2010 Dalhousie Sport Hall of Fame Class

In 2010, Dalhousie inducted four athletes, two builders and one team as part of it's Hall of Fame class.

Brian Gualazzi, Joan (Selig) Langley, Gordon Rankin, Kathy (MacCormack) Spurr were all inducted as athletes. Ian Oulton and Judi Rice were inducted as builders and the 1979-80 Women's Basketball team was inducted as a team.

Brian Gualazzi, Athlete: Hockey

In the sport of hockey there are many types of players essential to the game, but arguably none more so than goal scorers like Brian Gualazzi. The addition of Gualazzi to the Tigers hockey program brought a talented point-getter to the team and he proved himself time and time again over his four year university career. Described as an AUAA scoring sensation, Brian became a historical leader of Dalhousie’s hockey program.

Brian joined the Tigers in 1979 from the OHA Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds after surpassing an OHA junior scoring record held by Wayne Gretzky in 1978 with 75 goals. He was drafted that same year by the Minnesota North Stars and attended their training camp in September before coming to Dalhousie. During his first year with the Tigers the talented right winger was named an AUAA second team all-star. In his second year with the Tigers he collected 40 points and finished third overall in the Kelly Division in scoring.

The 1981-82 season was a break-out year for Gualazzi as he led the Tigers by setting an AUAA scoring record with 37 goals. Dalhousie’s Greg McCulloch had previously set the record at 35 goals ten years before in 1971-72. It was during this season that Gualazzi was moved to the position of centre. He also claimed 22 assists for a total of 59 points in the 26-game season. Brian attributes some of his success to his teammates. “Hockey is a team sport,” says Brian. “I was a goal scorer but you can’t do that by yourself – my teammates played a major role.” This incredible accomplishment earned him a spot on the AUAA first all-star team and he was also named a CIAU all-Canadian. At the year-end athletic banquet Brian was honoured as the team MVP and received Dalhousie’s Climo Award for Male Athlete of the Year. 

In a 1982 Dalhousie Gazette interview the Tigers head coach, Peter Esdale, described Brian as a “talented, gifted athlete who has a lot of poise with the puck.” Esdale went on to say that “Brian has a magic touch around the net – that’s his primary role and he does that very well.  I’m glad he’s on my team and not on someone else’s in the league.”

During his final season with the Tigers, Brian was named the team captain, a well-earned title for his great effort and leadership during the previous years. He led the team in his final year, once again as the Tigers points’ leader with a total of 32 goals and 19 assists totaling 51 points for the season. For the second year in a row Gualazzi was named an AUAA first team all-star and a CIAU all-Canadian. At the culmination of the season he was selected as the team MVP for the second year in a row.

With his determination, talent and athleticism Gualazzi led the Tigers and left a remarkable impression on the program. For all of the above reasons we honour Brian Gualazzi today with his induction in to the Dalhousie Sport Hall of Fame

Joan (Selig) Langley, Athlete: Field Hockey & Basketball

Elite athletes train to meet the highest standards of their sport and when looking back to Joan (Selig) Langley’s athletic career she surpassed all expectations. During her time at Dalhousie with the field hockey and basketball teams Joan exuded athletic ability, competitive spirit, charm and a warm, outgoing personality. She pushed herself to a higher level each time she stepped on the field or court, catching the eyes of many and created a legacy for herself.

Joan began her career with the Tigers in 1971 when she entered Dalhousie’s physical education program and joined the varsity field hockey and basketball teams. During her first season with the basketball team she was selected to the Canadian junior all-star team at the end of the CIAU national championships. She was also selected as  tournament MVP at the Loyola Invitational basketball in Montreal. As well, she helped lead both her field hockey and basketball teams to win the intercollegiate championships that year.

Over the summer of 1972 Joan was selected to represent Nova Scotia in a group of young, high-level athletes from across Canada to witness the Olympics in Munich. She received the opportunity to interact with young athletes from other countries and watch some of the Olympic events.

In 1973 she was a member of the Nova Scotia ladies field hockey team that attended the Canada Games in British Columbia. Noticed for her talent on the field, Joan was selected to the Canadian field hockey team that same year.

During the fall of 1972 Joan was honoured by Jack Gray, president of the Nova Scotia Softball Association, with a special dinner award presentation for her dedication and excellence in sport. It was at this dinner that Jack Gray was quoted as naming Joan to be ‘the finest female amateur athlete he had ever seen in local, provincial and national competition.’

Although she was quite busy with her athletic achievements, Joan found time for the Opportunities For Youth projects throughout her time at Dalhousie. The OFY projects were outreach initiatives to bring recreational activities to local communities. Joan was also a fan favourite of the student body demonstrated with the selection by her peers as the Gazette Athlete of the Week on numerous occasions.

Joan’s leadership on the field hockey team helped them to win four consecutive AUAA Championships (1971-75). The basketball team captured the AUAA Championship title during the 1971-72 and 1972-73 seasons. At the women’s basketball Loyola Invitational Tournament during the winter of 1972-73 Joan won the tournament MVP award and was also named to the all-star team.

Joan was honoured as the recipient of the Class of ’55 award as Dalhousie’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1974 and again in 1975. She was also recognized as MVP for basketball in 1972-73 and for field hockey twice in 1972-73 and 1973-74. 

Although 1975 marked the end of Joan’s career as a Dalhousie athlete, it also brought her to another level of competition. She was a member of Nova Scotia’s provincial field hockey team that captured the Canadian championship and also played in the Field Hockey World Cup in Edinburgh, Scotland. For their efforts, Joan’s 1975 NS provincial team was inducted in 1995 to the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.

Throughout her career Joan displayed incredible athletic talent and radiated leadership, a competitive spirit and was an inspiration to her teammates. For this reason, as well as her exemplary contribution to the Dalhousie varsity field hockey and basketball teams, we honour Joan Selig by inducting her to the Dalhousie Sport Hall of Fame.

Gordon Rankin, Athlete: Basketball & Football

Gordon S. (Gord) Rankin was one of the most decorated and well-liked Dalhousie athletes in the 1950’s. An incredible athlete, Gordon provided superb leadership and motivation to his teammates on both the basketball (1953-57) and football teams (1954-56).

A Halifax native, Gordon entered Dalhousie’s commerce program in 1953 and immediately joined the varsity basketball team. Gordon’s family notes that basketball was his favourite and best sport, providing him with passion for the game. By his second year with the team Gordon was already a starter and quickly became the Tigers leading scorer, which he remained for the rest of his time with the team. Gordon also led the basketball squad in his role as team captain for two seasons (1955-57).

Gordon had a love of sport and his craving for more brought him to join the varsity football team in 1954. He had never played in a football game before, but quickly found his feet and became an irreplaceable leader on the team. During his first year with the football squad he secured the starting positions of offensive centre and defensive linebacker. His talent and skill on the field greatly assisted the team in capturing the coveted 1954 Purdy Cup Championship.

During the 1955 season Gordon was selected as team captain and held the title for his last two seasons with Dalhousie.

At the culmination of the 1955 season Gordon was honoured with the Halifax Limited Trophy, awarded to the league’s most outstanding lineman. This award was incredibly special for Gordon not only for its prestigious title, but also because it was chosen by the players. As a testament to his individual talent, he was selected for the award even though the Tigers finished without a single win that season. In the 1956 season Gordon was honoured with a selection to the league’s offensive and defensive all-star teams.

Over his career he earned three football letters, four basketball letters and a gold D for his commitment to the Tiger teams during his time at Dalhousie. In 1957 Gordon was named Dalhousie’s Climo Award winner as the university’s male athlete of the year.

Gordon’s 1954 Purdy Cup Championship team was one of two teams that were part of the University’s inaugural induction to the Dalhousie Sport Hall of Fame in 2004.

Gordon is remembered by friends and family not only for his athletic prowess, but also for his positive influence on others and for his encouragement and enthusiasm on the field and in the locker room. For his incredible leadership we honour Gordon Rankin by inducting him into Dalhousie’s Sport Hall of Fame.

Kathy (MacCormack) Spurr, Athlete: Basketball

Many athletes dream of one day being able to represent their country at a national level and spend years training to get to this level. For Kathy (MacCormack) Spurr the dream became reality after just two years of playing university basketball. During her time at Dalhousie, she was an offensive powerhouse and she set many team and AUAA records.

Kathy’s four-year career as a Tiger began in 1984 when she became part of Dalhousie basketball program. She was originally recruited to swim at Dalhousie, but was determined to earn a place on the basketball team with her sister. “My sister was a big part of my development and success,” says Kathy. “She always challenged me.” Previously Kathy had played a year of basketball at Cape Breton University and she was forced to sit out for one year in order to meet eligibility requirements.

During the 1985-86 season, her first year with the Tigers, Kathy displayed natural leadership skills and led the team and league in field goal shooting at 56.6%. She worked hard to become second in team scoring and played an important role in her team’s AUAA basketball championship win, a moment which Kathy marks as the highlight of her career as a Tiger. Her effort and determination earned her a spot on the AUAA second team all-star roster that season.

In her second year with the Tigers, 1986-87, Kathy continued to be a dominant force on the court and once again led the team and league in field goal shooting at 58.1% and also became a leader in team rebounds. For her efforts she was named an AUAA first team all-star and CIAU second team all-Canadian. The CIAU also selected Kathy to play in Tokyo at the World Sports Fair on a team of top athletes from universities across Canada.

In the 1987-88 season, Kathy was selected to the AUAA first all-star team and recognized as AUAA MVP. At the national level once again she earned a spot on the CIAU second all-Canadian team. Dalhousie honoured Kathy that year as team MVP and with the Class of ’55 award as the university’s top female athlete.

In 1988-89, her final and most impressive season, Kathy co-captained the team. Again she led the AUAA in field goal shooting (51.9%), rebounds (142 total, 10.1 RPGA), and scoring (292 total, 20.9 PGA).  For her leadership and athleticism on the court, Kathy was chosen as team MVP and also honoured as the AUAA MVP. The CIAU named Kathy a first team all-Canadian.

Although basketball kept Kathy very busy she also found time to be a member of the Varsity Council and also worked at the Student Union Building information desk and at Dalplex as a lifeguard.

Kathy graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and in 1989 completed a certificate in Public Administration, but her basketball days were not over. In the summer of 1986 she was named to Canada’s National Women’s Basketball Team and went on to represent her country until 1992. Kathy also played semi-professional basketball in Berlin, Germany for the 1989-90 season.

“She only started playing basketball in grade 12. She was determined to get to the Canadian National team and she did that. In my view, she did the unimaginable. Who would ever believe that you could play for Canada after playing only two years of basketball? Obviously Kathy did,” says her former coach, Dr. Carolyn Savoy.

Since 1999 Kathy has shared her love of the game with her community as the head coach of the Halifax Grammar School’s Senior Girl’s Basketball Team. She has coached her team to two Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation Division 1 Titles. She also returned to Dalhousie to serve as Dr. Savoy’s assistant coach from 1992-94 and is a regular fixture at Tigers games, supporting the team year after year.

In 2007 Kathy was named Dalhousie’s A.J. Sandy Young Award winner for her contribution to the sport of basketball in Nova Scotia. That same year she was selected Basketball Nova Scotia’s Coach of the Year.

Currently Kathy is a Dalhousie School of Health Sciences faculty member. For her remarkable athleticism and accomplishments as a leader on the Tigers basketball team we induct Kathy (MacCormack) Spurr into Dalhousie’s Sport Hall of Fame.

Ian Oulton, Builder

Ian Oulton was a Dalhousie art history and economics student from 1962-66. During his time at Dalhousie he was also a member of the varsity football and hockey teams. Impressive both on the ice and on the field, Ian was honoured by Dalhousie in 1963 as football’s Lineman of the Year and later selected as the hockey team MVP in the 1965-66 season.

When asked about his university experience Ian says, “I learned more in the athletic field than the academic field. Much of what you learn in athletics helps you to survive in life. In athletics you learn how to win and lose and get along. In my business now the ability to communicate and work with people is by far the most important aspect. I attribute that to athletics.”

While a student Ian was also a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity.

After graduation from Dalhousie in 1966 Ian became an irreplaceable supporter of Dalhousie’s athletic program. He has put tremendous effort in planning and organizing extensive fundraising activities, including programs such as the Dalhousie Hockey Club and the facilitation and installation of premium seating at Memorial Arena.

The Dalhousie Hockey Club was created in 2009 and hosts fundraising events for the men’s hockey team. This club has been essential to the foundation of the men’s hockey program. In 2002 196 premium arena seats were installed at Memorial arena, donated by Ian. The gift of these seats has provided ongoing revenue stream for the team as funds generated through the annual sale of these seats are directed to the men’s hockey program.

Ian spent the 2005-06 season as chair of Dalhousie’s Athletic Endowment Fund campaign to support student-athletes. This fund is essential in raising money to fund scholarships and programs to attract top-quality competitive, talented student-athletes.

In 2008 Ian received Dalhousie’s President’s Circle medal, an honour that is given to university donors whose cumulative lifetime giving to Dalhousie totals $100,000 or more.

When asked about his generous contributions to the Tigers programs, Ian states, “Dalhousie was a contributor in giving me confidence to achieve goals in my lifetime. I would not be able to do it without the experience and exposure that I got at Dalhousie.”

Ian’s dedication and support of Dalhousie athletics has been an essential ingredient of the program’s success. To recognize his contribution we honour Ian Oulton by inducting him to Dalhousie’s Sport Hall of Fame. 

Judi Rice, Builder

Judi Rice is a fine example of an individual who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to Dalhousie athletics. Judi has been a Tigers’ supporter since 1971 and her involvement spans from her time as an athlete to her current position as the Black and Gold Club president. When asked about why she remains so involved with Dalhousie athletics, Judi says, “I was lucky enough to experience the academic side and participate in sport. Since it was such a good experience for me I always felt I wanted to give back to the school.”

Judi was enrolled in Dalhousie’s physical education program from 1971-75. During that time she was a member of the field hockey team each year and a member of the women’s basketball team for three years (1971-74). The field hockey team held the AUAA championship title all four years that Judi played and the basketball team captured the title during the 1972-73 season. She was greatly respected by her coaches and teammates and was honoured as the basketball MVP in 1973-74 and as the field hockey MVP in 1974-75. Judi also led the basketball team as captain for two seasons (1972-74) and the field hockey team for two seasons (1973-75).

Although earning a degree and playing on two varsity teams kept her busy, Judi also found time to get involved in student life at Dalhousie, and was on the executive of her physical education program’s class society.

Continuing her involvement with the Tigers basketball team after graduation, Judi served as an assistant coach under head coach Dr. Carolyn Savoy in 1978-79. Through the 1980’s Judi became the Tigers women’s basketball statistician and announcer.

After graduation from Dalhousie Judi continued to play field hockey until 1983 at a very competitive level including the Nova Scotia provincial team. In 1995 she was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame as a member of the 1975 Nova Scotia field hockey team that captured the national championship.

Eager to become more involved with other teams at Dalhousie, Judi joined the Black and Gold Club board in 1990. Since then she has spent a tremendous amount of time and effort supporting Dalhousie athletic programs, greatly contributing to its success. She has been instrumental in the creation of programs important to student-athletes such as sponsored tutoring and the graduating athlete’s reception. Over the past twenty years she has been with the Black and Gold Club board, Judi has served as the president for eight years.

In 2003 she was honoured as a recipient of the A. Gordon Archibald Alumnus of the Year.  This prestigious award is presented to alumni who have made significant contributions to Dalhousie University.

When considering everything that she has assisted with over the past thirty years, Judi says that for her the “brightest light” remains her time as the Chair of the Advisory Council on Athletics and their journey to establish the Tigers varsity women’s hockey program allowing for a gender equitable offering of varsity teams. “I have great pride in Dalhousie in the fact that we now have 14 varsity sports, seven men, seven female and that we are always very conscious of that.”

Judi Rice has been a remarkable supporter of Dalhousie athletics and has greatly contributed to the success of the athletics program. She has spent countless hours creating a better experience for Dalhousie’s student-athletes. To honour the incredible effort and all that she gives to the Tigers we are here today to induct Judi Rice into the Dalhousie Sport Hall of Fame.

1979-80 Women’s Basketball Team

Coming together as a group to meet a common goal in sport is what all teams aspire to do. It takes effort, determination, sacrifice and team chemistry. The 1979-80 women’s basketball team achieved these standards and excelled to become an unstoppable unit that worked together to win battles on the court and create a legacy for Dalhousie women’s basketball.

The team was brought together by head coach Dr. Carolyn Savoy in September of 1979. It was a fairly experienced team with members who had played together previously at Dalhousie and on provincial teams. With their talent and experience Coach Savoy was confident from the start of the year that their team would win the AUAA championship.

The team had a few bumps in the road before the season began including a memorable October practice where Coach Savoy stopped the session as she wasn’t convinced that the players were practicing to win. Anne Lindsay, the captain, stepped up and held a meeting to discuss with the team where they wanted to go for the season. When the meeting was over she told Coach Savoy that they were ready to focus and perform. This turning point brought a renewed focus on their strategy towards the common AUAA championship goal.

Towards the end of October the basketball team attended a tournament at Concordia and were ranked third nationally.

Over the winter break the team traveled to Regina and Saskatoon for seven exhibition games. This trip was another turning point for the team because when they returned for the second half of their regular season they had unmistakable confidence at how they matched up with top CIS teams.

With the consensus that they had talent and the attitude that they wanted to win the AUS and CIS championship, the team began to train even harder. They developed hand signals for all their plays since they knew it would be too loud to hear Coach Savoy’s directions at the championship games. They didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

The AUAA season passed quickly, and the Tigers maintained their lead, undefeated in league play. With Dalhousie’s first place finish in league play they earned home court advantage and the conference championship was held at Dalplex in March of 1980. Carried by a wave of intensity the Tigers continued undefeated through the championship and took the AUAA crown after dominating University of New Brunswick 77-53 in the final game.

Confident that she would boast a solid CIAU-contending team, Coach Savoy had bid to host the 1980 national championship the previous year. The Tigers were once again armed with home court advantage at Dalplex.

In the first round at the CIAU championship the Tigers overcame Winnipeg 61-52. Next up they upset Laurentian 55-42, leaving only one team, Victoria, between them and the national title. Victoria was ranked first in Canada that season, a well-earned ranking since the team boasted national and junior national team players including Carol Turney-Loos, the World Championship MVP.

In order to accommodate the number of fans the championship game was moved to the Halifax Metro Centre. Before the final game Coach Savoy spent a few minutes with each starting player pumping them full of confidence and reviewing their role for the game. Everything was in place for an incredible game in front of their home crowd. Dalhousie held the lead up until the last five minutes when it became a seesaw battle. With only a minute to go, Victoria pulled ahead and the final heart-breaking score was 64-59 Victoria.

Three of the CIAU tournament all-stars were awarded to Tigers Anne Lindsay, Anna (Pendergast) Stammberger and Jill Tasker. Team leader Carol Rosenthal was named a second team CIAU all-Canadian while captain Anne Lindsay, who was crucial to the development of team chemistry, earned CIAU first team all-Canadian honours.

An incredible team and an unforgettable year of courage, determination and team spirit left a memorable mark on Dalhousie’s women’s basketball program. Tigers head coach Dr. Savoy says, “This team is one I have always kept in my heart. They were a very special team.”

For their accomplishment of the 1979-80 AUAA Championship and the CIAU silver medal we honour the 1979-80 women’s basketball team by inducting them into Dalhousie’s Sport Hall of Fame.