The first of a series of great UBC basketball teams, the "Golden Age" of women's basketball at UBC. The first and only UBC women's team to be the number one university team in Western Canada and the nation's Senior 'A' champions, winning the Canadian Championship final game by 29 points.
Wendy Grant, Betty Ross, Jan Gee, Kathy Williams, Linda Willard, Terri McGovern, Brenda McFarlane, Eija Peitso, Carol Schollert, Joanne Sargent, Heather Cranston, Norm Vickery (coach), Ken Shields (coach).
The late 1960s and early '70s was a time in Western history, particularly on the campuses of North America, when many issues relating to social values were discussed, written about and in general, on the minds of many people. It was a time when the space devoted to campus sports, most notably in the Ubyssey, was relatively small. Sports took a lower profile at UBC, at least compared to that of the past. This situation pertained especially to women's sports which was particularly unfortunate since this year (1969/70) was the dawning of an era of women’s basketball at UBC never before seen.
This era was spearheaded by the gifted coaching of former UBC Thunderbird players Ken Shields and Norm Vickery. For a period of five years, the campus women not only dominated a strong local basketball league but also dominated the national scene in both Senior 'A' and University. The unique situation in which the Thunderettes found themselves, that of being strong enough to win at the national level, differed significantly from the experiences of Thunderette teams of the past. Despite this foray into both unexpected and complete success, media coverage and acknowledgement of the achievements of these players and coaches was noticeably lacking.
UBC played in the Western Canadian Intercollegiate Association and in the Vancouver women's Senior 'A' league, a league that had spawned many national champions. In November 1969 co-coach Shields, later to become one of Canada's best known basketball coaches, had the Thunderettes in fine condition when they opened play with victories over the University of Lethbridge by scores of 79-29 and 81-24, strong indication of what was to happen to each of the Thunderette opponents.
By January, UBC was 9-1 in Western University play and had finished in first place in the Senior 'A' league with an 11-4 record. Coaches Shields and Vickery praised their players - "There are some kids on this team with tremendous ability and potential... They really worked hard and have performed very well." Three of the Thunderettes, Terri McGovern, Joanne Sargent and Betty Ross, were also members of Canada's National basketball team, so talent was also a factor in their success.
This 1969/70 team was crowned BC Senior 'A' champions by virtue of an inspired come- from-behind playoff victory over a tough Victoria team. UBC was now ready to represent this province at the National Senior 'A' championship held at St. John, New Brunswick. One would have had to go back 39 years, to 1931, to find the last UBC women's basketball team to win a BC Senior 'A' championship.
Not only did this 69/70 team bring to UBC, after a long drought, a BC Senior' A' championship it achieved the distinction of being the first UBC women's basketball team to advance to the Canadian championships. In a two-game total point Western final, they trounced the University of Saskatchewan 59-25 and 57-19, a 116 to 44 score difference over their nearest Western rival!
At the Senior championship at St. John, New Brunswick, which was a congregation of the nation's best teams, the Thunderettes proved to be clearly the best team in the country. They defeated their first opponent, Ontario champion Windsor N and D, by a score of 67-35. From there they mastered their subsequent opponents, St. John 65-36, Alberta 80-38 and in the final, Winnipeg 83-54. "We played the best basketball we've played all year,” said Ken Shields after the victory. "We shot over 50 percent from the floor." The stars of UBC's balanced attack were Terri McGovern who scored 21 points against Winnipeg, Betty Ross, Joanne Sargent, Brenda McFarlane, Wendy Grant, Linda Willard and Kathy Williams. Kathy Williams, who became Mrs. Ken Shields, would later become one of the premier basketball coaches in the country and is an inductee in the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Thunderettes, finishing the seaon with what was for 37 years a UBC record 32 victories against 6 defeats, was the best university team in Western Canada if not the country, in addition to being Canadian Senior 'A' champions. Not only had this team pioneered an era of national dominance in women's basketball but it did it in such convincing fashion!
According to Wendy Grant who played on four of the championship teams of this era, this first team was the most memorable as it "...was not expected to do anything." As to her thoughts on the secret of the team's success, it was the training techniques of coaches Shields and Vickery; "They were sheer hell." Coach Shields, when asked to sum up the season stated, "The girls worked real hard and Norm (Vickery) and myself just had a great time."
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
