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CTV News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
‘Very proud': University of Regina Cougars' women's basketball coach stepping down after 19 seasons
University of Regina women's basketball coach Dave Taylor is stepping down, the school announced Thursday. (Source: University of Regina Cougars) After 19 seasons as head coach of the University of Regina (U of R) women's basketball team, Dave Taylor will be stepping down from the program prior to the 2025-26 season, the school announced Thursday. 'It was a very hard decision to leave the U of R,' Taylor said in a press release. 'My time has been filled with great memories of the people, the games, the fan support and the day-to-day enjoyment of the job.' 'The program is in a great place and I feel the time is right to leave. I am very proud of the run of success,' he added. Taylor had been the coach of the Cougars since the 2006-07 season and amassed a program-high 280 regular-season wins in his career. He led the Cougars to two Canada West titles (2013, 2018) and nine national tournament appearances, including trips to the national championship game in 2008, 2009 and 2013. The Cougars saw a great deal of individual successes on the national level under Taylor's leadership as well, including three U SPORTS First-Team All-Canadians, six second-team All-Canadians, and two U SPORTS Rookie of the Year award winners during his time. The team never failed to qualify for the conference playoffs under Taylor, who is a two-time winner of both the national and Canada West Coach of the Year awards (2011-12, 2022-23). 61 of the Cougars' 111 all-time playoff victories came with Taylor at the helm, and his .757 regular-season win percentage and .656 playoff mark are both tops in program history. His 482 wins against U SPORTS opponents ranks 10th all-time in U SPORTS women's basketball history and he leaves with the fourth-most playoff wins of all-time. 'Dave is truly a Regina basketball legend,' U of R Director of Sport, Community Engagement & Athlete Development Lisa Robertson said. 'Throughout his incredible career, he led the Cougars to heights that few programs ever reach, consistently keeping them among the nation's best and making them a powerhouse in the highly-competitive Canada West conference.' 'His teams brought our community together, filling the gym during thrilling playoff runs and unforgettable battles,' she added. Taylor's tenure with the Cougars expands long beyond his head coaching role, as he joined the program as an assistant coach at the beginning of the 1993-94 season. His time as an assistant saw the Cougars win a national championship (2001) and four conference championships (1999, 2000, 2001, 2004). He served as an assistant coach under both Christine Stapleton and Jeff Speedy for a total of 13 seasons before being named the program's ninth head coach in May of 2006. 'I want to thank my wife Jennifer and children Anna, Reese and Hayden who always supported me,' Taylor said. 'Thanks to all the amazing players I got to coach and the assistant coaches and staff who helped me run the program.' 'Thanks to the community for all the support that allowed us to compete at the highest level. I leave full of wonderful memories,' the coach added. 'Women's basketball in the province is stronger and richer because of Dave's leadership, passion, and dedication,' Robertson said. 'Both the University and the basketball community in Saskatchewan owe Dave a deep debt of gratitude. We wish Dave and his family nothing but the very best.' 'He will always be part of the Cougar family,' the school added. According to the U of R, Taylor has accepted the position of women's basketball coach for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Michaela Kleisinger will take on head coaching duties in an interim role for the 2025-26 season. A comprehensive search will be conducted to identify the program's next head coach prior to the 2026-27 season.
Winnipeg Free Press
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Repping the Maple Leaf
A historic number of Manitobans will compete for Team Canada in Germany this summer. Six of the province's student athletes were named to the final roster that will represent Canada at the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games. Every two years, thousands of student athletes from over 150 countries compete for medals in 18 sports. Earlier this month, U SPORTS announced five University of Manitoba Bisons — Dawson Mann, Jordan Soufi, Lara Denbow, Daxx Turner and coach Gee-ef Nkwonta — were selected. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS U of M triple-jumper Daxx Turner will represent Canada at the World Univesity Games this summer in Germany. Winnipegger William Boyle, who attends the University of New Brunswick, was also named to the team and will compete in the 3000-metre steeplechase. For five of the six Manitobans, it's their first national team appointment. 'To actually see these people get to live out their dream that they've had for so long doing this sport is cool,' said Nkwonta, former U SPORTS Assistant Coach of the Year. 'For some of them that I've been coaching since they started doing track, it's pretty cool that they get to experience this and I get to experience it with them as well.' For Soufi, who will compete in the 200-metre and 4×100-metre relay pool for Team Canada, it's not the first time he's been in this position, after previously attending the Pan American U20 Championships in 2019. However, it's still a special moment for Soufi, who says qualifying caught him a little bit by surprise. 'I'm primarily a 100-metre runner, and I rarely run the 200, so I expected myself to qualify for the World University Games for the 100,' said Soufi. Even though he doesn't always consider himself a 200-metre runner, Soufi found himself running a personal best by half a second with a time of 21.19 seconds at the Canadian Olympic Trials in 2024. This season, Soufi also broke his own record in the 60-metre dash with a time of 6.64 seconds, earning a silver medal at the U SPORTS National Championships in Windsor in March and setting a new U of M Bisons team record. Now, training will look a little different for the athlete in the coming weeks, who will focus on special endurance — set distances at high intensity and over longer time periods. This training often includes running longer distances to help maintain proper form and running under fatigue, simulating the 200-metre. 'I'm excited about the whole experience,' said Soufi. 'Whether that would be going through the ceremony, exploring the area in Germany, getting to meet athletes, getting acclimatized to the environment, and also the competition itself, the high-level competition.' Turner, a triple jump specialist, also brought home a silver medal at the recent U SPORTS National Championships. He has an impressive record from his time at U of M so far, earning his first U SPORTS gold medal with a 15.82-metre school record-breaking jump at the 2024 nationals, going undefeated in the Canada West Championships in four seasons as a Bison, and earning silver in the triple jump with a leap of 16.14 metres at the Olympic trials last summer, which set a new provincial record. 'I've kind of been on the cusp of a national team about every year since I was 17,' said Turner. 'To fulfill a dream, especially for a younger self, definitely makes a lot of work feel very worthwhile.' While the national team selection marked a high point for Turner, he admitted that winter seasons can be tough for him and that he wasn't able to train as intensely as he had hoped during the indoor season. 'I had to focus on my mental health a little bit more,' said Turner. 'Couldn't quite attack the track quite like I had hoped, but was still able to get some stuff done, and still managed to perform for the university at a relatively high level, at a level I was happy with for sure come championship season.' Going into worlds, Turner says he will be focused on a calm and level-headed approach. 'As much as this is a really huge and exciting opportunity, trying not to let that change who I am as an athlete,' he said. Nkwonta has a similar mindset for his athletes going into the competition. 'I think I just have to treat it the same way that I would any other meet,' said Nkwonta. 'Mentioning to them that there's nothing to lose at this point. Like, all you're doing is just enjoying the experience and doing what you've practiced.' Denbow and Mann are the other two Bisons making their debut on the national team, both heading into the competition fresh off recent U SPORTS gold medal wins. 'I'm very honoured,' said Denbow. 'I've been working towards this goal for a lot of years now. I've been involved in track and field from a young age, with multiple national championships under my belt, and I'm very honoured to be finally making a national team.' Denbow took home gold at nationals in Windsor in the high jump, becoming the back-to-back champion in the event she will be competing in at worlds. Mann, who won the 600-metre event and earned bronze with the 4×400-metre team at nationals this year, will be competing in the 800-metre and 4×400-metre relay pool at the World University Games. 'It's a cool opportunity that we all get to share,' said Mann. 'It shows the strength of the talent within Manitoba and within the U of M program as well.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The Sanford native also won the Canadian Track & Field League Championships in the 800-metre last summer and, in his final season as a Bison this year, became the first athlete in over 30 years to run in all three relays. 'I definitely got to know people on the team super well through my years on the team,' said Mann. 'And just really thankful for all those memories and the travelling and the competing. It was a great part of my track career and my life.' Going forward, Mann hopes to continue running and competing for as long as he can, with his sights set on making the 2028 Olympic team. The 2025 Games will be held in five cities in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region of Germany from July 16-27.
Calgary Herald
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Dinos basketball star Nate Petrone named Canada West Male Athlete of the Year
Article content Following one of the greatest seasons in Calgary Dinos men's basketball history, Nate Petrone added another accolade on Thursday as he was named the 2025 Canada West Male Athlete of the Year. Article content Article content Petrone's award marks the 18th time a University of Calgary student-athlete has been named the top athlete in Canada West, and the first since 2022. Calgary's 18 nominees marks the second-most from a single university in U SPORTS, second only to McGill (23). Article content Article content All 17 Canada West member institutions vote to select the conference's athletes of the year, with nominees being the respective schools' athletes of the year. Fellow basketball standout Gage Grassick of Saskatchewan was named the Canada West Female Athlete of the Year. Article content Article content Petrone and Grassick will now move forward as the Canada West nominees for the prestigious Louis and Doug Mitchell U SPORTS Athletes of the Year Awards, which honour the nation's top male and female student-athletes. U SPORTS will announce this year's winners June 2. Article content There was no more dominant offensive force in U SPORTS men's basketball this season than Petrone, who delivered a year for the ages while leading the Dinos to their eighth Canada West championship. The hometown star led U SPORTS in total points and topped Canada West with 24.2 points per game, all while shooting a remarkable 56.8 percent from the field — an exceptional feat for a guard. Article content Petrone elevated his play even further in the playoffs. In the Canada West semifinals, he posted 23 points and nine rebounds to help the Dinos take down three-time defending champion Victoria. He followed that with a historic 38-point outburst on 15-of-21 shooting in the conference final against UBC, propelling Calgary to the title. Article content Article content His accolades reflect his standout season. Petrone was named Canada West Player of the Year and earned the U SPORTS Mike Moser Memorial Trophy as the nation's top men's basketball player.
