Past Dinos that left their campus footprint

By Ashton Chugh, July 31, 2014 —

The history of the Dinos dates back to 1964. Over the course of their collegiate careers, few athletes have left their mark on the Dinos franchise the way these individuals have. The first of this two part series highlights Dinos athletes that dominated during their tenure at the University of Calgary. Part 2 will highlight athletes that have made significant social contributions to society beyond their life as a Dino.

1962–1966: Theresa Maxwell was the first dominant female athlete on the U of C campus, starting for both the basketball and volleyball teams. The Taber, Alta. native was Female Athlete of the Year in 1964 and 1966 and went on to play for Canada’s national teams in both sports. She later became head coach of the Dinos women’s volleyball team and is currently an associate professor emerita of Kinesiology. She was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

1968–1972: Gaylene Field was a unique two-sport student-athlete. Donald was named U of C Female Athlete of the Year in both 1970 and 1972. She captured three conference championships in her career, one in field hockey and two in volleyball, and helped the Dinos capture the 1970 Canadian Interuniversity Sport Women’s Volleyball Championship — the first national title for the U of C. Donald is also a member of the U of C Athletic Hall of Fame.

1979–1984: Karl Tilleman rewrote the basketball record book during his time on campus. Not only was he a four-time All-Canadian and two-time CIS Player of the Year, he added U of C Male Athlete of the Year titles in both 1981 and 1983. He is number two on the all-time scoring list for the Dinos with 2,090 points, averaging more than 26 points per game before the introduction of the three-point basket and was a 98 per cent shooter from the free throw line in the 1983-84 season.

1984–1987: Paul Geddes was an standout forward for the Dinos in his three seasons with the hockey team. He still holds school records for single-season points (69) and goals (32) in the 1986-87 season when he was the Canada West scoring champion, Canada West Player of the Year, a CIS All-Canadian, recipient of the CIS Most Sportsmanlike Player Award and U of C Male Athlete of the Year. He is in the top ten in school history in both career points and career goals.

1985–1989: Randy Gingera was a integral part of the 1989 Dinos CIS Championship team that went undefeated in conference play and lost only one match overall. Gingera was among the best players to ever compete for the Volleysaurs. In the dream season of 1988–89, Gingera won every award imaginable: Canada West All-Star, Canada West Player of the Year, CIS All-Canadian, CIS Player of the Year, MVP of the CIS Championship Tournament, and U of C Athlete of the Year. The former national team member was inducted into the U of C Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

1987–1991: Jodi Evans was the epitome of the term ‘student-athlete,’ excelling both on the court and in the classroom. Her basketball team won 69 consecutive games from 1988-90, including the 1989 CIS Championship. She recorded nine triple-doubles in her career and won the Canada West Triple Crown in 1991, leading the conference in points, assists and rebounds. A four-time conference all-star, two-time All-Canadian and unanimous Canada West and CIS Player of the Year in 1991, Evans was named U of C and City of Calgary Female Athlete of the Year for 1990–1991. She was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in May 2006.

1993–1996: Richard Bohne is the all-time leading scorer in U of C men’s basketball history, scoring 2,171 points in his career for an average of 27.4 points per game. He scored 40+ points seven times in his career, including a 64-point explosion against University of British Columbia in 1995. He is a two-time Canada West Player of the Year, four-time Conference All-Star, three-time All-Canadian and the CIS Player of the Year for 1996. Bohne was named U of C Athlete of the Year in both 1995 and 1996.

1996–2001: Leighann Reimer is at or near the top of every basketball category in the Dinos record book. She in the all-time leading scorer in school history with 1,958 points and was the 2001 BLG Award winner as CIS Female Athlete of the Year. After being named CIS Rookie of the Year in 1997, Reimer was a five-time Canada West All-Star and a First-Team All-Canadian four years in a row. She was also U of C Athlete of the Year in both 2000 and 2001. She also prospered internationally, making the staring roster on Team Canada.