University of British Columbia Athletics

The early 1970s saw an exceptional number of outstanding track & field athletes attend UBC - one might say this was a “golden age” of this sport at Point Grey. Under head coach Lionel Pugh, UBC’s women in particular essentially dominated western Canadian and even US competition in both track & field and cross-country. All around track athlete Penny May was an integral piece of this overall success story.

Because of her reputation as an athlete Penny had been recruited by UBC’s coach Pugh initially to bolster BC’s Summer Games team leading her to UBC. An early highlight in Penny’s career occurred when she along with UBC teammates Thelma Wright and Brenda Eisler competed in Torino, Italy at the 1970 World University Games. She then teamed with cross-country stars Wright and Cheryl Spowage to lead UBC to 1971 cross-country victories in western Canada as well as impressive victories over US competition. It was however in both the track and the field events in which Penny excelled as in 1971 she competed for Canada at the Pan Am Games in Cali, Columbia, winning silver in the Pentathlon placing first in it’s shot put event. She was also the Bronze medal winner in the 100 metre hurdles finishing behind the US and Cuban runners as those three were the class of the field.

With UBC track & field for the 1971/72 season, coach Pugh gushed over his women’s team stating, “A star studded team  . . . eight of the thirteen team members are international record holders.” This included the likes of BC Sports Hall of Fame inductees Thelma Wright and Patty Loverock in addition to Penny May. “These girls undoubtedly form the most powerful track & field team in the country,” exclaimed Pugh.

Early in 1972 this UBC women’s team had that winning momentum as a Ubyssey headline announced “May leads track run” as at the University of Washington indoor meet pentathlete May won two events, the shot put and 60 yard hurdles while finishing second to UBC teammate Brenda Eisler in the long jump, Eisler being arguably Canada’s number one long jumper at the time.

The team completed its task later in the spring of 1972 when it won the Western Canadian University championship with “Standout” Penny May winning gold in the Pentathlon. Competing in six events, she won gold in both the 40-yard hurdles and with the sprint relay team while placing second to Eisler in the long jump. This was followed by May finishing second to the world record holder in the 50 metre hurdles with a time of 7.2 seconds to tie her own Canadian record.  She went on to win gold in the shot put at the ’72 Women’s International Meet with a personal best 44 feet 5 inches and later that season at the Canadian Junior Championships in Edmonton Penny was “ . . . an easy winner in the Pentathlon,” according to the media. An active season, May also competed at the pre-Olympic meet in Munich achieving her Olympic standards in hurdles, long jump and pentathlon – ranked number 10 in the world in the pentathlon – before tearing her hamstring rendering her unable to compete at the ’72 Olympics.

At the conclusion of UBC’s year Penny was awarded the Marilyn Pomfret Award as the year’s outstanding UBC female athlete for her performance with the Blue & Gold and on the international stage. The next season, 1972/73, the UBC women’s track & field team exhibited an even greater degree of domination.  At the Canada West championship meet UBC took the title in unmatched fashion crushing the opposition. Penny was a big part of this, winning golds in both the long jump and the 50 metre hurdles and a silver in the shot put. At this time UBC’s May was the Canadian record holder both indoors and outdoors in the 50 m , 100 m and 200 m hurdles. Not surprisingly, the 1971-1973 teams have since been inducted into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame.

With her national and international success Penny helped place UBC at the national forefront of women’s track & field while distinguishing herself, perhaps  even unique in UBC annals, in her multi-facetted athleticism as a pentathlete.

Following UBC Penny established a memorable career with the Emergency Response Team of the Vancouver Police Force.

A former coach remembers Penny “ . . . as a person who everyone admires; kind, considerate and competitive.” Hall of Famer Thelma Wright commenting upon Penny’s nomination; “ . . . of course Penny would be a great choice . . . I just recall what a fierce competitor she was.”

Fred Hume
UBC Athletics