Rich Chambers, on personal leave from his duties as head coach of the Vikes women鈥檚 team, and current men鈥檚 team assistant coach Phil Ohl, are among the Class of 2013 unveiled by Basketball sa国际传媒 this week. Chambers enters the hall in the coach category, while Ohl is being inducted in the athlete category.
Chambers was brought on board to coach the Vikes women in 2011 and brought with him a legacy of basketball excellence. Chambers has been coaching for more than 40 years and has been head coach of the Centre for Performance for Basketball sa国际传媒, numerous sa国际传媒 Basketball teams, such as the Under-19 world championship team, as well as a variety of provincial teams.
Ohl competed for the Vikes program when the dynasty was at its finest, from 1981-85. Ohl was a teammate of Vikes legends Kelly Dukeshire, Eli Pasquale and Gerald Kazanowski, all of whom played under head coach Ken Shields. Ohl was a national champion with the Vikes for four-straight seasons, starting in 1981-82, and also competed for sa国际传媒 for seven years.
Ohl competed at the FIBA World Championship, an Olympic qualifier, the World University Games and played professionally in Europe from 1985-89. In 1985, Ohl was named as a CIAU All-Canadian, the CIS tournament most valuable player, and Basketball sa国际传媒 Player of the Year.
Vikes rowers honoured
Several past and present University of Victoria Vikes rowers were honoured at Rowing sa国际传媒鈥檚 annual general meeting and conference on Tuesday in Vancouver.
Current Vike Kai Langerfeld of Parksville was recognized by Rowing sa国际传媒 as a national champion in the lightweight men鈥檚 single and was also given mention for his participation in the 2012 FISA World Rowing Senior Championships as he helped the men鈥檚 coxed pair to a bronze medal.
Teresa Berkholtz, recently invited to the national rowing training centre in London, Ont., and therefore taking time off from the Vikes program, was recognized by Rowing sa国际传媒 as a national champion in the lightweight women鈥檚 single and was awarded top honours as Rowing sa国际传媒鈥檚 Female Sculler of the Year.
Also taking time away from the Vikes to focus on her national team commitments, rower Antje Von Seydlitz was commended for her gold medal performance in the women鈥檚 four at the 2012 FISA World Rowing Under-23 Championships. Additionally, Von Seydlitz was a recipient of the Centennial Medal, an award given to athletes that have either won a gold medal at the world championships or Olympic Games or have earned more than 5,000 points under the Rowing sa国际传媒 Awards policy.
Several Vikes alumni were also recognized for their contributions in 2012, including Olympians Gabe Bergen, Doug Csima, Darcy Marquardt and Rachelle Viinberg. Csima was presented with the Award of Merit, while Bergen, Marquardt and Viinberg were recipients of the RCA International Achievement Award.
Brentwood edges Shawnigan
Brentwood College鈥檚 hockey program grabbed bragging rights in their annual Showcase Game against rival Shawnigan Lake, but just barely.
At the completion of regulation time, the two teams were tied 2-2 and even a rare overtime period couldn鈥檛 break the deadlock, so the two teams went to the shootout. And even the first three shooters on each team couldn鈥檛 break the tie so the shootout continued until the fifth round before Brentwood finally got the edge.
PacificSport swimmers shine
PacificSport synchronized swimmers showed they are in fine form early in the season. The Victoria club dominated at the Watermania competition at the Richmond Aquatic Centre last weekend.
The four PacificSport swimmers swept first- and second-place finishes in each of their categories.
Jamie Frank took firsts in the junior figures, senior free solo and senior duet. Her partner, Marlissa Cawston, shared the top duet prize and took the runner-up spots in the other categories. Sarah Jones and Emma Yun Wah Choo completed the same sweep in the 13-15-year-old age group with Jones taking all three top spots and Choo sharing the top prize in the duet.
PacificSport swimmers will now turn their attention the Western Regionals in Alberta in March and National Open Championships in Quebec in April.
Martinson runs away with title
Geoff Martinson was at it again on the weekend.
A few weeks after winning the Pioneer 8K, the former UVic running star made it back-to-back Frontrunners Island Race Series victories when he triumphed at Sunday鈥檚 Cobble Hill 10K.
And Martinson didn鈥檛 just win the Cobble Hill, race, he set a new course record. His time of 30 minutes 46 seconds bettered Steve Osaduik鈥檚 2008 time of 31.11. Sean Chester finished second to Martinson with a time of 31:54, while Andrew McCartney was third in 31:57.
The top woman in the race was Catrin Jones with a time of 35:57.
The third race in the Island Series is the Cedar 12K, which goes on Feb. 10.
