach, the late Wilma Winter, is not around to reconnect with her team and enjoy the long overdue accolades they are receiving.

“It just breaks my heart actually,” says Joncas before pausing to gain her composure. “She should have been here because she was some lady. She would have loved to be honoured, she would have loved it from a coaching perspective and been proud that her institution recognized her girls.”

GET THE FACTS

• The Chinooks only adopted the Pronghorns name in the fall of 1971 when the campus moved to its westside location.

• They very nearly won consecutive national titles, losing in the championship game the year before when Lethbridge hosted the event.

• The Chinooks won the 1971 provincial title with a 66-29 rout of Red Deer College and a 71-25 blowout of Mount Royal College.

• In the national championship tournament, hosted by UBC in Vancouver’s War Memorial Gymnasium, the Chinooks beat UBC 46-45, topped University of Ottawa 70-59, and then won the national title with a 52-40 decision over University of Victoria.

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Lux Bucks a win-win idea

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:24:33 -0600

Pronghorns Athletics has come up with an initiative that not only serves to boost student-athlete scholarship opportunities but your pocketbook as well.

Lux Bucks debuted this month and for $5, any and all supporters of Horns Athletics have the opportunity to take part in a 50/50 draw that creates a win-win situation.

“These things have been going on at various businesses in town for a number of years,” says Sandy Slavin, executive director, Sport and Recreation Services. “Ilsa Wong, our women’s soccer coach, brought the idea forward and it took us a while to get the approvals set up, both here and with Alberta gaming, but now we’re ready to go.”

The concept is simple. Each month, persons are able to purchase $5 Lux Bucks tickets, either through a cash sale or by payroll deduction if they are a University employee. At the end of the month a draw is made with half the pot going to the winner and the other half to Horns Athletics.

“Our athletes cross all faculties, and it’s a way for everyone on campus to get involved with, be a part of and support all the athletes in their various activities,” says Slavin.

So how big do they expect the prizes to reach?

“What we’re hearing is that one of the more established local draws is sometimes paying the winners greater than $2,000 a month,” says Slavin. “We would love to be able to get the winning pot up to that level eventually but we’ll wait and see how it goes. We’ve had very good response so far from the administrative staff and we’ll keep pushing it out there.”

The first draw will be held May 10, with all those who purchased tickets by Apr. 8 eligible to win. Tickets can be purchased at any time through the Horns Athletics office (PE209) or you can go online (www.uleth.ca/horns) to set up payroll deduction and be entered in the draw every month.

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Horns benefit from Langevin's stature

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:39:13 -0600

The University of Lethbridge boasts some of the country’s most distinguished researchers, professors who bring worldly knowledge to their classrooms on a daily basis.

The quality of the U of L experience doesn’t end in the classroom however, as the campus is also home to one of the most accomplished coaches the country has to offer in women’s rugby boss Neil Langevin (BA/BEd ’91, MEd ’10). The former head coach of Canada’s National Senior Women’s Rugby Team has been away from the national program for five years but Rugby Canada saw fit to make him an offer he couldn’t refuse recently, and Langevin is once again back in the fold.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to get back involved at the national level but not at the commitment level that I had been involved with the senior team,” says Langevin, who will take over the women’s U20 program for what he describes as an open-ended tenure. At the very least, he is committed to working with the program through five regional evaluation camps this spring and summer and leading the squad when it participates in a summer international tournament in California.

“Helping identify and develop potential national senior players and potential Olympians is exciting,” says Langevin. “The prospect of an international tournament this summer and the opportunity to work with potential Olympic sevens athletes was too much to turn down.”

Sevens rugby is being added to the 2016 Olympic schedule and Rugby Canada wanted experienced coaches working with its junior players in preparation for their graduation to the senior level.

Langevin’s credentials are unparalleled. The only head coach in Pronghorns women’s rugby history, he has led the Horns to five consecutive Canada West titles and won three consecutive CIS championships from 2007 to 2009. It’s no accident that elite players seek out the University of Lethbridge and the opportunity to play for Langevin. To that end, he says the Horns are restocked and ready to take another run at a national title in the fall, after failing to medal at last year’s CIS championship tournament.

“We’ve been really active in terms of recruiting,” says Langevin. “I think we’ve got about 10 players confirmed for next year already, including some pretty high profile locals who are with the junior national program.”

And while last year’s squad fell short of extending the program’s national title run, he was quick to point to how close his injury-depleted squad came to defending its three straight crowns.

“To be really honest, we were only seven points and two minutes away from going to the final with a very beat up team,” he says, referring to a tight semifinal loss to Concordia Stingers. “Knowing that and the incoming recruiting class, I’m pretty confident in saying this team will be competitive for the next five years.”

It has been a good offseason for Horns rugby on the whole. In addition to Langevin’s appointment and a strong recruiting class, two more Horns were named to senior national teams. Both Kelsey Willoughby and Brittany Orr earned senior national team appointments with the Canadian Sevens squad, joining erstwhile national team member and former Pronghorn Ashley Patzer.

“We’re really proud of those athletes,” says Langevin. “The number is six now that have gone on to the senior national program over the years, either in the sevens or the 15s, and I think it’s a testament to the girls who come into our program and take to the environment we have in training.”

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Bach excels with scientific approach

trevor.kenney — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:22:30 -0600

Megan Bach understands she has an opportunity to make a difference, whether it is on the ice as a member of the Pronghorns women’s hockey team, or in the classroom as a 4.0 student aspiring to medical school and a future in neurology. It’s probably why she’s so mindful of the people who made a difference in her life, and is so willing to give back to the community in their honour.

Bach was named the Canada West women’s hockey top student-athlete following the conclusion of the 2010-2011 season. It’s an award that comes as no surprise to her coach and is testament to Bach’s attitude.

“Megan brings excitement and hard work to whatever she puts her mind to,” says Pronghorns head coach Chandy Kaip. “She goes above and beyond her coaches’ and professors’ expectations as a student-athlete. She fits the mold of the ideal student-athlete.”

The Champion, Alta. product is in her fourth year of studies at the
U of L, majoring in biochemistry. A fan of the sciences all through high school, Bach was keen on a future as an optometrist. That was until an introductory neuroscience class got her hooked on the brain.

“I really enjoy learning about the brain, it fascinates me,” she says. “Learning about the different diseases and how damage to different parts of the brain results in different behaviours really intrigues me.”

Bach came to the U of L intent on being a student first. She only decided to try and further her hockey career after she left high school and realized she still longed to play the game. In typical fashion, she won a spot with the Horns by displaying her work ethic.

“I’ve always been a defensive forward, I’m not much of a goal scorer but I enjoy the penalty kill, it’s simple to me,” she says. “The penalty kill makes sense and I just work hard to get the job done.”

It sounds familiar to the approach she takes to her schoolwork, an attitude learned from her parents.

“Starting at a young age, they taught me how important school was and to have a good work ethic,” says Bach. “It just became habit for me, and it turned into a case where I really enjoyed pushing myself to do the best I possibly could.”

It’s not always easy to excel in the classroom with the demands of playing a varsity sport chewing up your time but Bach actually finds it easier to get her schoolwork done during the busy Canada West season.

“Time management is the key, and any time I’m away from the rink, I’m doing homework and studying for exams. It’s tough but I know that’s what I want to do so I’m able to buckle down and focus on it,” she says. “It’s funny once hockey is done, I have so much more time, I need to try and change gears and manage my time differently. It can be difficult getting into a routine.”

Despite the demands on her time, Bach still finds a way to lend her hand in a volunteer capacity. She’s especially thankful to a power-skating coach who helped her improve her skills. Ironically, it is U of L Health Sciences professor, Dr. Claudia Steinke, who Bach now assists in running skating sessions for aspiring young players.

“She makes everyone of her students feel special and it’s the little things that make a world of difference in a person’s life. I can only hope to become half the person she is,” says Bach. “I really looked up to her, so when she asked me to help her out with camps, I was happy to do it. It’s really exciting to see the growth in girls’ hockey and it’s fun to get to know some of the girls through the camps that we’ve done. Seeing them progress and improve is really exciting and rewarding too. What’s neat is they come to our games and make signs for us and cheer us on and that’s always a lot of fun.”

Another Horns’ supporter, mathematics professor, Dr. Dennis Connolly, has also impressed upon Bach the opportunities she has before her.

“He’s talked to me about doing volunteer work overseas and it’s planted a seed in my head,” she says. “I’d love to go over and help in whatever way I can. I like to give back to the community because it has always been there for me growing up.”

GET THE FACTS

• Bach is scheduled to finish her degree in December 2012, taking extra time because of scheduling conflicts between hockey and courses that require lab work.

• Bach gives credit to her professors for building the Horns’ schedule into some of the deadlines she faces for course work. She’s also thankful of the Horns’ coaching staff and her teammates for their support.

• Bach’s family runs a grain farm near Champion. She has a younger sister (13-year-old Christie) who also plays hockey and may one day follow in her footsteps. “She’s better than me, getting hat tricks all over the place, it’s exciting to watch her,” says Bach.

• Bach attended Vulcan County Central High School and played midget hockey in Okotoks, all the while living in Champion. It forced her to implement time-management strategies at a young age in order to excel in her studies.

For a look at the March issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Steacy on record run

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:29:20 -0700

If you didn’t hear Heather Steacy’s name last year, it wasn’t because the Pronghorns track and field star suddenly fell back to the pack and wasn’t the dominating force we’ve learned to expect. Instead, Steacy was just bolstering herself for a record assault that is now in full bloom.

The two-time CIS gold medal champion in weight throw (indoor) stepped away from the CIS stage last year, focusing instead on training for the hammer throw and the summer outdoor season. While it took her out of competition for nearly a full calendar year, Steacy has returned to the indoor scene with a vengeance. At the Feb. 5 Bison Classic at the University of Manitoba, Steacy became the first woman in CIS history to break the 20-metre barrier, doing so twice as she easily won the gold medal.

“Technically, I’m a lot more consistent now,” says the 22-year-old Steacy. “I felt before that I was always disappointed with the distances. I wasn’t disappointed with the end result and the wins, but nothing ever felt consistent with how I was throwing. Now I feel like I’m in a much better place. It really comes with experience, repetition and knowing your body and how it moves.”

That consistency is evident in her results. Two weeks before the Bison Classic, Steacy set a new personal best mark with a throw of 19.24 metres at the Golden Bear Classic. In Winnipeg she bettered that mark on all four of her qualifying throws and topped the 20-metre barrier with throws of 20.16m and 20.28m (a new Alberta provincial record). To put her dominance into context, the silver-medal winning throw was 13.99m.

“It was hard to step away last season because I knew I wouldn’t be competing for almost an entire year,” says Steacy. “From summer of 2009 until last summer, was a long time between competitions. In terms of training, it made so much sense. With hammer throw you need loads of volume, thousands of throws to get anything set, so it was definitely worth it.”

The ultimate goal for the music major is to take her hammer throw prowess to the Olympic stage. Still a youngster for her sport, she is right on track for an Olympic appearance.

“I’m hoping to go to London in 2012, but I’m more looking forward to competing at the Rio Olympics in 2016,” she says. “I would really like to go to London to get that experience under my belt and get a chance to see what it’s like so I can know what to expect if I get to go to Rio.”

In the meantime, she’s branching out academically at the U of L, taking a variety of language classes to enhance her musical skills. She feels the knowledge of language will come in handy as she continues to take her talents to meets around the world. This spring, after competing at the Canada West and CIS championship meets, she’ll represent Canada at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China. In August, she hopes to be throwing hammer at the World Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The Canada West Track Championships are Feb. 25-26 in Winnipeg.

For a look at the February issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Karren takes on recruitment portfolio

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:02:06 -0700

The recipe for Brad Karren’s success was always pretty simple - work the phones harder than anyone else and reap the rewards down the road.

Karren built a powerhouse women’s basketball program at Lethbridge College by being the best recruiter in western Canada, bar none. When he made the move to the University of Lethbridge as an assistant to Pronghorns men’s head coach Dave Adams this past fall, it only seemed natural that Karren would assume some of the recruiting responsibilities for the Horns program. Recently, the Horns made it official, naming Karren the Pronghorns Basketball Operations Manager.

“We are looking at this as our first step in introducing and recruiting great southern Alberta basketball players to the University of Lethbridge, and Pronghorns Basketball,” says Sandy Slavin, executive director of Sport and Recreation Services. “Basketball is the fastest growing sport in Canada West, and many schools are already utilizing the services of paid Operations Managers/Assistant Coaches to assist with recruiting. As the league continues to grow, we need to compete at the same level as the other schools for the top recruits.”

Karren will continue as an assistant to Adams but will lead recruiting efforts for both the men’s and women’s programs.

“I’m excited, it’s something I’ve done for a long time and had some success at, so hopefully I can help out and bring some strong players into Horns basketball,” says Karren.

Another major focus of Karren’s role will be to co-ordinate all the Horns’ youth basketball programs, reaching out into the southern Alberta community with a consistent message and focus.

“It’s a really important part of this position,” says Karren. “What we’re trying to do is build a better base of interest in Pronghorns Athletics, and if we can get out there in the community and run our programs well, it should generate that interest. If we can start getting kids interested in basketball and the Pronghorns at a little younger age, hopefully we can get back to where these kids all want to be Horns athletes.”

His natural ties with Lethbridge College will also be utilized. The Horns and Kodiaks have worked hard in recent years to establish a relationship where select players can begin their post-secondary careers at the college level before moving on to the University. It benefits both the athlete and the student.

“There are some kids who could play CIS basketball right out of high school but there are only so many spots available,” explains Karren. “So does it help a kid to sit the bench and not play at the CIS level where they could be playing significant minutes and developing their games at the college level?
“And academically speaking, it’s a little easier step to go to college first, and that speeds the transition to the university level once they get here.”

Slavin sees Karren’s acquisition as an ideal fit for the vision of the Horns program going forward.

“Brad provides us with a unique set of qualifications, having been involved at a high level with both the men’s and women’s games,” she says. “We are very excited to have Brad joining the Pronghorns basketball program in this role.”

GET THE FACTS

• Karren spent 11 seasons at Lethbridge College, guiding the Kodiaks women’s program to three provincial titles and one national championship (2003-04).

• He compiled a 182-46 conference record while coaching the Kodiaks. He was named ACAC South Coach of the Year on five occasions and was the 2008-09 CCAA National Coach of the Year.

• Karren is a native of Magrath, Alta. and continues to live in the southern Alberta community.

For a look at the February issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Horns recruit Reiter

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:41:33 -0700

The Horns men’s basketball team got an early start on the 2011-2012 Canada West season by announcing their first new recruit. Iron Springs, Alta. native and Picture Butte High School product Logan Reiter will join the Horns in the fall, transferring from Lethbridge College where he has enjoyed two stellar seasons with the Kodiaks.

Head coach Dave Adams is excited about adding another local product to the program.

“When you look at the Horns and what we want to do in creating continued success here, we believe it’s got to be organically grown from our own community,” says Adams. “People in southern Alberta want to support the Kodiaks and the Horns, and we need to give them some reasons to do that.”

For a look at the full issue of the December Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.