News Updates 2004-2005

April 11, 2005

Just a quick note to let you know a few details about awards, now that the university athletic season has drawn to a close. In terms of team awards, the following were presented:

Rookie of the Year -- Jaime Dale
Top Defensive Player -- Claire Meadows
Most Valuable Player -- Amy Goodday

As for the university-wide awards, Frank Dixon has kindly written an article (see below). Given that Queen's has more than 800 athletes, the accomplishments are truly outstanding.

Enjoy,
Dave.

Women's basketball scores big at Colour Awards 2005
By Frank Dixon (with inserts by Dave Wilson)

The 69th annual Colour Awards Ceremony for Queen's University athletics was held Sunday, April 3rd. It proved to be a terrific afternoon for the women's basketball Gaels. Amy Goodday captured the top female award, the PHE '55 Alumnae Trophy, as the graduating athlete who has brought the most honour to Queen's by her academic and athletic achievements!!

This was only the second time that a basketball player was selected as winner of the PHE '55 award. Jacqueline Beaudoin, Arts '01, had also won in 2001.

Although there was tough competition among several other excellent candidates, Amy's victory was very well deserved. She has been an Academic All-Canadian on two occasions; this signifies an average of 80 per cent or higher for an athlete in a CIS sport. This season, Amy was chosen an OUA All-Star for the third straight season and the team's Most Valuable Player. She led the Gaels in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. Amy finishes her Queen's career as the all-time leading rebounder in school history, woman or man. She is currently third, all-time, on the OUA career rebounding list. Amy also is among the top four scorers all-time for the women's Gaels, along with leader Erin McDiarmid, Jen Jackson, and Vicki Wilson. Her five-year career has included the most successful stretch ever for the team at Queen's, as the Gaels qualified for the CIS Final Eight twice, in 2001 and 2003, winning the Ontario crown in 2001, and the OUA East title in 2003, as well as being very competitive in the other three seasons.

Amy, a 6'2" post player from Halifax, said later that she hopes to play professional basketball next year in Europe, following the example set by her Nova Scotia Gaels' teammate of four years, Erin McDiarmid.

Sarah Cameron may have only played basketball for one season at Queen's, but she certainly left her mark this year. Sarah provided terrific leadership and all-round play during this past campaign. After starring for the McMaster Marauders for four seasons from 1998-2002, Sarah worked and travelled for two years, before taking her Education degree this year at Queen's. She broke the all-time OUA women's rebounding record this season, and was chosen an OUA All-Star for the fifth time; only Diane Norman of Laurentian had previously achieved that distinction. Sarah was awarded a Special Merit Plaque at Colour Night in honour of her record-breaking rebounding achievement!!

For more than a quarter of a century, Dave Fritz, a Queen's instructor in Mechanical Engineering, has been a vital and consistent contributor to the Queen's Golden Gaels basketball program. Dave, Sci '70, and a past instructor of this writer, began videotaping Gaels' games in the late 1970s. This lasted until Geoff Smith, the Queen's professor who was an assistant coach with the Men's team at the time, yanked Dave away from the camera and installed him behind a microphone, with orders to announce the game! As an announcer of hundreds of games, for both women's and men's teams, Dave has only missed two games due to illness since that time, over 20 years ago, a remarkable record of dedication. Dave's distinctive, personal, and fun-loving style has been enjoyed by the thousands of fans at Bartlett Gym during those years. Dave retired from his career with Queen's last year, and decided to do the same from his basketball announcing duties. Dave, along with co-winner Doug Jefferies, a longtime Kingston broadcaster, was presented with the Special Recognition Award, in honour of his outstanding efforts on behalf of Queen's Athletics!! Most appropriately, Dave Fritz received his award from Dave Wilson, women's Gaels' Head Coach, who has been around Queen's for virtually the entire span of Dave Fritz's basketball career! Dave Fritz was beaming afterwards!

Women's Basketball 2004-05 Season Wrap-Up
By Frank Dixon

The women's basketball Gaels posted another solid season, finishing with a 13-9 league record, good for fourth place in the very competitive OUA East. This earned them a home playoff date with the York Lions, who scored a 40-36 upset win. Queen's had defeated the Lions in both regular-season games. The Gaels were very active this season as they had played more games (36) through mid-February than any other CIS team, visiting Lennoxville, Halifax, and Montreal for Invitational tournaments, as well as hosting their own Frank Tindall event. The Consolation title at the Concordia tournament saw Queen's beat strong teams Laurier and Laurentian. Highlights were the team's league victories over Ontario challengers Toronto, McMaster, Guelph, and Laurentian (in Sudbury again!!). In recent seasons, Queen's has built a reputation as one of Canada's best defensive teams, and upheld this high standard once again as they finished as #1 in Ontario and #3 in Canada, out of 41 teams. It was a season of record-breaking performances in rebounding, as two Gaels -- Amy Goodday and Sarah Cameron -- made basketball history. Goodday established a new Queen's career mark, for women or men, of 661 rebounds. Cameron, who had starred at McMaster for four years from 1998-2002, broke the all-time Ontario women's career rebounding mark with a new total of 774. Both Goodday and Cameron were selected to the OUA East All-Star team; Cameron becomes only the second player in OUA history to earn All-Star status in all five of her seasons. Jaime Dale was selected to the OUA East All-Rookie team. Goodday, who led the team in scoring, rebounding, and blocks, was honoured as both the OUA's "Athlete of the Week," and the Queen's Journal's "Athlete of the Week." Claire Meadows was also selected as the Queen's Journal's "Athlete of the Week." Three stalwart Gaels -- Goodday, Jen Bittner, and Cameron -- will graduate, but the team's successful run seems set to continue, since several key starters return, and some very talented rookies, reserves, and new recruits will be ready for increased playing time next season.

Gaels can't underestimate Lions
By Frank Dixon

The first women's basketball playoff game at Queen's in eleven years will see the York Lions come to Bartlett Gym on Wednesday night. Queen's had hosted the OUA Championship in 1994, when the event was decided in an eight-team crossover tournament between the East and West divisions.

This season, Queen's finished in fourth place with a 13-9 record, while York (10-12) ended in fifth spot. With a quarter-final round being added this year to the OUA playoffs, the top two finishers in each division receive a first-round bye, and the remaining third-to-sixth place teams battle for the chance to advance with a win.

Queen's won both games against the Lions during the regular season. At York in late January, the Gaels prevailed 51-48 in the final minute. Just last weekend, Queen's again won, 58-46.

But York is a difficult team to meet, because their longtime Head Coach Bill Pangos always had them well-prepared. The Lions are a very patient team, favour a solid zone defense for most of each game, and their press and ball-hawking guards can cause serious problems if not carefully watched.

York, one of the youngest teams in Ontario, got off to a hot start this season, but a chain of serious injuries took them out of contention for a higher seed. Their leading scorer, forward Kimberly Gibbs, who notched up 30 points in one league game, is gone for the season. Promising rookie forward Emily Van Hoof, who was well up in league rebounding statistics, is also sidelined until next season.

Rookie point guard Laura MacCallum played all 40 minutes against Queen's last Friday, and led her team in scoring with 17 points. MacCallum should receive some strong consideration as the OUA East's Rookie-of-the-Year this season. Fifth-year guard Christa Lodge is a dangerous three-point shooter. Sophomore forward Brenan Rurek is likely the Lions' most complete player, contributing scoring from all over the court, while also excelling at rebounding and on defense. Third-year post Sarah Brodie, at 6'2", has improved her defense significantly, with two blocks against the Gaels last weekend; however, Brodie's offensive game is still a work in progress. Promising 6' sophomore forward Jaemie McClusky is being called upon more in Van Hoof's absence. Rookie guard Mylaine Mageau is a combative player, while junior guard Meghan Jarvis can also cause problems.

Queen's Head Coach Dave Wilson commented after Saturday's final league game that his team is a bit run down right now, and that many of his players are nursing ailments of various types, which is not surprising in midwinter after a long league campaign and tournament season. The Gaels had to play without their starting point guard Nathalie MacNeil (concussion) last weekend, but Nathalie hopes to be ready for Wednesday's game. Queen's has played more games so far this season (35) than any other CIS team, and they are certainly improving as the season progresses.

The Gaels have more size, big-game experience, and roster depth. They will also be playing in front of a supportive home crowd. Queen's should be favoured to win on paper, but the game will actually be played on the basketball court!

Cameron Breaks OUA Record
courtesy goldengaels.com

(February 11, 2005 – Kingston, ON) Queen’s Sarah Cameron (Sault Ste. Marie) recorded six points and nine rebounds tonight in the Gaels 58-46 victory over the York Lions. With the nine rebounds, Cameron established a new OUA career rebounding mark of 771. The previous mark of 767 was set last season by former Brock Badger Stacey Farr.

Cameron joined the Gaels this season after making the decision to attend teacher’s college. Cameron had a stellar career at McMaster, where she was a four-time OUA West All-Star and two-time team MVP. Cameron has made a significant contribution in her first, and only, year as a Gael recording 238 points and 176 rebounds to date.

The Gaels, improving to 13-8 with the victory, will host the Laurentian Lady Vees on Saturday night in their last regular season game of the year. Tip-off is 6:00pm. The Gaels will then look to the postseason, which starts on Wednesday, February 16th. The Gaels will play at home, but their opponent is to be determined. Game time is 6:00pm at Bartlett Gym.

Gaels Victorious over Rams, Goodday sets Career Mark
courtesy goldengaels.com

February 4, 2005 – Toronto, ON) Amy Goodday (Halifax, NS) made Queen’s history tonight in the Gaels 56-45 victory over the Ryerson Rams. Goodday, a fifth year post player, recorded 9 rebounds to break the Queen’s All-time career rebound mark. Goodday now has 633 career rebounds for the tricolour, eclipsing the previous mark of 629, which was held by former team-mate and Nova Scotia native Erin McDiarmid.

Goodday netted 14 points to lead the Gaels to their 12th win of the season. Sarah Cameron (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) added 12 points and Jennifer Bittner (Ottawa, ON) had 10. Amanda Redhead (Brampton, ON) led the Rams, and all players, with 15 points and 9 rebounds.

Cameron is also chasing her own piece of history. Cameron, a 4-time OUA West All-Star with the McMaster Marauders, is on the verge of breaking the OUA All-time career rebounding record. The current record of 767 was set last year by Stacey Farr of the Brock Badgers. Cameron recorded 8 rebounds against the Rams, to bring her career total to 751. Cameron needs just 17 rebounds to break the mark, with three games remaining.

The Gaels (12-7) next face the East leading Toronto Varsity Blues in tonight. The Gaels currently sit tied for third in the East, four points behind the Blues. Game time is 6:00pm at Toronto.

Gaels Goodday and Cameron close in on all-time basketball records
By Frank Dixon

Both are team leaders, nearing the ends of their amazing careers in university basketball. Both are fifth-year seniors, hoping to lead the Queen's Golden Gaels to championship glory as the season approaches its climax, straining with everything they have to extend the season for their teams, for as many more games as possible.

There is one more thing that Golden Gaels' posts Amy Goodday and Sarah Cameron have in common during these icy, windy, cold wintry days. Both Amy and Sarah are chasing all-time Ontario Athletic Association league marks for rebounding success, with Amy also moving in on two Queen's team marks.

Amy Goodday, in her fifth season as a Golden Gael, and an OUA All-Star the past two seasons, stood in tenth place entering this season on the all-time OUA rebounding list, with 473 rebounds. After 18 games this year, Amy now has 624 rebounds, following an amazing weekend of January 21-22, which saw her named as both the OUA Athlete-of-the-Week and the Queen's Journal's Athlete of the Week. The all-time Queen's record is 629 rebounds, held by Erin McDiarmid, who played from 1999-2004, and this is the best for a female OR male basketball player at Queen's. So, Amy is just six rebounds away from breaking the all-time Queen's career mark!

Sarah Cameron may be in her first and only season as a Golden Gael, but she built a brilliant career at McMaster from 1998-2002, which saw her selected as an OUA All-Star in four straight seasons, and McMaster's team MVP in two of those years. Research has shown that only Diane Norman of Laurentian was selected as an OUA All-Star in all five of her seasons, so Sarah has a chance to tie that incredible achievement this year, should she be selected again as an OUA All-Star. Sarah is taking her Education degree at Queen's this year, and playing her fifth and final season of basketball eligibility. Entering this season, Sarah had 595 career rebounds, with the all-time OUA mark of 767 being held by Stacey Farr of Brock (1999-2004). So far this season, Sarah has extended her career mark to 743 rebounds, and needs just 25 more to surpass Farr.

There are still four games remaining in the league season, so both Amy and Sarah have excellent chances to make some basketball history!! Research at this time is incomplete, but it is possible that Amy could also break the all-time Queen's career scoring mark for a woman basketball player. McDiarmid also holds that record with 1048 total points. From 2002-2005, Amy has scored 819 points, but information may be temporarily unavailable for her first two seasons (2001-2002, and 2002-2003), because of the redesign of the OUA website, which used to contain this information, but no longer does so.

A Note From the Coach - Fall 2004 Wrap-up
(December 10 '04)

Thought I would send out a brief note to wrap up the fall season. It certainly has been a bumpy ride, but it has laid the groundwork for what I believe will be a very exciting and successful winter term. We played seven games against teams that have been in the Top 10 in the country -- we have lost four league games, the widest margin being seven points. We have lost leads, come from behind, won close games and won big. We are in a 3-way tie for second place in the East, one game out of first (Ottawa does have 2 games in hand). Critical contributions have come from veterans and rookies alike, with 10 of 12 players hitting double figures in at least 1 game. Team chemistry is outstanding and all the pieces of the puzzle are now starting to move into place. It is going to be a fun second half of the season.

We head to Montreal to compete in the Concordia Tournament on Wednesday, December 29, opening with Bishop's University at 6:00pm. Laurier and Victoria are in our half of the draw with Concordia squaring off against Laurentian and Memorial facing UQAM in the other half of the draw. It should be another very tough tournament.

We return to league play, on the road at Guelph and Brock on January 7 and 8 respectively. We play Guelph at 6:00pm followed by an afternoon game with Brock (2:00pm). We are back in Bartlett Gym on the 14th & 15th of January to host Windsor and Western.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of our entire team to thank you for your kind support and wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season.

See you in 2005!

Dave.

P.S. An early Christmas gift for Assistant Coach, Adam Lynn, as his wife Bety gave birth to a bouncing baby girl (Rylie) on December 6. All are happy and healthy.

Erin McDiarmid - An Amazing Gael
By Frank Dixon

Erin McDiarmid will definitely be missed in Canadian Interuniversity basketball this season. Her outstanding skills, great leadership, and work ethic helped to carry the Queen's Golden Gaels to their best-ever seasons while she wore #12 in Bartlett Gym and on courts across the land.

At Queen's, Erin, who picked up the nickname "Derm", leaves behind an impressive collection of records and achievements. Now playing professional basketball in France, Erin won a Gaels' team award in every one of her five varsity seasons, a record which will never be broken! She started off with Rookie of the Year, followed with Most Improved Player, then Best Defensive Player, and finished with consecutive Most Valuable Player awards.

Erin, a very good student in the classroom, earned two Queen's degrees in her five years on campus, and finishes her Gaels' career as the team's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She is the first Queen's woman to top 1,000 points in league play, finishing with 1,048, a feat only three Gael men (Derek Richardson, Mike Scotten, and Mike Burleigh) have been able to manage. Her 629 career rebounds in league games are actually more than any Queen's man has managed, with Scotten's 608 being the best there.

Erin is one of a very select group to end their Ontario careers in the top ten in both scoring and rebounding. Erin also wound up with a career field goal percentage over 50 per cent, which indicates both deadly finishing and clever shot selection. Free throw conversion in the 80 per cent range, together with an ability to spot up outside and drain three-pointers, more assists than one would expect from a post player, and a desire to do all the little things which entail a winning basketball team, combine to make up a player for whom "True Grit" would be the logical description.

Queen's Head Coach Dave Wilson said that Erin's strong examples greatly raised her teammates' play and effort. Even the team's coaches put in more time once morning workouts on campus during the summer months became available, because of Erin's year-round dedication to making herself a better player.

All of Erin's past teammates benefited from Erin's dedication, helped contribute to her success, and enjoyed the great run the team has put together. Post Amy Goodday and wing Jen Bittner each played four seasons with Erin, and both are back for their fifth and final seasons this year.

Amy and Jen essentially spoke as one when asked about Erin as a teammate. "She worked really hard all the time, on and off the court." Amy said. Amy, also twice an Ontario All-Star, formed a dynamic duo in the post with Erin, especially during the past two seasons, giving the Gaels arguably the best post game in Canada. Jen, who is known across the country for her outside shooting and strong defense, said that she increased her own efforts when she saw what Erin was doing to become better, and so was able to build up her own game.

It is very difficult to pick which season was Erin's best. But my vote would go for her fourth year, 2002-2003, in which she was selected a First Team OUA East All-Star, earned CIS All-Canadian honours (Honourable Mention), led the Gaels in scoring and rebounding per game, finishing high in national rankings in both categories, and was chosen the "Award of Merit" winner by Queen's Athletics. As team co-captain, she helped lead the Gaels to their second Ontario East Championship and second CIS Final Eight appearance, where the team finished seventh in Canada.

In her early seasons, Erin, from Windsor, Nova Scotia, had to learn the challenging ropes of the CIS, and battled for playing time in the post behind established university players. Erin was not an immediate star, but gradually developed into one. When Erin arrived at Queen's, Jen Jackson, twice an outstanding All-Star herself, and Erin Cressman were the post starters. But McDiarmid immediately made her presence felt, built up her ability and strength through intense dedication, and made the most of opportunities. The Gaels have developed a tradition of superb post players in the last decade, which has been achieved by clever recruiting, selection, and offensive design, and at least as importantly by longtime Assistant Coach Tim Orpin's focus on fundamentals and his willingness to spend extra time working on skills with the players.

With skill, size, depth, and experience throughout the squad, led by dedicated coaches, the Gaels improved steadily, and evolved in 2000-2001 to capture their first divisional and provincial championships. Those were results which surprised many, as they had to win three games in four days against higher-ranked teams on enemy courts, throwing in province-wide travel along the way. At the CIS finals in Edmonton, despite battling a flu bug which hit much of the team, Queen's shocked favoured Victoria in the first round, and finished fourth in Canada. Jacqueline Beaudoin went on a tear during the playoffs with the best basketball of her career, earning CIS All-Tournament team honours in Edmonton, and Jack's example showed the way for Erin and her teammates in following seasons.

When Jackson and Cressman graduated, "Derm" was ready to step up, and she averaged over 30 minutes per game in her last three seasons. Her career high was 29 points against Toronto in a 2002 playoff game, hitting three treys in a row near the end of a heartbreaking close loss.

Queen's returned to the CIS finals in 2002-2003 when they won the Ontario East title in Ottawa by upsetting favoured Laurentian, which had a perfect season going, in the divisional final. The Gaels lost the Ontario crown to McMaster by one point on the Marauders' home court. At the CIS tournament in Hamilton, the Gaels had two close losses, but impressed everyone, to finish seventh in Canada.

This past season saw the Gaels set a team record with 16 league wins. They won for the first time ever on Laurentian's home court, with Erin (no surprise) leading the team in scoring, and helping to close down the Vees' big guns. Coach Wilson pointed out that Derm, at 5'11" with a sturdy build, was never the biggest, nor the strongest, nor the best athlete nor leaper. She eventually developed her complete game to the point where she had no weaknesses, and it was this, together with unsurpassed perseverance, which made her such a formidable force. Derm improved her footwork dramatically, and built up a wide selection of post moves, including a sweet baby hook, a powerful split move to go between defenders, and agile twists in traffic. She became more confident and aggressive as her success increased, and while this attracted double and triple teams, it usually served to make her smarter, seeking teammates who left unguarded for great looks.

Erin's focus and intensity on the court are second to none, yet once off the court, she is very friendly and well-liked. Her people skills and basketball knowledge led to many opportunities to see the world through international tournaments. Erin has served as team manager for the past three summers with various Canadian women's national teams. This past summer was probably the most satisfying, as the Junior National team qualified for the World Championship for the first time ever, by winning the Silver medal at the Americas' qualifier in Puerto Rico. Next year the Canadian team will travel to Tunisia for the World finals. Coach Wilson served as an assistant coach with that team, under Christine Stapleton of Canada Basketball. In 2003, Erin travelled to South Korea with the FISU squad, while in 2002, she went to Brazil with the Young Women's team, where Coach Wilson also assisted. Erin assisted with the national Mega-Camps at Queen's in 2001 and 2002, and has also travelled across Canada to several advanced training sessions.

Five continents (North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe) down, and one (Australia) still to go! Don't bet against Derm making it Down Under for some basketball in the future!

A Note From the Coach
(September 8 '04)

Well the summer of 2004 seems to have come and gone so quickly, I can barely remember it at all. What I do recall is that I spent a lot less time in Kingston than I had originally planned.

A couple of stints with Canada Basketball had me scouting the South American Championships in Bolivia, running the Nike All-Canada Camp in Toronto, and assisting with the Jr. National Team that ended up in Puerto Rico. It is no wonder I feel like I am behind in all my work at Queen's.

The main reason why I wanted to contact you at this point was to inform you of our plans for the Women's Basketball Alumni Game. As you may be aware, the university shifted homecoming from the September 25-26 weekend to October 23-24 to avoid a major religious holiday. This has caused a slight wrinkle in our basketball scheduling as we are planning on attending the Dalhousie Invitational Tournament in Halifax, NS on the October 23-24 weekend. I felt it was important that we return to Halifax this year, after a couple years of travelling west. First, we have a first year recruit from Halifax (Amanda Northcott) that would love to showcase her new team back home. And, secondly, Amy Goodday is in her fifth and final year as a Gael and I would like to return her to her hometown of Halifax as well.

In order to accomplish this, given that I feel very strongly that we should maintain an Alumni Game (followed by an informal social), I would like to host the game on Saturday, September 25 at 2:00pm in Bartlett Gym. I realize this does not provide the same atmosphere and events of the official Homecoming, but anyone that would like to be in the Kingston area for the weekend would be most welcome to come and play or watch at 2:00pm followed by a social.

I hope those in the area will take the opportunity to join us, and I apologize for the team not being on campus during the official Homecoming weekend.

Briefly, our pre-season training camp, produced a very strong field of 29 players. It was one of the most competitive camps ever hosted. It will make for some very difficult decisions during the tryouts beginning September 13. It also ensures that this year's edition of the Golden Gaels will very exciting to watch. Can't wait!

Dave.

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