Introducing the 2024 Western Mustangs Sports Hall of Fame men’s individual inductees
(left to right) Micah Bourdeau, Patrice Denis, Ed Gardner, Rick Odegaard
The 2024 Western Sports Hall of Fame men’s individual inductees include Micah Bourdeau, BA'00 (basketball), Patrice Denis, BSc'97 (football), Ed Gardner, BA'97, HBA'99 (rugby), and Rick Odegaard, BA'69 (builder).
Micah Bourdeau
During Micah’s three years (1997-2000) with Mustangs basketball, including two as co-captain, the team’s record was 81 wins and 15 losses. Both years Micah served as co-captain, the team went to the national championships, winning one bronze medal. Micah received a number of honours and awards throughout his athletic career. He is a two-time conference leading scorer and was named most valuable player (MVP) of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Stars Game 1999-2000, the conference championship final, Ontario championship final (Wilson Cup), and MVP of all three non-conference tournaments in 1999-2000.
Late head coach Craig Boydell said of Micah, “His long-range shooting, excellent penetration and adept passing made him a defender’s worst nightmare and arguably the most versatile offensive threat in program history.”
Patrice Denis
Patrice played for the football team 1993-96 during two Yates Cup Championship wins, two Atlantic Bowl Championships, two Churchill Bowl Championships and one Vanier Cup Championship. He was named OUA First Team All-Star for three years, Canada Interuniversity Sport (CIS, now U SPORTS) First Team All-Star for two years, OUA Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 and, in the same year, was nominated as the CIS top Defensive Player of the Year.
Patrice served as team captain during his final season and was drafted in the second round of the Canadian Football League (CFL) by the Edmonton Eskimos (now Elks) where he played from 1997-99.
Ed Gardner
During his three seasons with the Mustangs rugby team, 1994-99, Ed was the leading points scorer for the team. In 1995 Ed was sidelined with a torn ACL injury after representing Canada at U20 against England. He remained a key team member during this time.
In 1997-98, an undefeated season for Western, the team won their first OUA gold in 20 years. The following year the team won an OUA silver medal. Ed was recognized with a number of honours including the Claude Brown Award in 1998-99, which is given annually to the top male athlete at Western.
Ed has played at the provincial and national levels. He won a silver medal with the Ontario Senior Men’s Team in 1998, was named a Canada Super League All-Star in 2002, played in the World Rugby Classics for Canada in 2010 and 2013, is a three-time McCormick Cup Champion with the Irish Canadian Rugby Club (Ontario Champions) among other accomplishments.
Rick Odegaard
A former member of the Mustangs men’s basketball team, Rick is inducted in the builder category in recognition of tireless volunteer service to Western Mustangs athletics, which has spanned over 40 years. Rick served multiple terms as the president of both the ‘W’ Club, the first recognized chapter of the university’s Alumni Association with a mandate to enhance Western athletics, and its later and current iteration, the Western Mustangs Athletic Alumni (WMAA). He has sat as Chair of several WMAA committees, is involved in the Mustangs Backcourt Club, and has actively participated in dozens of projects sponsored by Mustangs athletic alumni.
Please join us in celebrating all inductees at the 2024 Western Mustangs Sports Hall of Fame Dinner.
