Vancouver – The UBC Sports Hall of Fame will add an outstanding athlete, a trio of distinguished builders and two history-making Thunderbird teams as members of the honoured class of 2023. This year's class includes Reg Plummer, Terry McKaig, Doug and Lois Mitchell, the 1971-72 Women's Basketball team and the 1964-65 Men's Swim Team. The group is the latest addition to the remarkable group of UBC alumni who collectively represent Canada's most decorated varsity athletics program.
As with previous classes, there was no shortage of nominees to choose from this year. The selection committee was tasked with choosing from a substantial pool of accomplished alumni thanks to the sustained success of UBC Athletics.
The newest inductees were celebrated on Wednesday at the annual UBC Athletics Big Block Awards, with a special Hall of Fame reception to kick off the event.
This year's inductees have all made an indelible mark on the UBC community and will now join the ranks of the prestigious UBC Sports Hall of Fame. We are incredibly proud of all of our alumni and those who have helped build our programs. Please join us in celebrating the UBC Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
ATHLETE
REG PLUMMER - BA '76, MSC '82
Reg Plummer is known as one of the best stick handlers to ever play for UBC Men's Field Hockey. Born in 1953, the Sudbury, Ontario native moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia when he was 14 and it was there, where he first discovered his love for field hockey. Plummer later returned to Canada and joined the UBC Thunderbirds Men's Field Hockey team as a mid-fielder and forward from 1973-1980. Plummer was renowned for his productive "play-making" abilities, which helped UBC win the Division 1 Championships in the Vancouver Field Hockey Association League in the 1977-78 and 1978-79 seasons.
Plummer was also a key leader for the Canadian National Team for eleven years, appearing in 125 international matches, including at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, three Pan American Games and the 1978 World Cup. The gold medal final against Argentina in the 1983 Pan American Games was the highlight of Plummer's career as he scored a goal and set up the other two in a 3-1 victory by Canada, the first gold medal ever won by a Canadian National Field Hockey team.
Since retiring, Plummer has been a significant off-field contributor to the development and improvement of field hockey in Canada as a coach and administrator for his Ottawa club team, and through his involvement with Field Hockey Canada. In 2019, he was inducted into the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame.
BUILDERS
DOUG AND LOIS MITCHELL (nee' BOULDING) - BLaws '62 / BKin '61
Doug and the Honourable Lois Mitchell are one if not the most impactful power couples to ever grace UBC campus. Together they have left a lasting mark on Canadian sport with their philanthropy and dedication to giving back.
Doug attended law school at UBC where he was a star middle linebacker for the Thunderbirds. After graduation Doug went on to play in the CFL for the BC Lions and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Doug had a successful law practice in Calgary as an instrumental member in the foundation of Borden Ladner Gervais. He also served as Commissioner of the CFL and on the League's Board of Governors. He was also a member of the NHL Board of Governors.
Doug met and married Lois while they were both students at UBC. Lois was a trailblazer in her own right. A graduate of Physical Education, she became a fierce supporter of women in sport and leadership. She created the Hayley Wickenheiser Thunderbird Ice Hockey Endowment and served as a board member for various organizations including the Hockey Canada Foundation, and as chair of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Lois was also the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta from 2015-2020.
Together, Doug and Lois were instrumental in creating the U Sports Athlete of the Year awards and established the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Scholarship Endowment to support athletes at UBC. Their generosity prior to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver led to the construction of the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre and Arena, a lasting testament to the impact they have had at UBC. But their influence extends beyond the university; their contributions to amateur sports, particularly at the university level, have helped shape the Canadian sports landscape as we know it today.
Among their many accolades, Doug and Lois Mitchell have both been appointed to the Order of Canada. Doug was also inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
TERRY MCKAIG - HKIN '97
The name Terry McKaig is synonymous with UBC baseball. He is the chief architect behind the triumphant rise of Thunderbird varsity baseball at UBC, having built the program from the ground-up after taking over as Head Coach in 1997. A native of Vernon, B.C., McKaig began his own post-secondary career as a right fielder at North Idaho College ('90-93), before making stops with Albertson College ('94) and the National Baseball Institute ('95-96). McKaig would also go on to play with the Canadian senior men's national team.
Prior to coming to UBC, McKaig spent time coaching with the Vancouver Mounties of the Premier Baseball League. After taking the helm at UBC, McKaig faced a lack of facilities and funding. Despite these challenges, he propelled the Thunderbird program to life. Under his leadership, UBC became a perennial top 25 team in the NAIA, earning seven league playoff championships and one NAIA Super Regional title.
A four-time Coach of the Year, McKaig oversaw 23 of his players drafted by the Major Leagues, most notably UBC Hall of Famer, Jeff Francis, who was selected 9th overall in the 2002 draft and had a stellar major league career.
In 2015, McKaig stepped aside from coaching duties to fully concentrate on the role of Director of Baseball at UBC, where he raised significant funds for the construction of new state-of-the-art baseball facilities, including the Rose Indoor Training Centre and Tourmaline West Baseball Stadium. He also spearheaded community projects such as the creation of the PBL Junior program. In 2021, McKaig took on a new challenge as Director of Development in the Fraser Region for the BC Cancer Foundation.
TEAMS
1971-72 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
UBC's 1971-72 Women's basketball team was a dominant force in Canadian university sports during the early 1970s. Under the coaching of former UBC Thunderbird Norm Vickery, the "Thunderettes" had their sights set on winning the first official national university championship for women's basketball – the Bronze baby.
The Thunderettes pushed themselves through an intensive training regimen that season, and it paid off. UBC dominated Western Canada with a conference record of 15-1. UBC went on to face the University of New Brunswick in the national championship final. UBC got out to a quick start and had the lead at half-time, but the UNB squad stormed back to close the gap. Bench players stepped up in a hard-fought second half, and it was truly a team effort that propelled UBC to the championship win with a score of 74-69.
From this group, six women would go on to represent Team Canada at different times, including three Olympians - Joanne Sargeant, Bev Barnes and Bev Bland. The team defended their title, winning the Bronze baby again in 1973 and 1974.
This era of women's basketball and the members of this 1971-72 team were at the leading edge of significantly raising the standard for excellence in women's athletics. Their success helped pave the way for future generations of female athletes and helped establish women's basketball as a competitive and respected sport in Canada.
1971-72 UBC Women's Basketball Team
Bev Barnes, Bev Bland (Preston), Heather Cranston, Janice Gee (Kainer), Wendy Grant, Linda McCulloch, Terri McGovern, Debbie Phelan, Peggy Robinson, Joanne Sargent, Lynne Wells. Coach was Norm Vickery and Manager was Heather Butcher (Lennie).
1964-65 MEN'S SWIMMING
The 1964-65 Men's Swim Team has rightly earned its place in the history books. Led by legendary UBC coach Jack Pomfret and team manager Dave Wingate, this team of 22 gifted athletes including team captains Brian Griffiths and Dave Smith, will be forever known as the first UBC team, in any sport, to win a CIAU National Championship.
This team found success at a time when UBC swimming did not have the amenities of an on campus indoor pool. Instead, having to train solely at the outdoor Empire Pool and an off-campus training site.
1965 marked the first CIAU Men's Swim Championship. The Thunderbird team was led by inspiring performances from butterfly star Bob Walker and backstroke specialist Bill Gillespie, and together accumulated 260 points – 30 more than the next best team, to claim the championship title, and hoist the Nelson C. Hart trophy.
It would take more than 33 years for UBC men to win another swim championship but this group of exceptional men is remembered for paving the way for future success in the pool. Now, nearly 60 years after that first championship win, UBC Men's Swimming proudly holds 20 U SPORTS Championship banners and 21 Canada West titles.
