UNews - guard

Horns women's basketball adds recruits

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 17:25:31 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge women’s basketball head coach Erin McAleenan has announced the signing of five incoming recruits for the upcoming Canada West season.

Joining the ‘Horns for the 2013-14 season are local products Mariah Miller and Larsyn Webster, as well as Sara Simovic (Nanaimo, B.C.), Kendra Lee (Courtenay, B.C.) and Erin James (Calgary, Alta.).

During her first season at the helm of the Pronghorns women’s basketball program, McAleenan led the team to its first double digit win season since the 1994-95 season. The Horns will look to take steps forward with the help of this talented new crop of student-athletes.

Miller comes to the U of L after a successful high school career with the Catholic Central High School Cougars, where she was a multiple Southern Alberta High School Basketball League (SAHBL) all-star. During her senior season, Miller finished fifth in SAHBL scoring with 15.7 points per game and was named a league first team all-star. She was also a second team all-star in her grade 11 season.

At 5’10”, Miller will also provide some versatility for the ‘Horns with her ability to play both guard and forward and enters her collegiate career with elite level experience with the Provincial and Canadian Centre for Performance (CP) programs. McAleenan was the head coach for the Alberta U17 team last summer for which Miller played.

A true student-athlete, Miller was on the honour roll throughout her high school career.

“We are thrilled to have the commitment of a local student-athlete such as Mariah,” says McAleenan. “Her athleticism, size and ability to shoot the ball will all be an asset to our program.”

Also named a SAHBL first team all-star last season, Webster joins the ‘Horns after being a vital member of the Cardston Cougars 4A Provincial Championship team. As the Cougars’ starting point guard, Webster averaged 11.2 points in 14 league games and was the second leading scorer for the Cougars.

“We are very happy that Larsyn will be joining our program this fall,” says McAleenan. “She is another local student-athlete with a strong work ethic and is committed to putting in the time outside of practice. Larsyn’s ability to shoot the ball and create for others are some of the strengths she adds to our program.”

Vancouver Island Provincial MVP Sara Simovic will also joins the ‘Horns backcourt this season after a stellar senior campaign at Wellington Secondary (Nanaimo, BC). After averaging 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds a game in her final high school season, Simovic played in the B.C. High School All-Star game in Langley.

She also comes to the ‘Horns with vast elite level experience as part of B.C. Provincial teams from the U14 program up to the U17 age group.

“We are very pleased to have Sara joining our program this fall; she has a high basketball IQ and is a very hard worker,” says McAleenan. “Sara’s determination to be successful will definitely add a lot to our program both on and off the court.”

Another Vancouver Island standout who is making the trip east is G.P. Vanier Secondary guard Kendra Lee. In addition to averaging 26 points per game last season, she also set a new single game points record for the Vancouver Island tournament, scoring 44 points in a game.

Lee has shown the ability to be equally successful in the classroom making the honour roll throughout high school.

“Kendra’s ability to shoot the ball will really add depth to our offense as we move to the long FIBA 3pt line this season,” says McAleenan. “She has very good basketball game sense, and is a really hard worker. Kendra demonstrates all of the qualities we look for in our student-athletes and we are thrilled that she has chosen to become a Horn.”

Bishop O’Byrne point guard Erin James rounds out the 2013-14 ‘Horns' recruiting class and will be a dynamic member of the ‘Horns back court. James co-captained her Bishop O’Byrne team to a seventh place finish at the 4A Provincial tournament, while averaging more than 10 points and assists per game.

Another solid student in the classroom, James made the honour roll in both grade 11 and 12.

“Erin is a very well-rounded young lady who brings a strong work ethic and lots of energy to our program,” says McAleenan. “Her ball-handling abilities and her court-sense make her a great addition to our backcourt.”

The ‘Horns open camp this week and see their first non-conference action during the first week of October with a three-game tournament at Queen’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. The Canada West season kicks off the first weekend of November.

Horns bolstered by Kodiak recruits

trevor.kenney — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:02:17 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns head coach Mike Hansen has begun re-tooling the men's basketball roster with the signing of a pair of ACAC all-stars from the Lethbridge College Kodiaks.

Hansen announced the signing of southern Alberta products Rob Olsen and Jared Baker on Monday afternoon, wlecoming a pair of players whom Hansen previously coached at Lethbridge College during the 2009-2010 season. Olsen and Baker then embarked on their two year missions for the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. This past fall, both returned to the Kodiaks program and did not miss a beat, finishing one-two in team scoring.

Both Olsen and Baker have also excelled in the classroom, with each being named CCAA Academic All-Canadians this past season.

Olsen, a 6'1" guard from Cardston, Alta., finished fifth in South Division scoring averaging just over 19 points per game and was named an ACAC first team all-star, while shooting 49.6% from the field and over 47% from behind the arc. He also added 6 rebounds per game and 2.39 assists.

Prior to joining the Kodiaks, Olsen starred for the Cardston Cougars and was named the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League MVP in his final season (2008-09).

"Rob is an incredible talent and an outstanding young man," says Hansen. "I believe Rob is the best player to come out of Cardston since his uncle and former high school coach Ken McMurray. Ken was an all-Canadian for the Horns and I'm confident that Rob will have the same success with us."

Hansen adds that Olsen is also very accomplished off the court and represents the ideal of the Canada West student-athlete.

"Rob represents everything we look for in a recruit, he was not only an all-star, but a CCAA Academic All-Canadian. He is a character kid and will be a great ambassador for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge."

A Raymond, Alta., product, Jared Baker was named an ACAC second-team all-star this past season and averaged 15 points per game for the Kodiaks, while adding just under 6 rebounds and 3.13 assists per contest.

In high school, Baker was a two sport athlete, winning provincial titles for the Raymond Comets in both football (2008) and Basketball (2009). He led the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League in scoring in grade 11 with 24.1 points per game and was named league MVP in 2007-08.

"I'm very excited to be coaching Jared again," says Hansen. "He is such an incredible competitor and is willing to do whatever is needed for a team to be successful.

"He has evolved from being a shooter to an all-around player. Jared has a high basketball IQ and the success he's experienced playing for Todd Heggie's Raymond teams shows in the way he carries himself. His CCAA Academic All-Canadian also demonstrates that Jared expects excellence for himself."

The men's basketball team will look to round out its 2013-14 recruiting class in the coming weeks.

Alums Myshak, Brown turn knowledge into business

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:34:16 +0000

When they began their academic adventures at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, co-owners of the newly formed Isis Geomatics Incorporated, Steve Myshak (BSc '10) and Owen Brown (BSc '09) were heading down very different career paths.

In fact, Brown wasn't planning on staying at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for long. Originally enrolled in pre-engineering, he intended to transfer to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary to complete his degree there, but one semester in geography at the U of L and he knew he was hooked.

Myshak entered the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as a mature student, looking for a fresh start. He initially majored in history but after switching majors several times, he found his true passion.

"I took Geography 1010. They had it set up so that all the different geography professors came into the class and each took a week to show us the breadth of geography," says Myshak. "After I took that class, I decided that geography was what I liked and what I wanted to do."

Owen Brown, left, and business partner Steve Myshak are off and running with ISIS Geomatics Incorporated.

They both graduated from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with their bachelor of science degrees, Brown in 2009 and Myshak in 2010, and are both set to complete their master of science degrees at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ this summer.

"I'd always thought about getting my masters. I had a good relationship with my professor, Chris Hugenholtz; I had done some independent studies with him and I liked the classes he taught. I took a semester off after I graduated, but when Chris asked me one day if I would be interested in the masters' program I just ran with it," recalls Brown.

Myshak, who began studying for his masters under the supervision of Drs. Craig Coburn and Karl Staenz, also began studying the possibility of starting up his own company.

"When I was doing my masters, I was working with Agriculture Canada and I spent a lot of time in the field. We were using ground-based remote sensing. I thought there had to be a better way to get the data. I came up with the idea to attach sensors to UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and get the data that way. I looked into government funding, IRAP and Techterra, and found that there was funding available, but I needed someone else's opinion," says Myshak. "Our masters' class used to unwind on Fridays at Backstreet Pub. That is where I approached Owen. I told him I needed a partner and asked him what he thought of my idea. We had taken a couple of classes together in our undergrad and in our masters. Owen is very mature in the way he thinks, he has worked in industry and hasn't just spent all his time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Working with Owen was just a natural fit."

"He caught me a little off guard I guess, because I always thought I would just get a job when I finished my masters. I never thought about a business. I talked to my parents and they were very supportive. I decided to try it," says Brown. "We got started right away. Steve had already gotten some government funding, so we put a business plan together, put our nose to the grindstone and got to work."

They incorporated in August 2011. Although there has been a definite on-the-job learning curve, both Brown and Myshak feel strongly about the knowledge base they received and the support they continue to get from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"You gain a lot of critical thinking skills doing research and lab work at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. You are given a task and there may be several different ways to do that task. You just have to break it down and do it step by step," says Brown. "We have learned fantastic problem solving skills. The breadth of knowledge we have gained is unbelievable, and the support from our professors on our business has been great."

Using the technical knowledge they gained throughout their academic and work experiences, Myshak and Brown are quickly breaking into the agriculture industry. Judging by the feedback on their recent presentations, they are hopeful that ISIS Geo will soon become a familiar name in the oil and gas industry as well.

"We use UAVs to acquire imagery and then transform that imagery into data using geographic information systems (GIS). UAV's have been used in police and military applications but there are many applications for it in the commercial world," explains Myshak.

"For example, we do vegetation health mapping for remediation, livestock counting and recently we have been doing a lot of work for municipalities, measuring volumes of gravel piles for municipal audits. We have also done some mapping applications as well," says Brown.

Such aerial imaging work has traditionally been done by satellite, but ISIS Geo has a much more detailed response and quicker turnaround of data. With satellite information data, each pixel is 5m x 5m, but with UAV technology, Myshak and Brown can provide data that is 3cm x 3cm.

"One of the advantages is the much better resolution," says Myshak. "The other advantage is that we can fly and have the data the same day, whereas satellite data can take up to two-to-three months to get. We are also less expensive than satellite and we can work when it is cloudy because we fly the copter under the clouds."

Over the past eight months, they have been working on pilot projects that have proven to be highly successful. For this innovative new company, the sky's the limit.

This story first appeared in the February 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Tollestrup to join Horns

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:05:40 +0000

The 2012 Southern Alberta High School Basketball League (SAHSBL) most valuable player is coming to play for the Pronghorns women's basketball program.

Jackie Tollestrup, last season's southern Alberta MVP, committed to the Horns and head coach Erin McAleenan earlier this week.

"We are thrilled that Jackie has decided to stay home and be a Pronghorn this fall," says McAleenan. "After having been a multi-sport athlete, I am really looking forward to the possibilities with her potential now that she has committed to focus on basketball."

"Jackie is a very hard working and talented basketball player. Her relentless energy and competitiveness on the court will definitely add a lot to our program."

Tollestrup, a 5'8" guard from Raymond, just completed a successful high school career with the Raymond Comets. She led the Comets to a perfect 14-0 record in the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League, and will be quite well acquainted with her new home at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the Comets won the 4A Zone championships on the 1^st Choice Savings Centre floor this past spring.

The Comets went on to claim the bronze medal at the Alberta Schools Association Athletics (ASAA) provincial championships by beating Spruce Grove Composite in the third place game. She was also part of the provincial bronze medal winning team in 2010.

During her senior season, Tollestrup led the SAHSBL league in scoring, averaging 20.7 points per game. She was also third in league scoring in grade 11, averaging more than 16 points per game.

The Pronghorn women's basketball team will open training camp Aug. 27 and tip-off the Canada West conference schedule Nov. 4 by hosting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg.

Incoming executive excited about opportunity to boost student engagement

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:43:49 +0000

The spring winds bring an annual changing of the guard at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU). As another successful year at the Students' Union comes to an end, a new Executive Council is poised to usher in new, and what it expects will be prosperous, student initiatives.

"All of the initiatives and projects we will be working on will fall under at least one of six headings: increasing the effectiveness of our communications, increasing our presence on campus, strengthening our lobbying voice, improving our events, expanding our service base and promoting sustainability on campus," says newly appointed ULSU President Zack Moline.

Executive Council has taken a particular interest in boosting the organization's digital presence and online services. Numerous initiatives are taking shape that will make the Students' Union available on more media platforms and subsequently to a larger audience.

One particular undertaking is part of two Executive Council members' campaign platforms. Andrew Williams and Leyland Bradley are guiding a venture that would see the creation of an online tutor database.

"Students are currently forced to refer to cluttered posting boards, giving them only a small chance of actually finding the academic assistance they require," says Andrew Williams, ULSU vice-president academic. "I see this as simply unacceptable."

ULSU Executive Council also plans to utilize new avenues of communication to diversify and improve on-campus events.

"Students have such great and unique ideas. I want their input," says Lisa Rodych, the vice-president of Internal Affairs.

This year's council is also excited about the opportunity to advocate for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students' interests. As members of both the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and the Council of Alberta ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Students (CAUS), Moline and his colleagues intend to make major strides in improving the post-secondary experience at not only the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, but for students as a whole in Alberta and across Canada.

"Every year, every new council puts student engagement at the top of their list of priorities for their year in office, and I feel that our council will exemplify this," says Leyland Bradley, vice-president Operations and Finance. "We want to ensure that our campus events and our advocacy efforts are parallel with the opinions of our students."

This story first appeared in the Legend. To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Incoming executive looks to build off success

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:39:52 +0000

As a changing of the guard begins to take place within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU), it is a good opportunity to look back at what was accomplished in the previous year. From Fresh Fest to Humans vs. Zombies, hosting Peter Mansbridge and lobbying on behalf of students' interests, the ULSU had a very progressive and successful year.

It all kicked off with the most successful Fresh Fest to date, continuing a tradition of excellence with the event that students can look forward to experiencing well into the future.

Lectures by Peter Mansbridge, Dennis Edney (lawyer for Omar Khadr), various SACPA on Campus sessions and the Global Justice Student Speaker Challenge all contributed to the ULSU Executive Council's tradition of providing quality academic opportunities for all students.

"It is important to offer these types of academic opportunities to our students so they can gain a greater understanding of world issues, and perhaps apply what they learn in a classroom setting to real world situations," says Taz Kassam, outgoing ULSU president. "It also offers students a chance to think critically and engage in healthy discussion with their peers on issues impacting the world."

The Students' Union strives to offer services to students in an attempt to aid in the success of each and every student that enters the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campuses in Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton. The ULSU also looks to enhance student engagement, and in the past year this was achieved by increasing the number of on-campus clubs, hosting a Municipal Mayoral Candidates Forum and creating new and exciting events like Humans vs. Zombies, Open Mic Night in the Zoo, Meltdown and ULSU Karaoke Shenanigans for
St. Patrick's Day.

"We want to provide students with opportunities that create lasting memories of their time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says Kassam. "Creating these memories is all part of the greater university experience and aids in retention."

A number of traditional events from past years continued, including the ULSU/EUS Fashion Drive, the Volunteer Tax Program, the Last Lecture, Ender Bender, Last Class Bash and the IVCF/ULSU Used Book Sale.

"These events have proven to be successful and of great value to our students and we want to continue the support we provide with events such as these," says Kassam.

The ULSU achieved a landmark this year with students voting in favour of two referendum questions, one to tie ULSU Fees to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the second for a one-time ULSU fee increase of $5 per semester.

"This will allow the Students' Union to continue to build upon the quality of events and services it provides to students, such as our Food Bank and funding for scholarships," adds Kassam. "It is of the utmost importance that the Students' Union maintain and build upon the level of service to our students attending all campuses."

The ULSU had a very progressive year in terms of lobbying. Through the Council of Alberta ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Students (CAUS), the ULSU lobbied the provincial government on key issues such as the regulation of non-instructional fees and allowing easier access for students to vote during provincial elections.
The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) also helped the ULSU advance throughout the year by focusing their lobbying efforts on the Post-Secondary Student Support Program, a program designed to promote greater accessibility for Aboriginal students, offering more assistance to international students, as well as amendments to the Canadian Student Loan Program policy.

"All in all, it has been a very successful year for the ULSU," says Kassam. "The support from all bodies on campus, and in the community, is greatly appreciated and the success could not have been achieved without this continued support. It is with this in mind that our organization is able to exist for our students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge."

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Heninger, Davis named athletes of the week

trevor.kenney — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:52:09 +0000

Becky Heninger and Randy Davis, members of the Horns women's and men's basketball teams respectively, earned Pronghorn Athlete of the Week honours this week.

Heninger, a fifth-year guard and former ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dino, helped the Horns gain a split of two games against her former team this past weekend. On Friday night, in a Horns loss, Heninger scored a team high 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting and added five rebounds and four steals.

The next night, in the Horns' 64-52 win, Heninger scored another 16 points, hauled down five rebounds, collected five steals and chipped in three assists.

Through four games, Heninger is second in the conference in scoring and steals, averaging 18 points and four steals per contest.

Davis staked the Horns to their first victory of the season when he hit a three-point shot at the buzzer for an 80-79 victory on Friday night. The fifth-year guard had 19 points on the night as the Horns beat the Dinos in Calgary.

On Saturday night, Davis scored another 16 points and added five rebounds in a loss to the Dinos.

Through two weeks of conference action, Davis leads the Horns scoring and sits 10th on the conference scoring list, averaging 18.8 points per game.

Horns men's basketball adds guard

trevor.kenney — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:56:42 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball team continues to fill out its roster for the start of the 2010-11 Canada West basketball season. On Monday, July 5, the Horns announced the signing of another quality recruit, guard Zack Humphrey from Spokane, Was.

Humphrey is a five-foot-11 combination guard (point and shooting) who was a standout at Shadle Park High School in Spokane, where he earned first team All State honours in his senior year.

For the past two seasons, Humphrey has put up impressive numbers for Community Colleges of Spokane. He was named a first team East Division all-star last season as his club posted a 24-4 record while he averaged 16.8 points per game, including 43 per cent shooting from the three-point line.

Meanwhile, the Horns also announced that they have scheduled a pair of exhibition games against Northern Arizona ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in August. The Horns will meet NAU Wednesday, Aug. 11 (7 p.m.) and Sunday, Aug. 15 (10 a.m.) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary.

Horns add another post threat

trevor.kenney — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:45:27 +0000

A week after announcing the addition of one post threat, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball team has added another.

Niko Kovac, a six-foot-11 inch, 250-pound post from Toronto, will join the Horns this fall, adding more size and grit under the basket. Kovac played one season overseas in the club system in Serbia before suiting up at Casper College in Casper, Wy. last season. He's expected to add strong physical play around the hoop, and has a natural scoring ability on the low block.

"We felt a need to shore up our front end in our recruiting," says Horns head coach Dave Adams. "I believe that returnees Derek Waldner (six-foot-eight) and Wes Chapman (six-foot-eight) combined with new Horns Abner Kamps (six-foot-10) and now Niko Kovac (six-foot-11) gives us that physical presence around the hoop."

Another addition to the Horns is guard Julian Spear Chief-Morris.

"He is also now eligible after sitting out his transfer year from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria, so we are thrilled to be adding him to our roster next season as well," says Adams. "Julian is well known in this area for his basketball talent after starring at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute in his high school career."

The first action for the 2010-2011 season will come in August as the club has entered into an agreement to play ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern Arizona and Iowa State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ (both NCAA Division I schools). Details of those matchups will be forthcoming.

The Horns will be running a summer basketball league in July and August and expect to be releasing registration information soon.

As well, registration is now open for the following events by calling the Customer Service Centre (403-329-2706):

-Horns Select Basketball Tournament (June 18-20). Entry fee is $400 per team.

-Steve Rodehutskors Memorial Golf Tournament (Sept. 11 at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort). Entry fee is $150 per golfer.

Lawrence, Durnin pick up Pronghorn awards

trevor.kenney — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:23:56 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball team continued its march toward a Canada West playoff spot and Danhue Lawrence played a big part this past weekend.

Lawrence and Jenna-Marie Durnin of the Horns women's hockey team were named Subway Pronghorn Athletes of the Week on Tuesday.

In men's basketball action, the Horns improved to 9-8 on the season and maintained their hold on third place in the Prairie Division with a sweep of Winnipeg Wesmen. Lawrence, a fourth-year guard, led the charge as he combined for 31 points and 15 rebounds over the two games.

In the series opener, Lawrence recorded his fifth double-double of the season, picking up 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Saturday night, he led all scorers with 16 points and registered another six rebounds in the Horns' 70-52 win over the Wesmen.

Through 17 games, Lawrence is seventh in the Canada West Conference in rebounding, averaging 7.8 per game, and is also 13th in scoring with 14.7 points per night.

Jenna-Marie Durnin earned the female athlete of the week honour after scoring a goal and an assist as the Horns lost a pair of close games to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos.

Friday night, Durnin assisted on the Horns' only goal in a 3-1 loss. The next night, the management student scored the Horns' first goal in a 3-2 shootout loss. On the season, Durnin sits second in team scoring with three goals and six assists.

UNews - guard

Horns women's basketball adds recruits

Related Topics

Horns bolstered by Kodiak recruits

Related Topics

Alums Myshak, Brown turn knowledge into business

Related Topics

Tollestrup to join Horns

Related Topics

Incoming executive excited about opportunity to boost student engagement

Related Topics

Incoming executive looks to build off success

Related Topics

Heninger, Davis named athletes of the week

Related Topics

Horns men's basketball adds guard

Related Topics

Horns add another post threat

Related Topics

Lawrence, Durnin pick up Pronghorn awards

Related Topics