Hall of fame inductees: Remembering legends

By Rodrigo Verney, November 29 2022—

There is a difference between great and exceptional. Often the difference is mild. It’s in the way you try a bit harder than you did yesterday. Everybody wants to be great, but the sacrifices that come with the burden of trying to, while the world fights to bring you down, is a lot to bear. 

Only a handful of people know about the mountain of obligations, pain, and discipline that this path demands. Yet, they decide to take on that challenge even though they know the rewards will be met with more weight to carry. And that’s exceptional. These people often stand as a symbol of hope for those who look to venture into a similar path they took. For this reason, their story must be told to continue to inspire other generations of exceptional people.

The Dinos have had almost 60 years of excellence under their belt. Needless to say, this means that there is a lot of history and names that contributed to the richness of the athletic program. Among many names, a few stand out. These are the 2022 Dinos Hall of Fame inductees.

Peter Guterson

The young wrestling prodigy ascended among his older peers with a never-quit attitude and an impressive mentality aimed at constantly growing. Guterson stuck out from the crowd by always going the extra mile regarding training and learning the game. One of his teammates Wayne Harris, the current Dinos football head coach, said that he would often be seen questioning his coaches and always trying to spend at least five minutes in the weight room. His passion for wrestling was a continuous emotion that kept him engaged in the sport until recently. Winning nationals at the age of 27, then doing it again at the age of 37, Guterson proved that determination exceeds the boundaries of time.

Lisa Harvey

The cross country star first began as a wildcard that turned into the 1992 and 1993 women’s cross country CIAU Champion. An amazing story that culminated in Olympic participation in the same year as her first Championship. This achievement becomes even more astonishing when we consider the dry and very much not-humid Calgary weather. Having to adapt to international conditions and still coming on top is exceptional. It was just a matter of time before it was her turn to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Rick Coleman

Coleman has helped build the Dinos football program for 50 years. First starting as a defensive lineman, he was a big reason why the Dinos were able to get their first Vanier Cup title in 1975. The man known for his mean and frightening demeanour on the field was a charismatic young talent that always sought to help his teammates in any way he could. This selfless attitude translated into a successful career as a coach with participation in the Dinos Vanier Cup victory in 1983, ’85, and ’86. He was also a founding member of the Dinos 5th Quarter, which aimed to support university sports in Canada. 

Justine Bouchard

Bouchard has been accustomed to breaking records since she was first introduced to wrestling. She won three national championships and was honoured with four Canada West titles with a perfect record for claiming gold medals. The three-time All-Canadian was also crowned seven-time senior Canadian champion after graduating. If that wasn’t enough, this nomination gives her another achievement to celebrate as she is the first woman wrestler to have her name in the Hall of Fame.

Dr. George Kingston

A name that resonates with hockey fans, whether from the university level to the top professional leagues, Kingston is simply one of the greatest professionals to ever coach the game of hockey. After an impressive 18 years with the Dinos, he racked up an incredible record of 245 wins to 128 losses. The two-time national coach of the year also spent two years as an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames and another two years for the Atlanta Thrashers. In between these two teams, he also assisted the Minnesota North Stars for a year. Mostly, Kingston is known for his time as an assistant coach for the Florida Panthers which lasted for about six years. He was also present on the international level, coaching Team Canada to its first gold medal, and the Norwegian, and German national teams.

Paul Geddes

Simply one of the top-tier Hockey players to ever skate the ice. Gifted and a hard worker, Geddes still holds the single-season records for points with an impressive score of 69 and 32 goals. Helping the Dinos tread history with an unbelievable overall score of 23 wins and only 4 losses. Geddes also won Canada West MVP and the Dinos Male Athlete of the Year in the same season. Geddes had a great professional in Europe after graduating with 76 goals and 90 assists with only 82 games played. 

Each of these names represents a lot of history for the Dinos. It represents years of devotion to their craft and the game. Every Dino is able to push the bar a little higher because these people paved the way for them. Inspiring the next generation of athletes. These people are proving that the Dinos can and will achieve more and more. These people are proving that achieving excellence is great, and maintaining it is exceptional.