Posts by Luke Dyment
Courting the big leagues
The Maritime Women’s Basketball Association (MWBA) is set to tip off in April 2022. With national team and professional players expected to join MWBA teams, it could soon become one of Canada’s top women’s basketball leagues. The league has drawn interest from Atlantic University Sport (AUS) and Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) players too. Potentially eligible players include members of the Dalhousie University Tigers women’s basketball team.
Read MoreGame over for now
In a regular year for the DeSS, the society attracts roughly 60 to 70 gamers across several games. This year, president Sahib Dhillon said, the number is closer to 25 people over four games. In-person events between local teams are highlights for DeSS players each year, the lack of which due to COVID-19 is affecting current participation.
Read MoreRock in the community
Soon after discovering a love for rock climbing on a waterfall chasing trip, Shelby Hallam began frequenting rock climbing gyms in Halifax on a near daily basis. She invested in her own climbing equipment like harnesses and took up different types of climbing like top-roping. The best part though? Joining the Halifax climbing community.
Read MoreDal athletics staffer calls it a career
Pat Nearing, after nearly 30 years working in university athletics, is fully retiring after stepping down from coaching the soccer team in 2019. Throughout his time working in university sport, he’s also coached minor soccer teams around Halifax and provincial soccer programs.
Read MoreSlowly making a comeback
Dal, the Saint Mary’s University Huskies, and the Acadia Axemen and Axewomen have begun a five-week exhibition schedule featuring the possibility of games in as many as four sports: basketball, hockey, swimming and women’s volleyball. For teams in each sport, this is their first taste of play against Atlantic University Sport (AUS) opponents in roughly a calendar year.
Read MoreCombatting racism in sport
Black Nova Scotian athletes and coaches have faced many moments of racism and discrimination within their sports. The question remains: how will the Nova Scotian sports community address this issue?
Read MoreDal Tigers sweep academic awards
Isabel Sarty of the Dalhousie University Tigers swimming team was named a U Sports Top 8 Academic All-Canadian for the 2019-2020 season alongside Matt Coolen of the Tigers’ track team. U Sports awards the Academic All-Canadian honour to student-athletes who receive an average of 80 per cent or higher in their courses while playing on a varsity team. U Sports chooses Top 8 awards based on student-athletes’ performance at the top of the podium and the classroom.
Read MoreHockey trailblazer: James Robinson Johnston
One of Johnston’s less recognized accomplishments was his work in hockey, particularly for the Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes (CHL). With the league being groundbreaking in both revolutionizing how hockey is played and as the first notable majority/all-Black hockey league, perhaps it’s time to consider him for legendary status in the sport too.
Read MoreDal athletes score new school record
In the 2019-2020 season, the Dalhousie University Tigers boasted the highest number of Academic All-Canadians in school history and the most in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS). Student-athletes are recognized as Academic All-Canadians by U Sports when they achieve an overall grade of 80 per cent or better (3.7 GPA or above on Dal’s grade scale) while playing with a varsity team.
Read MoreDalplex sees attendance drop, but not from lack of interest
Due to COVID-19, a large drop-off in the number of people using Dalplex was expected during Dalhousie University’s 2020 fall semester. However, Dal Athletics Facilities Director Kathie Wheadon said the gym had a strong semester despite fewer people coming through the door.
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