Did You Know?

By Therese Quigley, BA’75, BEd ’77

did you know

(left to right) Julie McMullin, Jane Thornton, and the 1970 CIS championship cross country team Ron Falck, Glen Dales, Allan Stanley, Bob Vigars (coach), Grant McLaren, Bill van der Wal, Chris Bolter

Honorary degree recipient, Bob Vigars

In June 2024 Western presented Bob Vigars with a distinguished honorary degree. Bob had a remarkable 46 year tenure at Western. His extraordinary career garnered 14 Canadian university championships - more than any other coach in the Western Mustangs history.

World Senior Curling champions, Julie McMullin and Jo-Ann Rizzo

In April 2024 Julie McMullin, BA’87, MA’91 and Jo-Ann Rizza, BA’90 were part of the gold medal team at the World Senior Curling Championships.

McMullin is a two-time National Senior Women’s Curling Championship medalist, representing both Ontario and Nova Scotia. Prior to starting her role as vice president academic and provost at Mount Saint Vincent University , Julie held several academic and senior administrative positions at Western including vice-provost and the inaugural associate vice-president (international).

Rizzo has competed in two Canadian Olympic Curling trials, winning silver in 2013. She has participated in several international competitions, 24 Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial championships, and, as part of Kerry Galusha’s Northwest Territories team, in five national Scotties Tournament of Hearts. In 2018 she was inducted into the Brantford and Area Sports Hall of Recognition.

Incoming International Olympic Committee medical and scientific director, Jane Thornton

Jane Thornton, BSc’00, MSc’02, PhD’07, has been appointed as the new International Olympic Committee (IOC) medical and scientific director. She previously represented Canada as a rower, winning a world championship in 2006 and competing in the Olympic Games in Beijing, China in 2008.

Thornton is currently a Canada Research Chair and assistant professor in the department of family medicine at Western, with cross appointments in the School of Kinesiology and the department of epidemiology and biostatistics. Thornton will begin her new position with the IOC on September 1, 2024.

National university champions

Few have the opportunity to represent their university at a national championship, even fewer to go into the history books as national champions. The upcoming season is an anniversary year for fourteen Mustang teams crowned Canadian university champions.

50th Anniversary Champions (1974-75)

  • Women’s volleyball – Coach Fran Wigston Eberhard, BA’57, MA’79. A celebration is scheduled for November 15 and 16 in conjunction with the tribute game for former men’s volleyball coach Vaughan Peckham who passed away this past spring
  • Mustangs football – Coach Frank Cosentino Celebration is scheduled for Homecoming weekend (September 27-29)

40th Anniversary Champions (1984-85)

  • Women’s cross country – Coach Bob Vigars
  • Cheerleading - Coach David Lee “Trace” Tracey, BA’81

30thAnniversary Champions (1994)

  • Mustangs football – Coach Larry Haylor
  • Cheerleading – Coach Trace Tracey

25thAnniversary Champions (1999)

  • Men’s soccer – Coach Rock Basacco
  • Cheerleading – Coach Trace Tracey

20thAnniversary Champions (2004)

  • Women’s rugby – Coach Natasha Wesch, MSc’98, MA’15, PhD’09
  • Cheerleading – Coach Trace Tracey

10thAnniversary Champions (2014)

  • Women’s hockey – Coach Chris Higgins
  • Women’s rowing – Coach Volker Nolte
  • Women’s softball – Coach Pete Lemon
  • Cheerleading – Coach Trace Tracey

The WMAA extends our congratulations to Bob, Julie, Jo-Ann and Jane, as well as to all athletic alumni celebrating their national championship anniversaries in this upcoming season.

Many other alumni have transitioned from the field of play at Western to interesting and inspiring careers and life journeys. We would like to hear from you and share your story. Please reach out to our lead curator Amy Samson at metrasmuseum@gmail.com.