Photos: UWinnipeg soccer players Kenny Sacramento and Sheri Hince
In a surprise move , the Canada West Athletic Directors put forward a motion at their annual winter meetings to officially accept The University of Winnipeg into the Canadian Interuniversity Sport – Canada West Conference in the sports of Men’s and Women’s Soccer. The motion received 100 percent approval at their meeting yesterday in Calgary, Alberta.
Moving to the Canada West Conference means that the Wesmen soccer teams will now play at the most competitive level for university athletes. For the past two years, the Wesmen Soccer program has been playing in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Association with great success. Both the men’s and women’s teams won league championships the past two years.
Since 2007, the Wesmen family has grown from just four teams to thirteen teams, adding soccer, baseball and wrestling teams to the already successful basketball and volleyball programs.
“The decision to accept our soccer players as competitors against the best teams in Canada builds on the reputation for excellence that exists within our athletic program,” said Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, President and Vice-Chancellor. “In the coming months we begin building a state-of-the-art indoor soccer Field House and Wellness complex on our campus that will enhance the sport experience for our athletes, expand intramural sports for all our students, and offer inner city youth new opportunities for recreation and development of their talents.”
“We expect to be very competitive in both men’s and women’s soccer. These student athletes will be playing at a very high profile level and will contribute even more as role models and ambassadors on our campus and in the inner city community”, said UWinnipeg’s Athletic Director Doran Reid.” We are proud that the hard work by people on campus, in athletics and in the soccer community has now come to fruition.”
The University of Winnipeg soccer teams begin competing in the Canada West Conference this September, 2012.
Find out more about the new UWinnipeg Multi-Purpose Field House, Health and Wellness Complex at http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/field-house
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Diane Poulin, Senior Communications Officer
P: 204.988.7135, E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
Sheldon Appelle, Sports Information Coordinator
P: 204.786.9823, E: s.appelle@uwinnipeg.ca
