Winnipeg Wesmen

University of Winnipeg athletic teams

Athletic teams representing University of Winnipeg

Winnipeg Wesmen

University| University of Winnipeg
Association| U Sports
Conference| Canada West
Athletic director| Cara Isaak
Location| Winnipeg, Manitoba
Varsity teams| 10
Arena| Duckworth Centre
Mascot| Wes Lee Coyote
Nickname| Wesmen
Colours| Red, White, and Black

Website| wesmen.ca

The Winnipeg Wesmen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Winnipeg in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. As an undergraduate school, the Wesmen participate in the sports of basketball, volleyball, and soccer in both the men's and women's divisions of U Sports. All home games are played at the Duckworth Centre, located on the university's downtown Winnipeg campus. The Wesmen previously competed in men's baseball as a single-sport member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) until the program was cut after the 2017 season.[1]

## History

[edit]

The University of Winnipeg's athletic program has its roots in the intercollegiate sports teams that were formed in 1889 among Winnipeg schools.[2] In 1962, the first professional Athletics Director, Blue Bomber player Ray Jauch, was appointed by United College. In 1963, the new Riddell Hall gymnasium was opened.[3] In 1966, the United College Student Council held a public competition to name its sports team. The name chosen was Wesmen, which combined "Wesley" and "Manitoba".[2]

In 1967, after the University of Winnipeg was incorporated, the Wesmen began competing across Canada with other University teams across Canada as a member of two sports governing bodies: the Western Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union. The main sports included were basketball, volleyball, and hockey (although hockey was not continued after 1984). The Wesmen also hosted tournaments, including the Wesmen Classic, which was previously known as the Golden Boy Classic (1967–1976).[2]

In 1984, the Athletics Centre was opened at the University of Winnipeg. In 1992, the building was renamed as the Duckworth Centre in honour of Henry Duckworth, a past University President. In 2008, the Bill Wedlake Fitness Centre was added to the building. Most recently, the Axworthy Health and RecPlex, an adjoining fieldhouse for soccer and sports education, was built.[2]

The Athletic Directors have been: Ray Jauch, from 1962 to 1964; Edward Vidruk, from 1964 to 1966; David Anderson, from 1966–1984; Glen Conly, 1973 (he covered David Anderson during a leave of absence); Aubrey Ferris, from 1984 to 2000; Bill Wedlake,[4][5] from 2000 to 2008; Doran Reid,[6] from 2009–2015; Dave Crook,[7] from 2015 to 2024; and since 2024, Cara Isaak.[8]

## Varsity teams

[edit]

Men's sports  | Women's sports

|

Basketball | Basketball
Volleyball | Soccer
| Volleyball

## Former teams

[edit]

### Ice hockey

[edit]

Main article: Winnipeg Wesmen men's ice hockey

The team was active from 1967 until 1984 and played out of the Pioneer Arena, now known as the Charlie Gardiner Arena.[9]

In 1972, the WCIAA was plait in two primarily as a way of cutting down on travel expenses. Winnipeg were founding members of the Great Plains Athletic Association (soon to be called Great Plains Athletic Conference) and finished as runners-up in the first two seasons of play. Unfortunately, that was the high water mark for the program. While there was some criticism of Marshall's ability as coach, the team was hamstrung by its subpar (for the college level) rink and its lack of recruiting.[10] After 1974, the team never finished higher than 4th in the standings and was often dead-last. With little hope for the foreseeable future, the university decided to suspend the program in 1984 and, as of 2024, it has yet to return.

## U Sports Championships

[edit]

Volleyball has always been a popular sport in Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg Wesmen and University of Manitoba Bisons have frequently battled for the U Sports title. The Wesmen women hold the record with 7 national titles and were the first to win 6 consecutive titles between 1983 and 1988, this was a feat that was only later repeated once by the University of Alberta Pandas.

In recent years the men's volleyball side won the CIS championships for the 2006–07 season, defeating the University of Alberta 3 sets to 2, the following year in a rematch of the same final the Wesmen lost 3 sets to 1 finishing runner-up to Alberta this time.

In women's basketball the ladies made it to the national final against Simon Fraser in 2004–05 losing the final 60–50. The year before in the bronze medal match between the same two schools the Wesmen ladies won 65–62. In the mid 90s, women's Wesmen basketball was a national powerhouse. The team would go on to a 118-1 record in the span from 1992–1995, including 3 CIS national basketball championships and beating several NCAA Women's Division I programs in North American tournaments.[11]

Sport  | Nat.
titles | Winning years  | Conf.
titles | Winning years  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Basketball (men's) |

|  |

| 1979, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2023, 2024 | [12]
Basketball (women's) | 3 | 1993, 1994, 1995 | 21 | 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2022 | [13][14]
Volleyball (women's) |

| 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1993 |

| 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2003 | [15][16]
Volleyball (men's) |

| 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1986, 1987, 1998, 2007 |

| 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2025 | [17])[18][19]
Curling (men's) |

|  |

| 2015, 2018) |
Total titles | 20 |  | 62 |

## Awards and honors

[edit]

### Canada West Hall of Fame

[edit]

* Wesmen Women's Basketball Team (1992–95): Canada West Hall of Fame - 2020 Inductee [20]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "University of Winnipeg announces cuts, eliminates wrestling and men's baseball". MetroNews. The Canadian Press. May 3, 2017. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
2. ^ a b c d "Wesmen Athletics fonds - MAIN – Manitoba Archival Information Network". main.lib.umanitoba.ca. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
3. ^ A. Gerald Bedford, "Recreation and Athletics at The University of Winnipeg, 1967–1983: A Brief History," The Institute of Urban Studies, 1984. http://winnspace.uwinnipeg.ca/bitstream/handle/10680/928/097-1984-Bedford-RecAthleticsUofW1967to1983-WEB.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
4. ^ "Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame: Bill Wedlake". Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
5. ^ "Honoured Members Database | Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame". honouredmembers.sportmanitoba.ca. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
6. ^ "Wesmen Athletics mourns loss of Doran Reid". University of Winnipeg. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
7. ^ "Doran Reid retires as Athletic Director". University of Winnipeg. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
8. ^ "Dr. Cara Isaak returns to UWinnipeg as Director of Athletics". Wesmen Athletics. University of Winnipeg. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
9. ^ "Pioneer Arena renamed to honour Charlie Gardiner". Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
10. ^ "Iced: The Lost History of Hockey at The University of Winnipeg". YouTube. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
11. ^ Honoured members halloffame.mb.ca [dead link]
12. ^ Basketball universitysport.ca [dead link]
13. ^ CIS Women's BB Championship Page
14. ^ Basketball universitysport.ca [dead link]
15. ^ Volleyball universitysport.ca [dead link]
16. ^ http://www.cisport.ca/e/championships/w_volleyball/2010/past.cfm CIS Men's BB Championship
17. ^ "2025 U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship". U Sports. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
18. ^ Volleyball final universitysport.ca [dead link]
19. ^ http://www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_volleyball/2010/index.cfm CIS Men's VB Championship
20. ^ "Wesmen 1992-95 (WBB | Team)". canadawesthalloffame.org/. January 8, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Sports teams based in Manitoba

Baseball|

Winnipeg Goldeyes

Basketball|

CEBL
Winnipeg Sea Bears

Football|

CFL
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
WWCFL
Manitoba Fearless
Winnipeg Wolfpack
CJFL
Winnipeg Rifles

Hockey|

NHL
Winnipeg Jets
AHL
Manitoba Moose
WHL
Brandon Wheat Kings
MJHL
Dauphin Kings
Neepawa Titans
Niverville Nighthawks
Northern Manitoba Blizzard
Portage Terriers
Selkirk Steelers
Steinbach Pistons
Swan Valley Stampeders
Virden Oil Capitals
Waywayseecappo Wolverines
Winkler Flyers
Winnipeg Blues
Winnipeg Freeze
SJHL
Flin Flon Bombers

Soccer|

CPL
Valour FC
USL2
FC Manitoba

Ringette|

NRL
Manitoba Herd

U Sports|

* Brandon University Bobcats
* University of Manitoba Bisons
* University of Winnipeg Wesmen

* v
* t
* e

Canada West Universities Athletic Association

Pacific members|

* UBC Thunderbirds
* UBC Okanagan Heat
* UFV Cascades
* UNBC Timberwolves
* Thompson Rivers WolfPack
* Trinity Western Spartans
* Victoria Vikes

Prairie members|

* Alberta Golden Bears
* Brandon Bobcats
* Calgary Dinos
* Lethbridge Pronghorns
* MacEwan Griffins
* Manitoba Bisons
* Mount Royal Cougars
* Regina Cougars and Rams
* Saskatchewan Huskies
* Winnipeg Wesmen

See also|

* U Sports
* U Sports football (Hardy Cup)
* U Sports men's ice hockey
* U Sports women's ice hockey
* U Sports men's soccer
* U Sports women's soccer
* U Sports men's volleyball
* U Sports women's volleyball

* v
* t
* e

U Sports soccer

AUS|

* Acadia Axemen and Axewomen (M/W)
* CBU Capers (M/W)
* Dalhousie Tigers (M/W)
* Memorial Sea-Hawks (M/W)
* Moncton Aigles Bleus and Aigles Bleues (M/W)
* Mount Allison Mounties (M/W)
* UNB Reds (M/W)
* UPEI Panthers (M/W)
* Saint Mary's Huskies (M/W)
* St. Francis Xavier X-Men and X-Women (M/W)

Canada West|

| Pacific|

* Calgary Dinos (W)
* UBC Thunderbirds (M/W)
* UBC Okanagan Heat (M/W)
* UFV Cascades (M/W)
* UNBC Timberwolves (M/W)
* Thompson Rivers WolfPack (M/W)
* Trinity Western Spartans (M/W)
* Victoria Vikes (M/W)

|

Prairie|

* Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas (M/W)
* Calgary Dinos (M)
* Lethbridge Pronghorns (M/W)
* MacEwan Griffins (M/W)
* Manitoba Bisons (W)
* Mount Royal Cougars (M/W)
* Regina Cougars (W)
* Saskatchewan Huskies (M/W)
* Winnipeg Wesmen (W)

OUA|

| West|

* Algoma Thunderbirds (M/W)
* Brock Badgers (M/W)
* Guelph Gryphons (M/W)
* McMaster Marauders (M/W)
* Waterloo Warriors (M/W)
* Western Mustangs (M/W)
* Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (M/W)
* Windsor Lancers (M/W)
* York Lions (M/W)

|

East|

* Carleton Ravens (M/W)
* Laurentian Voyageurs (M/W)
* Nipissing Lakers (M/W)
* Ontario Tech Ridgebacks (M/W)
* Ottawa Gee-Gees (W)
* Queen's Gaels (M/W)
* RMC Paladins (M/W)
* TMU Bold (M/W)
* Toronto Varsity Blues (Men's/W)
* Trent Excalibur (M/W)

RSEQ|

* Bishop's Gaiters (W)
* Concordia Stingers (M/W)
* Laval Rouge et Or (M/W)
* McGill Redbirds and Martlets (Men's/W)
* Montreal Carabins (M/W)
* Sherbrooke Vert et Or (M/W)
* UQAM Citadins (M/W)
* UQTR Patriotes (M/W)

Main|

* U Sports
* U Sports men's soccer
* U Sports women's soccer

Championships|

* U Sports men's soccer championship
* 1980
* 1982
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025
* U Sports women's soccer championship
* 2025

Awards|

* Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy (men's)
* Soccer championship MVP (men's)
* Soccer championship MVP (women's)
* Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards (U Sports)

Other|

* CPL–U Sports Draft

* v
* t
* e

U Sports volleyball

AUS|

* Acadia Axewomen (W)
* Dalhousie Tigers (W)
* Memorial Sea-Hawks (W)
* Moncton Aigles Bleues (W)
* UNB Reds (W)
* Saint Mary's Huskies (W)

Canada West|

* Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas (M/W)
* Brandon Bobcats (M/W)
* UBC Thunderbirds (M/W)
* UBC Okanagan Heat (M/W)
* Calgary Dinos (M/W)
* UFV Cascades (M/W)
* MacEwan Griffins (M/W)
* Manitoba Bisons (M/W)
* Mount Royal Cougars (M/W)
* Regina Cougars (W)
* Saskatchewan Huskies (M/W)
* Thompson Rivers WolfPack (M/W)
* Trinity Western Spartans (Men's/W)
* Winnipeg Wesmen (M/W)

OUA|

* Brock Badgers (M/W)
* Guelph Gryphons (M/W)
* Lakehead Thunderwolves (W)
* McMaster Marauders (M/W)
* Nipissing Lakers (M/W)
* Ottawa Gee-Gees (W)
* Queen's Gaels (M/W)
* RMC Paladins (M/W)
* TMU Bold (M/W)
* Toronto Varsity Blues (M/W)
* Trent Excalibur (M/W)
* Waterloo Warriors (M/W)
* Western Mustangs (M/W)
* Windsor Lancers (M/W)
* York Lions (M/W)

RSEQ|

* Dalhousie Tigers (M)
* Laval Rouge et Or (M/W)
* McGill Martlets (W)
* Montreal Carabins (M/W)
* UNB Reds (M)
* Sherbrooke Vert et Or (M/W)
* UQAC Inuk (W)
* UQAM Citadins (W)
* UQTR Patriotes (W)
* ETS Piranhas (W)

Main|

* U Sports
* U Sports men's volleyball
* U Sports women's volleyball

Championships|

| Men's|

* National championship
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025
* 2026
* 2027
* 2028
* OUA championship

|

Women's|

* National championship
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025
* 2026
* 2027
* 2028
* OUA championship

Awards|

* Player of the Year Award (men's)
* Mary Lyons Award (women's)
* Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards (U Sports)

*[Nat.
titles]: National championships won
*[Conf.
titles]: Conference championships won
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