UNews - Kim Veldman

New graduate student nursing award creates lasting ties

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 May 2015 15:58:37 +0000

Have you ever thought about what you’d do if you unexpectedly received a significant sum of money? Dr. Sonya Grypma did, and interestingly, one day she was given the opportunity to really figure it out.

Dr. Sonya Grypma created the Jacoba Vanden Brink Award to support nursing students by binding together dedication to others and academic success.

“It was a complete surprise,” Grypma says about the day she received an unexpected cheque in the mail. “It came from my uncle, and as soon as I got it my husband and I went right into, ‘what are we going to do with this?’ We never looked at the money as ours – we looked at it as something that had been entrusted to us, and we wanted it to have a wide circle of influence.”

Grypma has a PhD in nursing and is currently the dean at the School of Nursing at Trinity Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. At the time she received the cheque, however, Grypma was an assistant professor of nursing at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Her passion for nursing education made Grypma’s decision on what to do with the funds fairly easy.

“Creating a scholarship felt like the right thing to do,” says Grypma. “I received a number of scholarships as a graduate nursing student and they were tremendously impactful on my education and career. The idea of helping other graduate nursing students that way was inspiring, and I knew that in doing so I’d be helping a lot of others in turn.”

The next decision Grypma faced was what name to give the award. Once again, she went with something close to her heart, and the Jacoba Vanden Brink Award was created.

The scholarship is named in honour of Grypma’s maternal grandmother, a Dutch immigrant with 13 children who came to Canada with her husband after the Second World War in pursuit of a better life. Grypma never had the chance to meet her grandmother, who was tragically killed in a car accident that happened just south of the Alberta border before Grypma was born. Vanden Brink was on her way home when she died, returning from a trip to the U.S. university her second-youngest son was attending – the first member of the Vanden Brink family to ever pursue a university education.

“The name ties so many things together for me,” says Grypma. “It pays homage to my grandmother’s strength and determination to transition her family into a new life. It honours my mother, who shares my grandmother’s first name. It upholds the value of a university education. It pays tribute to two of my uncles – the one who was attending university at the time my grandmother died, as well as my eldest uncle who entrusted the money to me and who took responsibility for the family after my grandparents passed. The accident happened near to Lethbridge, so there’s a tie there too. The Jacoba Vanden Brink Award is a deeply personal name for the scholarship, and to know that this money will work in service to others is really pleasing.”

Grypma's grandparents Bernardus and Jacoba Vanden Brink.

The Jacoba Vanden Brink Award is a $1,000 scholarship given each year to two graduate students in the U of L Faculty of Health Sciences – a first-year student and a second-year student. The first ever beneficiaries of the award, Mercy Enwere and Kim Veldman, received the scholarship last fall.

As both a previous recipient of scholarships and a current dean, Grypma has seen and experienced the effects of funding on both sides of the academic fence. Her take on the matter is as far-reaching and philosophical as her choice to create the Jacoba Vanden Brink Award.

“Nursing is a public service,” says Grypma. “A good nursing education doesn’t stop with one person – it rolls out to countless others. I received the help and affirmation I needed to succeed as a student, a nurse and an academic. This scholarship is a way for me to pay it forward while honouring people I know who dedicated themselves to helping others.”

Kim Veldman (BN ’14)
Master of Nursing student
Recipient of the Jacoba Vanden Brink Award

“The ability to help other students become great nurses is a dream of mine and I would like to become a clinical instructor of nursing students. I am extremely grateful for receiving the award because it enables me to focus on my schooling, and not stress over funds. Subsequently, I feel that the award will set me up for success in nursing.”

Pronghorn pride prominent as Steacy, Veldman named Kinsmen Sports Persons of the Year

trevor.kenney — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 22:21:55 +0000

One is a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus, while the other will be considered an alumna by the end of the spring semester. Each set a standard for excellence in Pronghorn Athletics and on Wednesday, Jim Steacy (BASc '09) and Kim Veldman were recognized as Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame 2015 Kinsmen Sports Persons of the Year.

Jim Steacy won gold in the hammer throw at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland last summer.

Steacy, the country's most decorated hammer thrower, achieved a career milestone in 2014, winning the gold medal in hammer throw at the Commonwealth Games.

A Pronghorn legend, Steacy was undefeated in the weight throw over five years as a Pronghorn athlete. He won a total of nine CIS medals over that time, including eight gold medals, and currently holds the Canadian record in men's hammer throw. Steacy has also represented Canada at two Olympic Games and is just hitting his stride in advance of his third Olympics, the 2016 Games in Rio.

Steacy is more than an on-field giant, he is also a passionate supporter of the city's youth. He has spent considerable time speaking to local schools about the importance of education and the opportunities available to children through athletics, and is quick to volunteer his time as a coach for the area's youth track and field programs.

Veldman just completed her fifth year as a forward with the Horns women's basketball team. A leader on and off the floor, she became only the second member of the program to earn a national honour when she was voted as the winner of the Sylvia Sweeney Award, given to the player who best exemplifies the values of athletics, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and community involvement.

The conference's second leading scorer in her final season, Veldman was a first-team Canada West all-star and won her second consecutive Pronghorn Female Athlete of the Year award. She leaves the program as the school's all-time leading rebounder and second leading scorer.

Kim Veldman set a career mark in rebounding during her five years with the Horns women's basketball team.

Well-rounded and grounded, Veldman was an Academic All-Canadian in every year of study and upon graduating with a degree in nursing, will be working towards completing a master's degree. Her off-court activities also include work with the Jr. Horns basketball program, time in the Reading Buddies program at local elementary schools, work with the Special Olympics and committed involvement with the Trinity Reform Church youth group.

Steacy and Veldman will be honoured at the 2015 Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame's 30th Annual Induction Ceremony and Banquet on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at 6 p.m. in the Canadian Western Bank Lounge at the Enmax Centre. For more information, or to purchase tickets to the event, visit the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame website.

Horns' Veldman captures national award

trevor.kenney — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 16:57:51 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge graduating forward Kim Veldman became only the second member of the Pronghorns women's basketball program to win a CIS major award after she was named the 2015 recipient of the Sylvia Sweeney Award at the CIS National Championship awards ceremony on Wednesday night.

Fifth-year forward Kim Veldman has been recognized by the CIS for leadership, academic achievement and community involvement.

The Sylvia Sweeney Award recognizes excellence in basketball, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and community service. Veldman, a fifth-year forward, has been a leader on and off the floor for the Pronghorns and will go down as one of the best players and student-athletes to ever come through the program.

On the floor, Veldman was the conference's second leading scorer this season, averaging 18.6 points per game. She leaves the Pronghorns as the school's all-time leading rebounder and second leading scorer with 805 boards and 1,391 points over the course of her five campaigns with the team. She was named a Canada West first-team all-star in this, her final season.

While excelling on the court, she also shone in the classroom, earning her Bachelor of Nursing degree in four years, while being named an Academic All-Canadian every year. She will be well on her way to a fifth AAC award while beginning her Master of Nursing program.

"As a humble and even-keel player, Kim has had to work hard to develop her leadership skills," says Pronghorns head coach Erin McAleenan. "Over the last three years of working with her, she has grown immensely not only as a player, but as a person. She has become a confident leader both on and off the floor, and she inspires her teammates on a daily basis. Kim has changed the culture of our program and has had a tremendous impact on the players, coaches and community."

Veldman has been heavily involved in community service as well. She has volunteered as a coach within the Jr Horns basketball program and worked at skills clinics and summer camps; participates in the Reading Buddies program; volunteers one day a week in an elementary classroom and twice a week to lead their co-ed basketball intramural program; volunteered with the Special Olympics where she taught the participants basketball skills and drills; and is active within her church as part of the Trinity Reform Church youth group.

Acadia guard Aprille Deus, Laval wing Raphaëlle Côté and Wilfrid Laurier guard Lee Anna Osei were also nominated for the award.

Veldman joins former Horns head coach Louisa Zerbe, who received the Peter Ennis Award as coach of the year in 1985, as the only other CIS major award winner in program history.

Horns add height with latest commitment

trevor.kenney — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 16:18:24 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s basketball team has added some height to its lineup with the commitment of forward Connie Harris from Markham, Ontario.

With Canada West second team all-star Kim Veldman entering her final year with the program and the Pronghorns fielding one of the smallest teams in Canada West last season, a priority on height was paramount this off season.

After adding six-foot post Kylie Mazutinec earlier this spring, the addition of six-foot-two Harris will give the Horns another option in the forward positions.

“I am honoured that Connie has chosen to move away from home to start the next chapter in her life, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our Horns family,” says Horns head coach Erin McAleenan. “Connie is an extremely hard working and determined young lady. She is a long 6’2” forward who will add a lot for us immediately at the defensive end.”

Playing elite Ontario club basketball in the JUEL club basketball league the past two years with the North Toronto Huskies, Harris is averaging eight points and five rebounds per game. Soon to be a graduate from Augustin Catholic High School, Harris also put up impressive numbers in grade 11 in the high school league, averaging a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds per game.

“Connie just started playing basketball in grade 9, and her experience in the JUEL league for the last two years will undoubtedly help her transition to the CIS level and I know that Connie is a big piece to our future success. Knowing that she will get to learn from Canada West All-Star Kim Veldman for a year is fantastic.”

The ‘Horns will open camp August 25th and look for the 2014-15 Canada West schedule to be released in the coming weeks.

Veldman, Reiter earn Athlete of the Year honours from Horns

trevor.kenney — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 21:08:46 +0000

Kim Veldman and Logan Reiter were named Female and Male Athletes of the Year as ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorn Athletics hosted its annual Blue and Gold Banquet recently.

Over 280 athletes, administrators and special guests were in attendance for the supper and awards ceremony with former Pronghorn and Canadian National Women's Rugby team member Ashley MacDonald serving as the guest speaker.

After three seasons with her home province ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ UPEI, MacDonald transferred to the U of L, and in her two seasons with the Pronghorns she was nothing short of dominant on the rugby pitch. During her time with the Pronghorns, she was a member of two national championship teams, was named a Canada West All-Star and CIS All-Canadian in both seasons as well as being named CIS Championship tournament all-star at both championships.

In addition to her stellar play on the field, MacDonald was also an exceptional student, being named an Academic All-Canadian.

Internationally, MacDonald represented Canada on the U23 National team, FISU sevens team and the Canadian senior national team and was just named to the Canadian team that will face the Americans in the CanAm series in April.

Upon obtaining her bachelor of science in kinesiology, MacDonald returned to UPEI to complete her physiotherapy degree and is currently working at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Kim Veldman was among the league leaders in a number of categories this season.

Fourth-year post Kim Veldman truly put up a season that ranks among the best in the country and cemented herself into the Pronghorn record book for years to come.

Still with eligibility remaining, she broke a 16-year-old school record, while ranking among both the Canada West and CIS leaders in numerous statistical categories.

This season she ranked second in the conference in rebounding and set a new school record for career rebounds. While often facing double and triple teams in the offensive court, she ranked third in the conference in scoring. She narrowly missed being a conference first team all-star but was named to the Canada West's second team.

Her ability to balance her training while maintaining a high GPA in nursing speaks volumes to her commitment to being a well-rounded student-athlete.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Logan Reiter closed out his Pronghorns' career with another exceptional season.

In his final season donning the blue and gold, team captain Logan Reiter led his team on and off the playing field, leading the team to heights that have not been seen in years.

In addition to being a selfless leader, he was among the conference leaders in points, while also leading his team in assists and thus earned his first conference all-star nod, being named to the Canada West second team.

His positive attitude and refusal to quit helped lead the 'Horns to 13 fourth-quarter comebacks or last-minute victories and resulted in the program's best regular season in 14 years and only the fourth 15-win season in the program's history.

PRESIDENT'S AWARD

For the third-year in a row, a member of the Pronghorns women's hockey team received the prestigious President's Award, which rewards the student athlete with the highest academic standing at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Jasmin Teske achieved a perfect 4.0GPA, while balancing her large commitment to her team, earning the President's Award for the second successive season.

TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD

The Pronghorns women's soccer team received the team Team Academic Award with a combined GPA of 3.10.

TEAM MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS

Men’s Soccer – Scott Slomp
Women’s Soccer – Keagan Moch
Men’s Hockey – Mitch Maxwell
Women’s Hockey – Jenna-Marie Durnin
Men’s Basketball – Logan Reiter
Women’s Basketball – Kim Veldman
Women’s Rugby – Kim Leavitt
Men’s Track – Aaron Hernandez
Women’s Track – Kayla Gallagher
Swim – Ryan Thornley

McAleenan adds pair of recruits to roster

trevor.kenney — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 21:22:52 +0000

Only two weeks removed from her second season at the helm of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s basketball team, head coach Erin McAleenan is pleased to announce her first commitments for the 2014-15 Canada West season.

Joining the Horns program next season will be southern Alberta product Kylie Mazutinec and Calgary native Elizabeth Buie.

Mazutinec, a 6’0” forward from Stirling, Alta., will join the Horns in the fall following a stellar high school career. This season, she has averaged 17 points and 16 rebounds per game, leading her team to a perfect 10-0 record in the Deep South high school basketball league.

With senior forward Kim Veldman and freshman Mariah Miller the only Pronghorns to stand 5’11'' or taller, Mazutinec is a much needed addition to the Horns front court. During her grade 11 season, Mazutinec was named a Deep South first team all-star and led her team to 1A zone and provincial championships.

Twice named her school’s female athlete of the year (2013, 2012), Mazutinec has also excelled in the classroom, reaching the honour roll each year.

“We are thrilled to be adding Kylie to our program. She is a very hard working and coachable athlete who has the skills to succeed at the CIS level,” says McAleenan. “Her ability to rebound the basketball and her footwork inside will add more depth at the forward position. Kylie has had a lot of success with Stirling and we are all very excited that she has chosen to join the Horns family for her post-secondary career.”

Buie, a multi-sport athlete, comes to the Pronghorns from Ernest Manning High School in Calgary. In addition to representing her school in basketball, she has also competed in cross country, field hockey, track and field - competing in javelin and the 100m relay - and badminton.

Through seven games this season, her team sits in the middle of the North Division standings with a 4-3 record. In her grade 11 season, Buie was named the girls basketball MVP at Ernest Manning.

Also an exceptional student, Buie is an honour roll student and has earned leadership awards in Chemistry 20-1, Math 20-1, and a Citizenship award in Social Studies 20-1. She plans to pursue a medical degree following her undergraduate degree from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

“Elizabeth is a very well-rounded student-athlete and we are thrilled to have someone of her character join our program," says McAleenan. “She is a relentless on-ball defender and her leadership skills on and off the court made her a must-have for our program.”

Veldman, Millman recognized with Pronghorn awards

trevor.kenney — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 18:06:41 +0000

A record-setting performance and a personal best that resulted in a gold medal earned Kim Veldman and Peter Millman nods as the Female and Male Subway Pronghorn Athletes of the Week this week.

After setting a new school record for career rebounds two weeks ago, Pronghorns women's basketball post Veldman continued her exceptional season by recording a pair of double-doubles in two losses to top teams in the Pacific Division. She was also named the Canada West third star for the week.

Friday night, in the Horns' 68-55 loss to the UBC Thunderbirds, the Immanuel Christian grad scored a game high 21 points on an efficient 10-of-15 from the floor and completed the double-double with a 12 rebound night.

Versus the Victoria Vikes Saturday night, Veldman recorded her eighth double-double of the season with a 19-point, 12-rebound performance in a 65-58 loss.

With four games remaining in the Canada West season, Veldman sits third in the conference in scoring at 19.3 points per game and second in rebounding, averaging 10.2 rebounds per night.

Millman, while competing in only his second meet of the season, continues his stellar start to the season by earning two more medals at the Bison Classic in Winnipeg.

Friday night in the weight throw, the defending Canada West champion set a new personal best with a throw of 18.01 metres en route to a gold medal.

The next day, Millman was narrowly edged for top spot in the shot put, his throw of 16.33 metres just shy of his personal best of 16.60 metres, set just two weeks ago.

Millman and the rest of the track team continue their preparations for the Canada West Championships, hosted February 21-23 at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

Fletcher, Veldman earn Athlete of the Week honours

trevor.kenney — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 18:39:22 +0000

A pair of victories for each of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's and women's basketball teams have netted Alex Fletcher and Kim Veldman the Subway Pronghorn Athlete of the Week honours.

Senior guard Alex Fletcher was a key contributor in the Pronghorn men’s 2-0 road weekend to open the second semester of conference action. The two wins, which were both in overtime, moved the Horns to 9-3 on the season and into a second place tie in the Prairie Division with the Saskatchewan Huskies.

Kim Veldman is one of the conference's leading scorers.

Thursday night, in the Horns' 84-82 overtime victory over the Mount Royal Cougars, Fletcher tied for a team high 17 points, but none were bigger than his three-point basket in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter that forced overtime. He also recorded six rebounds and six assists in the win.

The Merced, California native then scored 19 points to go along with another six rebounds and six assists in the Horns' thrilling 126-120 triple overtime win over the UNBC Timberwolves two nights later. More than halfway through his final season of eligibility, Fletcher is averaging 10.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

On the women's side, Veldman is picking up where she left off before the semester break. Veldman led the Pronghorn women’s basketball team to a two-win road weekend as well, combining for 38 points and 18 rebounds in the Horns' wins over the Mount Royal Cougars and UNBC Timberwolves.

The fourth-year nursing student scored 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting and grabbed eight boards in the Horns' 66-48 win over the Cougars Thursday night in Calgary. She then scored another 19 points and recorded her sixth double-double of the season, with 10 rebounds in the Horns' 62-50 win over the Timberwolves.

Through 12 games this season, Veldman sits second in conference scoring, averaging 20.7 points per game, and third in Canada West rebounding, averaging 10.6 boards per contest.

The men's and women's basketball teams face a huge test this weekend when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta comes to town for games Friday and Saturday night in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gym.

Horns look to cap semester on winning note

trevor.kenney — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 23:13:54 +0000

Coming off their second home sweep of the season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s basketball team will stay on home court this weekend and host the Regina Cougars for a pair of games to close out the first semester of conference action.

The Horns, who are 5-3 in on the season, have been perfect at home, winning all four games on the 1st Choice Savings Centre floor, including wins against the UBC Okanagan Heat and Thompson Rivers WolfPack last weekend.

The Pronghorn men are a perfect 4-0 on their home court this season.

After scoring 81 and 90 points respectively last weekend, the Horns moved up to third in conference scoring averaging 80.9 points per game, but rank as the ninth best defensive team, surrendering 76.6 points per game.

Nearing the mid-point of the season the Horns are one of the most balanced teams offensively in Canada West, placing four players in the top 24 in conference scoring. Coming off a 30-point performance last Saturday, Logan Reiter leads the Horns in scoring averaging 15.5 points per game. Newcomers Brandon Brine and Jared Baker are averaging 14 and 13.3 points per game, while Morgan Duce rounds out the quartet with 12.9 points per game.

For the Cougars, while they won their last game, beating the UNBC Timberwolves, they were losers of their previous six games and sit at 2-6 on the season, good for sixth place in the Mountain Prairie Division. The 13th ranked offensive team in the conference, averaging only 69 points per game, the Cougars only have two players that average double digits in points with Brandon Tull leading the way, averaging 13 points per game. Brenden Hebert is the other Cougar to do so at 10.5 points per game.

Tip-off for Friday and Saturday night’s games are scheduled for 8 and 7 p.m. respectively and both games will be streamed live on http://canadawest.tv.

Women's Basketball

For the second week in a row, the Pronghorns women’s basketball team will play at the friendly confines of the 1st Choice Savings Centre and will face a strong test, hosting the CIS fifth ranked Regina Cougars.

The Horns are tied for sixth in the Prairie Division at 3-5 and are coming off a weekend split where they beat the UBC Okanagan Heat before losing a two-point game to the Thompson Rivers Heat, 66-64.

Ranked ninth defensively in the conference, the Horns held the Heat to just seven first half points on Friday night and average 62.2 points against per night.

At the other end of the floor, the Horns have struggled offensively thus far only scoring 54.8 points per game, but they showed some life last weekend, scoring a season high 77 points Friday and 64 points Saturday. A big reason for the Horns' offensive resurgence was the return of 2012-13 leading scoring Ali Cameron, who had missed the previous six games due to injury. In her first two games back she scored 12 and 24 points.

A bright spot this season for the Horns has been the play of fourth-year forward Kim Veldman. In seven games this year, Veldman has recorded five double-doubles and sits second in conference scoring, averaging 20.3 points per game. She is also second in conference rebounding, averaging 11.7 rebounds per game.

Tip-off for Friday and Saturday night’s games are scheduled for 6 and 5 p.m. respectively.

Men's Hockey

The Pronghorns men’s hockey team (1-12-1) will close out the first semester of conference action this weekend hosting the UBC Thunderbirds (3-10-1) in a pair of games at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Puck drops both Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. and both games will be streamed live on http://canadawest.tv.

For the Horns, the first half of the season has been a difficult one and they enter the weekend winless in their last seven games. The Horns are hoping to build off of Saturday night’s shootout loss to the Mount Royal Cougars, a game that saw the Pronghorns battle back from a 5-2 deficit to force overtime before falling in the shootout.

Women's Hockey

On the heels of their first four-point weekend of the season, the Pronghorns women’s hockey team travels to Vancouver to face the defending Canada West and conference leading UBC Thunderbirds in both teams’ final games of the first semester.

This weekend’s match up will be the second meeting of the year. On the opening weekend of the season, the Horns and Thunderbirds split their series in Lethbridge but the Horns earned an extra point in a 5-4 shootout loss before beating UBC 3-2 the next night.

The Horns put an end to a four-game losing streak last weekend in a big way, sweeping the Mount Royal Cougars in a home-and-home series. The pair of wins put the Horns right back into the playoff picture and they currently sit one point back of the Calgary Dinos for the final post-season position.

Horns basketball opens Canada West campaign

trevor.kenney — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 21:41:48 +0000

The Mike Hansen era begins this weekend for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball program.

The ‘Horns will open the 2013-14 conference schedule on the road against the Fraser Valley Cascades and Trinity Western Spartans.

Tip-offs for the weekend are set at 8 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night respectively, with both games streamed online at http://canadawest.tv.

In addition to the leadership change, the roster received a complete overhaul with only five players from last season’s roster returning. A quartet of guards and reserve post remain with the program and will be led by seniors Morgan Duce, Logan Reiter and Alex Fletcher.

Reiter and Duce both averaged double digit points per game last season and will be counted on heavily to increase their scoring totals after the departure of the top two scorers from last season in Derek Waldner and Julian Spear Chief-Morris.

Among the nine newcomers to the program, Australian Brandon Brine, as well as ACAC all-stars Rob Olsen and Jared Baker, are expected to make a significant impact in their first season with the program. Post Brent Watkins could be a wildcard contributor for the Horns after transferring from Citrus College in California. Watkins, who did not play high school basketball, comes to the Horns with raw talent and will be relied on to be a presence in the paint. In his second season with Citrus last year, Watkins averaged 9.2 points and 7 rebounds per game while hitting nearly 75% of his shots from the field.

For a full weekend preview, visit gohorns.ca.

Pronghorn Women

Despite missing the playoffs for the third season in a row, there were a lot of positives to take away from the 2012-13 season.

In her first season at the helm of the Pronghorns women’s basketball program, Erin McAleenan led the Horns to their first double digit win total since the 1994-95 season, but a duplication of the 2012-13 season will be a tough task for the Pronghorns in the always tough Canada West conference.

The Horns will open the 2013-14 conference schedule this weekend on the road traveling to British Columbia to face the Fraser Valley Cascades and Trinity Western Spartans.

Gone from last season are post Erin Skippon, forward Steph Inman and utility guard Kara Henry. While Skippon was only with the program for one season, her leadership and post presence will be dearly missed.

While the voids left will be hard to fill, the Pronghorns return their top two scorers from last season in Ali Cameron and post Kim Veldman. Cameron, a pure scorer, returns for her fourth season and will look to build off her career best 15 points per game average last season.

Veldman, who averaged nearly a double-double last season, will be leaned on heavily at both ends of the floor, while senior guard Katlyn Olsen will also be counted on to help lead the young squad. With six true freshmen cracking the Pronghorns roster, there will be some growing pains along the way.

Southern Alberta product Mariah Miller has had a nice start to her collegiate career, recording a double-double in only her third preseason game.

Guards Erin James, Sara Simovic and Kendra Lee will all see significant time as freshmen and will need to make significant contributions if the Horns are going to duplicate last season’s record.

Tip-off for Friday’s game versus the Cascades is set for 6 p.m. PST, while Saturday’s game versus the Spartans will go at 5 p.m.. Both games will be streamed live on http://canadawest.tv

For more, visit gohorns.ca.

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