Late '40s early '50s UBC field hockey and badminton star, Bray is best known as an outstanding UBC synchronized swimmer and is considered a BC pioneer in this sport. Was awarded by UBC nine Big Blocks.
Upon entering UBC in 1947, Victoria, BC native Maureen Bray tried out for and made UBC's swim team, specializing in synchronized swimming or ornamental swimming as it was often called at that time. Also this first year she played UBC badminton, reaching the finals of the Junior Ladies' singles in the BC Badminton Championships.
During the 1948/49 session Maureen again was an integral part of UBC's swim team, the team's best at the breast stroke, a member of the freestyle relay team and of course her specialty, synchronized. It was in February 1949 that UBC's School of Physical Education sponsored British Columbia's first Synchronized Swimming Championship. Although UBC did not win the team title, Maureen Bray was crowned BC's individual champion. This competition not only raised Bray's profile in BC swimming it also served to promote the sport of synchronized swimming. During the same year, Bray was again a dominant UBC badminton player as she captured the 1949 BC Junior doubles title.
In addition to her strong showing in synchronized swimming, Maureen could be considered a pioneer in the development in BC of this new water sport. As a second year Physical Education student at UBC, she organized the first local synchronized swimming clinic, a clinic sponsored by the university.
In 1949/50 Miss Bray was elected president of the student badminton club. A highlight this year was when she helped UBC win the Washington state invitational badminton tournament in March 1950. She and Anne Munro were the winners of the ladies' doubles title in straight games.
In 1950/51 Maureen returned for her fourth year as the outstanding synchronized swimmer on the UBC team, again playing a major role in competitions and exhibitions. She was also a member of UBC's very powerful grass hockey team, a team that dominated both local and US Pacific Northwest competition. In the Women's Northwest Grass Hockey Tournament held November 1950, the UBC team was victorious, having not one goal scored against it during tournament play!
In addition to her three sports at UBC this session, Maureen was elected president of the UBC Women's Big Block Club and the representative for swimming on the Women's Athletic Directorate.
Having earned her Bachelor of Physical Education degree in 1951, Maureen returned to UBC in 1951/52 to obtain her teacher-training certificate. Once again she was a member, along with Barbara ‘Bim’ Schrodt and Eleanor Cave, of the "classy" Varsity women's grass hockey team that went undefeated at the eighteen-team 1951 Pacific Northwest Hockey Championship. This UBC team also took first place in the Vancouver City league.
Maureen also excelled once again in synchronized swimming and badminton this year. She represented BC in both the Canadian Synchronized Swim Championships and the Canadian Badminton Championships in this her final year at UBC.
During her five year UBC athletic career, Bray earned a most impressive nine Big Block awards; four in badminton, four in swimming and one in grass hockey, plus two small blocks.
Since her graduation from UBC in 1952, Bray, now Mrs. Maureen Hibberson, taught and coached at two Canadian universities, one college and two high schools. To this day she competes in badminton, tennis and golf. She is the holder of more than forty badminton tournament titles, local and national, open and masters. She has also won several tennis tournaments, was twice BC Synchronized Swim Champion and after taking up golf in 1958, has achieved a berth in BC Golf championships four times. In 2014 she was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame.
Maureen Bray was an athlete of championship quality, representing UBC at the provincial and national levels in three sports.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
