'A rush to race'

Phillippe Boilard is the co-captain of the Tigers' men's swim team. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Dalplex will be the place to be this winter for sports fans as Dalhousie welcomes teams from throughout the Atlantic Provinces to at least three upcoming AUS championships.

Dalhousie’s varsity swim teams, men’s and women’s, host the AUS championships on February 6 to 8. Then, the AUS women’s basketball tournament opens, running February 27 to March 1. Dalhousie also has the potential to host the AUS men’s volleyball championship, depending on the outcome of regular season play.

In each of these championships, Dal will be a strong contender for a title; the opportunity to achieve this goal at home accelerates the motivation to win.

The men’s and women’s swim teams are both defending AUS champions. The men have won the last 10 titles and the women the last eight. David Fry, the head coach of both squads, says his athletes plan on continuing their winning ways.

“Winning an AUS championship never gets old,” he explains. “Each athlete has two major goals at the AUS meet: to qualify individually for the CIS championships and to help their team win an AUS title. The team has been training hard right through the holiday break so they are in peak form in February.”

Phillippe Boilard, co-captain of the men’s team, says it would be a mistake for his team to assume an 11th win is in the bag:

“It’s a privilege to be able to say that your team has won 10 titles, but it’s not something to be taken for granted. A mere slip-up, especially in the sprint events, can cause you to lose a spot or a medal. That’s the way our sport works. It’s also what makes it such a rush to race.”

At time of writing, both men’s and women’s swim teams were undefeated in AUS competition. The men had 12 athletes qualified for CIS nationals, the most they have ever had, and the women’s team had nine athletes qualified, with the goal of having six more join them before the end of the season.

The last time the Tigers hosted an AUS women’s basketball championship was in 2001, which was also the last time they won the conference title.

“The last time we hosted, Dalhousie did an outstanding job of making the players feel special and highlighting women’s basketball,” says Head Coach Carolyn Savoy, who led the Tigers to that championship win. “The final was played before a packed house and Dal beat St. FX to win the championship. I have no doubt the players will enjoy a well-organized tournament and that Dal will make it an event for them to remember.”

Heading into the 2008-09 regular season, one of the team’s biggest strengths was its depth—the squad enjoys a wealth of experience on its roster. Unfortunately, early in the season the team was plagued by injuries and illness, which resulted in the team losing its first three matches.

The Tigers rallied and rebounded, finishing the first half of the season with three wins. After some time off in December to rest and recuperate, the Tigers have been adding more wins to their record leading up to the AUS championship.  

Co-captain of Dalhousie’s basketball team and league leader for three-point shots, Brianna Orr is playing in her final year of eligibility and would like nothing more than to win the AUS championship.

“Nothing’s better than playing and winning in front of hometown fans, friends and family,” she says. “Coming back home to play in Halifax after playing at the University of Calgary for three years has been very special because my family has been able to watch me play my final couple years of basketball … Being able to share the excitement of an AUS championship with them will be even more special.

“To be successful, we will need to stay focused, give consistent and relentless effort, and play each game going forward as if it was a championship game, so when we get there we are prepared. Most importantly we must play as a united unit—we can accomplish great things if we don’t care who gets the credit because in the end we all win.”