BRENDEN PALMER

On Apr. 1, Huskies Athletics inducted five members to the University of Saskatchewan Athletic Wall of Fame. The event began in 1984 to provide recognition to outstanding individual athletes, teams and team builders who have made exceptional contributions to the Huskie Athletics program.

Andrew Spagrud, a former Huskies men’s basketball player, was the first inducted in the athlete category this year. In 2004, Spagrud won the Canada West Player of the Year award and was named a Canadian Interuniversity Sport All-Canadian in his final four seasons. Spagrud remains the all-time leading scorer in Huskie and CanWest history with 2,182 points.

“I am greatly humbled, as I know the athletic calibre of my fellow inductees. I would also like to thank all of my coaches and teammates who I shared the court with along the way,” Spagrud said. “I am a firm believer in team sports, and everything that I am being recognized for today was facilitated with the help of my teammates and coaches.”

The second athlete inducted was Karlyn (Serby) Wells. Part of the track and field team from 2000 to 2005, Wells won 14 CanWest medals, eight of which were gold. At the CIS level, Wells earned 11 medals, including five gold medals. In 1999-2000, Wells was awarded the Pat Lawson Trophy for the Huskie Athletics Female Rookie of the Year, and in 2005 she represented Canada at the World Universiade Games in İzmir, Turkey.

“I had the privilege to train and compete with some of Canada’s greatest female athletes. Over my five years with the team, I ran with 15 different girls, and together we chased down Olympians, we fouled, we fell down, we got back up and against all odds we came back to win some championships we probably shouldn’t have won,” Wells said.” I would like to thank them and all of my coaches for always being there and supporting me.”

This year, the Huskies 1998–99 men’s volleyball team was inducted to the Wall of Fame in the team category. In 1998–99, the team won the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union Championship — the third national title in Huskie program history.

The Huskies entered the national championship as a wild card. They defied the odds and advanced to the final round, defeating the Laval University Rouge et Or 3–0 to claim the title.

Speaking on behalf of the team was former player Josh Janson.

“It was a privilege to be a part of such a great program and to play with such great players. On behalf of the 1999 Huskies, we would like to thank the University of Saskatchewan and Huskie Athletics for having such a great impact on our lives and inducting such a great team to the Wall of Fame,” Janson said.

In the team builder category, author Michael P.J. Kennedy was inducted for his contributions to the 2006 and 2015 editions of Dogs on Ice: A History of Hockey at the University of Saskatchewan, which chronicle the history of Huskie hockey. For over 20 years, Kennedy has consistently volunteered for Huskie Athletics, hosting events, writing content and more.

Kennedy said that he was honoured to be inducted into the Wall of Fame as a team builder, but added that many true team builders remain unacknowledged.

“Beyond the athletes and coaches, it is the people who provide medical, logistical, media and officiating support for all of our sports that are the real builders of Huskie athletics,” Kennedy said. “Other true builders are parents, friends and fans who are loyal to our athletes game after game, and year after year. I am extremely grateful for this wonderful honour, and most of all I thank you for allowing me to be part of the Huskie family.” 

The second inductee to the team builder category was Gil Wist, a former Huskies wrestler. Wist spent more than 30 years supporting the Huskie wrestling program as a liaison between the wrestling program and the Saskatchewan Amateur Wrestling Association. Wist continues to dedicate his time to improving the Huskie wrestling program, in addition to helping promote and support wrestling programs across the province.

“I would not be up here tonight if it were not for a love of sport. Everything that I’ve done over the years has simply been a labour of love. Working with the young athletes  — you just can’t describe the feeling of being a coach,” Wist said. “It’s just an incredible feeling, and you’ve got to have that love of your sport or you’re not going to have the results.”

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Image: Jeremy Britz / Graphics Editor