Western Mustangs Sports Hall of Fame Dinner, A Recap
By Alexander Marchand, BSc'18, MA'20, Director, WMAA
On November 19, members of the Western Mustangs community joined together once again to celebrate the outstanding contributions of our school’s most esteemed athletic alumni. In all, 10 individuals and three teams were celebrated for their achievements as athletes and builders of sport for the purple and white.
Hosting our first induction dinner in two years called for a grand opening, and it was my distinct honour to lead the inductees into the ceremony. As a former captain of the Mustangs’ cheer team, I have ample experience leading Western athletes, but tonight was different. Joining me at the front of the procession were the nights’ two lifetime inductees: women’s sports pioneer Helen Luckman and former Western Chancellor Jack Cowin. As we hastily organized ourselves by the hall’s entrance, Helen turned to me and (correctly) remarked: “You got your hair cut just for this event, didn’t you?” I chuckled and nodded. Jack then joined into the queue, remarking “You seem to know what you're doing; I’ll just follow you!” The Western Fight Song was our cue to enter, and the induction class were all smiles as they received long-awaited recognition from their athletic peers. Among those in attendance was Western President Alan Shepard, who helped kick off the formal ceremony and acknowledge the strides Western has made on its journey back to normalcy.
Our host for the night was renowned radio broadcaster Tom McConnell, BA'94, himself a member of the Mustangs 1994 Vanier Cup football squad. Tom’s wit was on full display as he provided countless sound bites throughout the night, perhaps none more memorable than his reaction to softball inductee Kristina Lemon’s remarkable medical accomplishments: “I look at that resume, and I think back over my own career… I ask people if a hotdog is a sandwich! You look at that and you’re like ‘what have I done?’”
Team inductees were impossible to miss. The loudest cheers of the night came from Western’s back-to-back 2004 and 2005 national champion women’s rugby teams. Twenty-four alumni from these squads were in attendance to receive recognition for their accomplishments. Equally hard to miss were the towering members of Western’s 1991 national champion basketball team, among the most dominant in Mustangs’ history.
Lifetime inductee Helen Luckman provided a captivating account of her 55-plus year journey in athletics. Helen is among Western’s foremost sporting chroniclers, having co-authored two editions of “Mustang Tales - The Story of Women’s Sports at Western University”. True to her character, Helen dedicated much of her speech towards recognizing countless women's sport pioneers at Western, many of whom were in attendance to help honour her. Fellow honouree Jack Cowin made the 15,000-kilometre trip from his home in Sydney, Australia to receive his lifetime achievement award. Jack’s appearance was highly anticipated, and those who came to see him were not disappointed, as his speech was filled with wise words, unique stories, and even the odd Aussie quip or two. Though he made some of his greatest contributions overseas, Jack has remained steadfast in his appreciation for London: “Home is always home. You don’t replace that. So coming back to London is always a thrilling thing for us.”
The contingent of individual inductees was as varied as it was accomplished. Multi-disciplined athlete/coach David Edwards entered the Mustangs Hall of Fame after nearly 50 years of involvement in sport. The Mustangs’ women’s basketball team made a surprise appearance at the ceremony following a victory over the Waterloo Warriors to support their all-time leading scorer Amanda Anderson during her induction speech. Track & field legend and two-time F.W.P Jones Award winner Jen Cotten attended with her partner Damian Warner, though it was their infant son Theo who seemed to receive the most attention. Fellow track star Dave Mills was inducted in recognition of his accomplishments as both an athlete and a builder of the sport. Bob Robinson, a Commonwealth champion wrestler, expressed gratitude for his long-awaited honour, while Kristina Lemon received as much applause for her accomplishments in medicine as she did her feats in softball. Olympic champion rower Michael Forgeron was able to add the Western Mustangs Sports Hall of Fame to his long list of inductions, and football great David Sapunjis, whose resume includes a Vanier Cup and a Grey Cup, earned the award for “best-dressed inductee” with his purple suit and pants combo.
Expectations for the Mustangs induction dinner are always high, but this year’s ceremony had added meaning after the cancellation of last year’s event due to COVID-19. It was through the tireless work of the Western Mustangs Sports Hall of Fame Events Committee that we were able to once again experience such an enjoyable night celebrating our purple pride together. I would like to recognize the chair of this committee, Sherri Castrilli, and Jacquie Rose from Alumni Relations for their efforts leading up to and during the night. Every detail was thought of which was essential in orchestrating such a successful ceremony.
On behalf of the WMAA, I would like to thank those of you who were able to attend and make the night such a memorable experience. We look forward to welcoming you all again next year as we continue to celebrate the contributions of fellow Western Mustangs alumni together.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank the Purple Sponsors of this event: Mike Sheffar - SMP Financial, Dan & Mackenzie Hinschberger of RE/MAX, Ray Stanton - London Property Corp., Dennis Hinschberger and Gary Gorham - RBC Wealth Management.
Alexander Marchand, BSc ‘18, MA ‘20, Director
**Photos and a recording of the 2021 Western Mustangs Sports Hall of Fame celebration are available. Please email wmaa@uwo.ca to learn more.
