The Bisons 2006 — a year in review
Steve Bohrn Staff
2006 was a very successful year for the University of Manitoba Bisons. Many teams finished with best-ever performances, and many players produced standout individual efforts that will be remembered for some time to come.
A majority of the Bison teams made the top 10 in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) rankings at some point during the year. Heading the list were the football team and the women’s volleyball team, which were both ranked No. 1 in the nation.
The football team, as most of us witnessed, finished their regular season with an 8-0 mark and came so close to a national championship, losing out in the semi-finals to the Saskatchewan Huskies.
From that team, Cory Huclack was selected as Canada West Defensive Player of the Year, and Brian Dobie was chosen as Canada West’s Coach of the Year.
By making it to the Canada West Final Hardy Cup, the Bisons football team made it the furthest that it has since 2001, when the team was a finalist for the Vanier Cup before eventually losing to the St. Mary’s Huskies.
The women’s basketball team finished their season with a playoff loss to the University of Winnipeg Wesmen, while the men’s volleyball team took home the bronze from the national championship tournament.
Women’s volleyball and men’s basketball each finished just out of contention for the playoffs.
The hockey teams each managed to make the Canada West playoffs. The women’s team made it all the way to the Canada West final, before falling to the Alberta Pandas, while the men’s team made it to the Great Plains divisional final before falling to the Saskatchewan Huskies.
The soccer team posted new team records in wins and points, but fell one spot short of a playoff berth.
The Bisons swim team swam to a seventhplace finish at the national meet, and finished in the top 10 for the fourth consecutive year.
Rookie Landice Yestrau put on a particularly, impressive display, winding up with the Bisons only medal, a bronze in the 50-metre backstroke. But perhaps more special is the fact that at the age of 19, this young athlete represented her country at the Commonwealth Games.
The men’s track team ran to an impressive ninth place at the national meet, with several of their athletes posting impressive personal performances. Second-year sprinter Kris Geyson won silver in the 300-metre and the men’s 4x800- metre team consisting of Sam Jerema, Kristjan Hunter, Paul Carr, and Andrew Schellenberg also placed second. Geyson, Jerema, Hunter, Carr, and Schellenberg were named CIS Second Team All-Canadians.
Women’s track was similarly successful, placing eighth overall at the national meet. The 4x200-metre team consisting of Sharon Drake, Diana King, Jana Cassidy, and Caley Miskimmin ran to a third-place finish, with Drake also winning an individual bronze in the 300-metre race.
The cross-country team competed in the CIS Championship in November. There, the men’s team finished 12th in the nation, while the women’s squad finished in 14th. Georgette Mink was a standout for the team, earning her Second- Team All-Canadian status.
The Bisons golf team was also successful over the course of the year. The men’s team won three tournaments (Sioux Invitational, Erv Kaiser Invitational and Concordia Invitational), while the women’s team highest finish was a third-place showing at the Sioux Invitational.
Off of the field of play, the Bisons were once again successful. The Bisons continued their “Bisons Against Bullying” program, and helped volunteer at the Siloam Mission during the holiday season.
The Bisons impressively had 66 athletes who made the CIS Academic All-Canadian this season. These 66 athletes were able to maintain a 3.5 grade point average or better in their field of study. This is up from 61 athletes last year, and brings the total to an impressive 22 per cent of all Bison athletes.
2006 was also a year of impressive donations. Among the major contributors to the sports programs were Theodore David Einarsson and David and Ruth Asper, who each made large contributions to the volleyball and football programs respectively, which will help fund student athletes here at the U of M for years to come.
The year that passed certainly was a good one in many respects, but all Bisons athletes will be working hard to ensure that 2007 will be just as good, if not better.
