By Noah Miller
Four Dinos selected for Team Canada men’s volleyball team
Four of the University of Calgary’s own will join the ranks of the Canadian senior men’s national volleyball teams.
Seasoned volleyball veteran and Dinos alumnus Jeremy Wilcox, who played for the Dinos from 1996-2000, was named part of the national A team.
In addition to Wilcox, Team Canada added reigning Canadian Interuniversity Sport champions Jay Blankenau, Ciaran McGovern and Graham Vigrass to their B team roster. All three players were considered integral to the Dinos’ 2010 national title win.
There is no question that the players are qualified. McGovern was given a spot on the Canada West All-Star team, Blankenau was named part of the All-Tournament team at the CIS championship and Vigrass, despite illness last year, bounced back to be awarded MVP at the 2010 CIS championships.
The announcement came from Volleyball Canada on May 17 after a rigorous selection camp in Gatineau, Quebec.
All three current Dinos players are to return next season, but will be focused on intense practice in the meantime.
U of C in running to host three nationals
The University of Calgary has tossed in its bid to host three future Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships.
According to a May 18 press release from Dinos sports information director Ben Matchett, the Dinos are in the running to host national tournaments for women’s basketball in 2011-12, men’s hockey in 2013-14 and men’s volleyball in 2014-15.
The proposals come in addition to the CIS Swimming championships which the U of C is already slated to host in 2011.
Later this month, the CIS selection committee will weed through 34 bids for 13 championships to be held between 2011 and 2015. The committee is expected to announce successful proposals within 48 hours of making a decision.
Dino wins top CIS award, male athlete of year
A University of Calgary Dino rose above the sea of university athletes when he was awarded the Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s top honour. Dinos football quarterback Erik Glavic was named CIS male athlete of the year at this year’s Borden Ladner Gervais awards ceremony in April.
Atop a heap of distinguished athletes from 52 CIS universities, Glavic became the seventh Dino (and fourth Dino male) to receive a CIS ‘athlete of the year’ award.
At the Jack Singer Concert Hall in front of about 1,000 people, Glavic received the Doug Mitchell trophy. The annual award, sponsored by Borden Ladner Gervais Law firm, was accompanied by a $10,000 scholarship to pursue post-graduate studies.
Glavic adds this honour to the Hec Crighton Trophy– awarded to the top CIS football player– which he won at the end of the 2009 season.
According to an article on godinos.com, Glavic, in addition to returning to this year’s football team, may also don a Dinos basketball jersey following the 2010 football season.
Glavic’s counterpart, winning the CIS Female Athlete of the year award, was University of British Columbia’s volleyball player Liz Cordonier.