McKaig, Terry
Graduating year: 1997
Degree: BHK
Terry as a player had made the Canadian national baseball team in 1995 but prior to his UBC appointment in 1997 had never before coached. Once he, along with his supporters the “Friends of Thunderbird Baseball”, established the program as part of the NAIA, the team experienced remarkable success.
Jackson, Roger
Graduating year: 1967
Degree: MPE
Dr. Jackson has a most impressive list of honours and acknowledgements including: the BC and UBC Sports Halls of Fame, UBC Alumni Achievement Award, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the IOC Olympic Order and the Order of Canada.
Mitchell, Reid
Graduating year: 1949
Degree: BPE
It was the previous year, 1948, that Reid played for the UBC team that won the Canadian basketball Olympic qualifying tournament. UBC’s victory meant Reid and his ‘Bird teammates, coached by Physical Education director Bob Osborne, were Canada’s basketball representatives at the 1948 London Olympics.
Sobral, Manny
Graduating year: 1993
Degree: BPE
By age 20, as an amateur boxer, he had won five gold medals representing Canada at international competitions. He was three times Canadian Amateur Champion and had represented Canada at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, another of UBC’s unheralded Olympians. His 126 amateur bouts included 40 knockouts and only nine losses.
Haar, John
Graduating year: 1968
Degree: BPE
As a student at UBC Haar can be considered one of the Blue & Gold’s greatest athletes. He was a record-setting T-Bird soccer player on some great UBC teams. As a Varsity football player he was pursued by the BC Lions and actually received a contract offer to play for the Dallas Cowboys. But Haar’s best sport was baseball as he played on UBC’s baseball team during the 1960s under coach Frank Gnup.
Sargent, Joanne
Graduating year: 1973
Degree: BPE
For more than ten years after graduation Joanne played Senior ‘A’ basketball winning several Canadian championships, a Canada Games team gold in 1975 and more MVP awards (a reported eleven) than she can recall. Moreover she and her teams won three more gold medals at Masters and Seniors Tournaments in 2005, 2009 and 2010.
Russo, Erminia
Graduating year: 1989
Degree: BPE
BC Phys. Ed. (Kinesiology) graduate Erminia Russo has forged an impressive career in the sport of volleyball. Erminia graduated from high school in Kelowna and beginning in 1982/83, her first year on UBC’s volleyball team, she was a starter quickly evolving into a three-time Canada West All-Star and All-Canadian.
MacKinnon, Dean
Graduating year: 1966
Degree: BPE
While a student, Dean played basketball under coach Hugh Marshall at John Oliver high school then attending UBC played on the Thunderbird rugby team. He was a pretty fair athlete which is required when refereeing high school basketball games, a career he began around age 30.
Griffith, Clyde
Graduating year: 1964
Degree: BPE
Clyde, from Trinidad, was part of this unique period, first enrolling in Medicine then realizing physical education and recreation were his passions. Also a noted musician, Clyde graduated from UBC in 1964 – he was International Student of the Year in 1962 – and quickly found his fellow alumni not only assisted his career but became life-long friends.
Bishop, Carole
Graduating year: 1973
Degree: BPE
With the national team, Carole competed in the Olympics, Pan-American games, World championships and North American championships. In European tournaments she was the MVP in 1975 and 1976, the latter year she was ranked the fourth best setter in the world.