By Noah Miller
The University of Calgary has scored in two of its three bids to host Canadian Interuniversity Sport nationals. Earlier this month CIS announced the Jack Simpson Gym will host the 2012 CIS women’s basketball championships as well as the 2014 CIS men’s volleyball championships following some tough deliberation in Ottawa last month.
A CIS selection committee dished out a total of 22 championships spanning the next five years, covering 11 sports.
“The hosts that have been selected have all hosted CIS championships in the past and have demonstrated a strong tradition of organizing excellent events with the student-athlete experience in mind,” said CIS chief executive officer Marg McGregor in a July 5 press release.
Dinos women’s basketball head coach Shawnee Harle feels that the U of C boasts the best facilities in the country and conveyed her excitement after hearing the news.
“Ecstatic would be an understatement,” said Harle. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for our team to showcase Dinos basketball but also to showcase our university and our great city.”
Calgary has hosted this tournament three times before in 1977, 1978 and 1994. There is something undeniably special about playing big games in front of the home crowd.
“It’s the six player advantage, it’s the home court advantage,” added Harle. “There’s something about it, an atmosphere that is so different when you are at home. There’s a buzz in the air for you and your team that simply doesn’t happen on the road.”
Despite its two successful bids, Calgary’s bid to host men’s hockey was trumped in a competitive race that ended with the event awarded to the University of Saskatchewan.
Women’s basketball and men’s volleyball join the CIS swimming championships already scheduled to take place at the U of C aquatic centre Feb. 24-26 in 2011.