Four UWindsor graduates will be inducted into the Alumni Sports Hall of Fame this Sunday, October 5: Lancer athletes Dan Brannagan and Mike Nolan, and builders Helen Vasilic and Jim Weese.

Dan Brannagan (BHK 1981, B.Ed 1982, MHK 1986) was a true triple-threat. An all-star in both football and wrestling, he was also a stand-out in the classroom, winning the DeMarco Award in 1982 as top Lancer student-athlete. He played both sides of the ball, lining up as a centre on offense and as a linebacker on defense and was named to the all-conference football team in 1981. That same year, he earned silver medals in wrestling at the national and provincial championships.

Mike Nolan (BSc 1997) ranks in the Lancer all-time top 10 in seven track and field events: the 4 x 200m relay, long jump, high jump, shot put, 60m hurdles, pole vault and—not surprisingly—pentathlon. Twice an all-Canadian and four times an Ontario University Athletics all-star, he captured 16 OUA medals and 10 CIAU medals in a five-year university career, helping lead Windsor to four provincial and one national team title in that span. He received the Olympic Shield as top male Lancer athlete in 1997.

Helen Vasilic (BSc 1975, B.Ed 1976) is a long-time official for Lancer track and field events, with 32 years’ volunteer experience. She has also served on the national and Ontario officials’ councils and put in 12 years as president of the Windsor Legion Track and Field Club. She has been honoured for her dedication by the Ontario Federation of Secondary School Athletic Associations, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, and in 2009, was named volunteer of the year by the Windsor Essex Sports Persons of the Year awards committee.

Jim Weese (BHK 1980, MHK 1983) served as dean of the UWindsor Faculty of Human Kinetics from 1999 to 2004. The Ontario University Athletics Association named him golf coach of the year when he led the Lancers to the provincial championship in 1994; he repeated the feat in 1995. He received an “A” Award for support of Lancer athletics in 1991 and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2013 for academic leadership and advocacy for physical activity.

Special achievement awards will go to Emily McBride, Rose Smyth, and the Lancer fencing teams of the 1980s. The Sport Achievement Award recognizes contributions to sport beyond the University of Windsor campus.

Emily McBride (1980) has coached hundreds of athletes I track and field, including a stint at Walkerville Collegiate, helming the Ontario team in two Canada Summer Games, and coaching the Canadian Junior Team in 1978.

Rosemary Smyth (1978, 1979) played volleyball as a Lancer and went on to coach at St. Clair College, becoming the school’s intramural coordinator and athletic coordinator. She helped to found Leadership Advancement for Women in Sport, which works to promote females in sport in Windsor and Essex County.

During an eight-season span from 1980 to 1988, the Lancer fencing team won more than 100 consecutive matches against Canadian opponents. In 1982, the team won the league championship while placing teams in top three in all categories—epée, foil and sabre.

Sunday’s reception will begin at 1 p.m. at the Giovanni Caboto Club, 2175 Parent Avenue. Everyone is welcome but asked to pre-register by phoning 519-971-3618.

A special tailgate party sponsored by the University of Windsor Alumni Association will feature a free barbecue before the Lancer football game Saturday, October 4, at Alumni Field. The party, which begins at 11:30 a.m., promises free food, music, and more.

The game itself kicks off at 1 p.m., with the Lancers looking to extend a four-game winning streak. Opponents Guelph Gryphons have a three-game winning streak of their own, including a 66-0 pasting of Queen’s in their last contest.

The most recent meeting of these two teams was in the Ontario University Athletics 2013 quarter-final, when Guelph beat Windsor 31-21.

In addition to some great action on the field, fans will enjoy a garage sale of Lancer football gear, including game-worn jerseys, and the giveaway of a semester’s free tuition to a UWindsor student. Entrants must be in attendance cheering on the blue and gold to have a chance to win!

In other varsity action, the soccer teams will host Laurier on Sunday, with the women playing at 1 p.m. and the men at 3:15 p.m.

Women’s hockey is in the nation’s capital for exhibition games Friday against Ottawa and Saturday against Carleton; the men’s volleyball team will compete in the Thompson Rivers Tournament in Kamloops, BC; and the cross country teams are in South Bend, Indiana, for the Notre Dame Invitational meet.

Lancer J.C. Houde comes up with the puck after a scramble behind the Guelph net Wednesday.

Men’s hockey opens championship defense with win

The Lancer men’s hockey team opened its 2014/15 season Wednesday with a 4-2 victory over the Guelph Gryphons at South Windsor Arena. Spencer Pommells led the reigning Queen’s Cup champions with two goals. Rookies Dylan Denomme and Matt Fuller each chipped in singles. Read a full game summary at goLancers.ca.

Besides the on-ice excitment, the evening featured a chance for fans to pose with the Queen’s Cup trophy, second only to the Stanley Cup in its longevity.

The Lancers’ next divisional action comes October 10 when they travel to Waterloo to face of against the Warriors. They return home Friday, October 17, to host the Laurier Golden Hawks. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at South Windsor Arena.

Logan Carmichael says she has been “overwhelmed” by the generosity of donors to the University. The second-year political science student is the recipient of three scholarships.

“It means the world to students to know how faculty and staff support us in so many ways,” she told attendees at a luncheon Thursday for volunteer canvassers of the Annual Giving campaign.

This year’s theme, “Paving the Way for UWindsor Students,” ties in to a new beautification project that will recognize employee contributions to campus. The area between Memorial Hall and the west wing of the Leddy Library will see upgrades, including:

• replacement of uneven concrete pavement with natural stone steps and paving stones;
• plantings of native perennials and beech trees; and
• installation of signs acknowledging the area as a way station for migrating monarch butterflies.

Development officer Mona Dosen distributed canvass kits to the volunteers and declared this year’s priority to be scholarships.

“With a university education available to all, everyone benefits,” she said. “Scholarships make university possible for students who could only dream of attaining a post-secondary education.”

As always, though, donors may target their support to any area. Employees may contribute to the Annual Giving campaign by payroll deduction, making donations virtually painless. For more information, call Dosen at 519-253-3000, ext. 4279.

This year’s campaign kick-off also featured the screening of a video by Peter Freele of the Centre for Teaching and Learning, providing perspectives from students, donors and UWindsor faculty and staff on the importance of the Annual Giving Program. Watch it here.

A number of UWindsor students and graduates helped to create his feature Scarehouse, says filmmaker Gavin Michael Booth. The horror film will premiere Sunday, October 5, at Lakeshore Cinemas.

“Students were heavily involved in production and post-production of even some of the major projects we had on the go,” Booth says. “These projects have given countless Essex County folks the opportunity to learn about filmmaking and develop their artistic skills.”

This latest project was shot entirely in Windsor in August and September 2013. Kyle Archibald (BA 2012), digital media technician in the Department of Communications, Media and Film, worked as the production’s best boy. He says it was a great experience.

“Gavin really used all the connections he has here to stretch his budget,” says Archibald. “I look forward to seeing the end result this weekend.”

Producers Brendan Byrne, Jeremy Shell and Rhys Trenhaile are all UWindsor alumni, as are composer Daniel Pike, production assistants Jenifer Alejandra Simmons and Sid Pandya, and actor Shaun Mazzoca. Current students who worked on the film include Adamo Barbieri, Jordan Mcculloch, Thomas Santoro and Kyle Seguin.

Sunday’s premiere begins at 9 p.m. and will be followed by a question-and-answer session with cast and crew members. No tickets will be sold at the door. Find information on purchasing them in advance on the film’s website.