The School of Kinesiology & Health Science has announced the 2010 inductees for the York University Sport Hall of Fame. Four former interuniversity athletes and one coach will be inducted during the dinner and ceremony on Thursday, May 27.
Created in 1980, the Sport Hall of Fame honours individuals who have significantly contributed to York’s interuniversity sport program as athletes, coaches and administrators, and who have exemplified the spirit and ideals of York University sports in their professional and community life. The selection committee consists of varsity alumni, current student-athletes and several University administrators, including Jennifer Myers, director of Sport & Recreation.
The inductees:
Barb Boyes (BA Spec. Hons. & BEd ’85) (right) was a member of the York women’s hockey program when the team won its first-ever Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Association (OWIAA) championship in 1982-1983. During her five years with the team, York also won two silver medals at the OWIAA championships (1980-1981, 1984-1985). An OWIAA all-star in 1981-1982, Boyes was the team scoring leader in her final year at York and in 1981 set Ontario records for most goals in a game (six) and most points in a game (seven).
Laura Branchaud (BA ’86) helped the York field hockey team reach the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union (CIAU) national tournament four times between 1979 and 1984. The squad won two silver medals in 1980 and 1981, and Branchaud was named to the tournament all-star team in 1981. York reached the national championships those years (1979-1982) after playing in four straight OWIAA championship games, capturing two gold medals (1980, 1981) and two silver medals (1979, 1982). In addition to her success at York, Branchaud represented Canada at the Olympic Games in 1984 and 1988 and went on to coach Carleton University’s field hockey team for four seasons.
Paul Just (BA Hons. ’92) won two silver medals in the pole vault at the CIAU championships in 1991 and 1992 and was named a CIAU all-Canadian in both of those years. A member of York’s track & field team for four seasons (1988-1992), he won the Ontario University Athletics Association (OUAA) silver medal in his final year with a jump of 5.30 metres that still has him third on York’s all-time list. He was named an OUAA all-star that year and also won two OUAA team bronze medals (1990-1991, 1991-1992) in his time at York. Just went on to represent Canada at a number of international competitions, finishing 17th at the 1988 Olympic Games, fifth at the 1990 Commonwealth Games and 10th at the 1991 World University Games.
Masaaki Naosaki (right) was the assistant coach of the York men’s gymnastics team from 1972 to 1995 and helped guide the squad to numerous provincial and national championships. A three-time CIAU coach-of-the-year award winner (1981, 1982 and 1986), Naosaki coached the squad to 21 OUAA gold medals and 18 CIAU gold medals. In addition to coaching at York, Naosaki also represented Canada at numerous international events. He was the head coach of the men’s gymnastics team at the Olympic Games in 1988 and 1992, the World University Games in 1985 and 1987, the Pan American Games in 1979 and 1999, and the Commonwealth Games in 1981, as well as leading the Canadian men’s world championship gymnastics team 12 times and the Pacific Alliance Championships team three times. In 1988, Naosaki became the first gymnastics coach to win the Coaching Association of Canada Excellence Award.
Chris Pollitt (BA ’91) helped guide the York women’s volleyball program to five straight OWIAA championship games and four CIAU championship appearances from 1986 to 1991. In that stretch, she won four OWIAA gold medals (1987, 1988, 1990, 1991) and two CIAU bronze medals (1990, 1991). She was named an OWIAA all-star in each of the five years she played at York, was an all-Canadian four times (1987, 1989-1991) and was a member of the OWIAA tournament all-star team in 1988 and 1990. Pollitt capped off her career at York by being named the female athlete of the year in 1991.
The Sport Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony takes place at the Montecassino Banquet Hall in Woodbridge, on May 27. Tickets are $75 per person or $600 per table (eight seats) and are available from Maryangela Berlingo at 416-736-2100 ext. 33166 or online at www.yorku.ca/alumni/rsvp.
Submitted by Alyson Fisher, sport & recreation information officer for Sport York