HEAD COACH:
Michele Belanger
University of Toronto
Women's Basketball
55 Harbord Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 2W6
Tel: 416-978-7359
Fax: 416-971-2118 |
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The
leadership of Coach Michèle Bélanger
, who arrived at U of T in 1979, and the presence
of several outstanding players have made the Blues a
dominant presence in Canadian women's basketball for
three decades. During the 1980's and 90's, the Blues
won seven OUA league titles, one CIAU national title
and qualified for 13 CIAU national tournaments.
Over
the thirty years that Belanger has coached the Blues,
there have been many teams with the perfect mix of talent,
teamwork and dedication, but one of the most spectacular
was in 1985-86. The Blues were undefeated against
Canadian opponents that season, winning 30 consecutive
victories en route to a national title. Four players,
Pat Melville , Angela Orton , Theresa
Burns , and Mary Ann Kowal, were central
to the team's success. Each player received individual
recognition from both the OUA and CIAU for their play.
Today, Orton and Burns are head coaches at the University
of Guelph and McMaster University respectively.
Melville was inducted into the U of T Sports Hall of
Fame in 1998 and Orton, Kowal and Burns have joined
since. Denise Scott has also been inducted into the
Hall and Justine Ellison will join this elite group
in June '09.
 (From
left to right: P. Melville, M. Kowal, A. Orton andT.
Burns)
The
Blues have been a perennial contender for league and
national honors, compiling an impressive record over
the first 25 seasons of 593 wins against 233 losses.
 Beginning
in the early 1990's, the Varsity Blues amassed another
amazing string of divisional, league
and tournament wins. In 1989-90, the Blues placed
second in Ontario to eventual national champion Laurentian,
and Varsity Arena was the site of the first CIAU Basketball
final ever played in Toronto.
The
following season, 1990-91, the Blues were 10-2 in OWIAA
league games and 26-9 overall. Denise Scott
was a first team All-Canadian and Kim Johnson
was named the OWIAA East Division Rookie of the Year.
In 1991-92, the team finished first in their division during the regular season with an impressive 11-1 record. Varsity took the silver medal at the league tournament in Sudbury and then placed fourth overall at the CIAU National Championship. Scott was named a first team All-Canadian for the second season and joined guard Heather Marlborough as OWIAA All-Stars. In addition, forward Justine Ellison was named the OWIAA East Division Rookie of the Year. Ellison earned numerous awards during the mid-90's including being the first U of T athlete to be named winner of the CIAU's prestigious Howard Mackie Athlete of the Year Awards, as well as the Nan Kopp Tropy for CIAU Player of the Year. Despite a series of injuries during 1992-93, the Blues compiled an impressive 25-9 record and were league silver medallists. In 1993-94, the team won the OUA league championship and invitational titles at Laval, Concordia and York. At the CIAU tournament, the Blues defeated New Brunswick 77-44 and disposed of Laurentian, 69-60, to earn a shot at the gold medal against undefeated Winnipeg. U of T led at the half 43-41, but after the intermission the Wesmen pulled away to gain their North American record 73rd straight victory, 90-76. The Blues finished with a 25-5 record. In
1994-95, the Blues were 10-2 in both tournament and
league games prior to hosting the OWIAA Championship
in the Sports Gym. U of T opened with a 73-44
win over Brock and qualified for the nationals by defeating
Western, but lost to Laurentian in a close 64-60 OUA
final. The Blues opened strongly at the
CIAU tournament with a 72-51 win over Victoria.
However, the Blues dropped the semi-final game to eventual
champion Winnipeg, and then placed 4th overall.
The 1995-96
season ranks among the best in Blues history.
This was a season of triumphs, big and small, as they
captured the OWIAA East Division title and the
OWIAA Championship. At the CIAU tournament, the
team played very well, with Justine Ellison pumping
in 33 points in a quarter final victory over Laval,
and Liz Hart scoring 22 points and adding
11 rebounds in a semi-final win over McGIll. In
a close, hard-fought battle, the Blues came up just
short as the University of Manitoba Lady Bisons won
in double overtime. Ellison scored an amazing
41 points - a fitting end to a remarkable CIAU career.
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Nan Copp Trophy
CIAU Player of the Year
1985-86 Pat Melville
1995-96 Justine Ellison
Howard Mackie Award
CIAU Female Athlete of the Year
1995-1996 Justine Ellison
T-Holders
Award
Academic Excellence &
CIAU Academic All-Canadians
1990-91 Sue Barzo, Joan Stock
1991-92 Sue Barzo
1992-93 Rachel Katocs
1993-94 Lori Ryan
1994-95 Laurie Pinkney, Lauren Ryan
1995-96 Laurel Johnson
1996-97 Laurel Johnson
1998-99 Laura Verbeeten
2000-01 Elanna Robson
2002-03
Jacquie Armour
2002-03
Rachel Franssen
2002-03
Kristin Cullen
2003-04
Kristin Cullen
2005-06
Christine Cho
Women's T-Holders
U of T Athlete of the Year
1984-85
Angela Orton
1985-86 Pat Melville
1987-88 Mary Ann Kowal
1992-93 Denise Scott
1995-96 Justine Ellison
National
Championships
1985-86
WIAU
Championships (1921 - 1971)
1920-21 1921-22 1923-24 1924-25 1926-27 1928-29
1929-30 1930-31 1931-32 1933-34 1938-39 1946-47 1948-49
1949-50 1950-51 1952-53 1953-54 1956-57 1968-69
OWIAA/OUA Championships
(1972 - present)
1983-84
1984-85
1985-86
1987-88
1988-89
1993-94
1995-96
1996-97
2001-02
CIAU
All-Canadians
1983-84 Angela Orton
1984-85 Angela Orton, Pat Melville
1985-86 Pat Melville, Angela Orton
1986-87 Mary Ann Kowal
1987-88 Mary Ann Kowal
1988-89 Mary Ann Kowal
1990-91 Denise Scott
1991-92 Denise Scott
1992-93 Denise Scott
1994-95 Justine Ellison
1995-96 Justine Ellison
1996-97 Elizabeth Hart
Laura Verbeeten (All-Rookie Team)
1997-98 Elizabeth Hart
2001-02 Vanessa Richardson (Honorable Mention),
Paula Romkey (All-Rookie Team)
2003-04
Nikki Doucet
2008-09
Alaine Hutton
CIAU Championship Tournament All-Stars
1984-85
Angela Orton
1985-86 Theresa Burns,
Angela Orton (MVP)
1986-87 Mary Ann Kowal
1988-89 Mary Ann Kowal
1992-93 Heather Marlborough
1993-94 Justine Ellison, Sharon Butler
1994-95 Kimberley Johnson
1995-96 Justine Ellison
1996-97 Elizabeth Hart
Kim
Johnson Award
1999-2000 Holly Pagnan
2000-01 Elanna Robson
2001-02 Jacquie Armour
2002-03
Vanessa Nobrega
2003-04
Kristin Cullen
2004-05
Vanessa Nobrega
2005-06
Christine Cho
U
of T Sports Hall of Fame
Roberta McDonald Charlesworth
Phyllis Griffiths
Sally Manning
Sallie Wallace Teasdale
Ann Thompson
Helen Gurney
Mary MacDonald
Bea Symons Nunns
Marion Alice Forward
Susan Neill
Mary Foster
Marg Stock Wright
Joan Stevenson
Mary Barnett
Sharon Wilson Bradley
Angela Orton
Mary Ann Kowal
1985-86
National Championship Team
Denise Scott
Pat Melville
Theresa
Burns
Justine
Ellison
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OUA
East Rookie of the Year
1990-91 Kimberley Johnson
1991-92 Justine Ellison
1996-97 Laura Verbeeten
1997-98 Elanna Robson
1998-99 Vanessa Richardson
2001-02 Paula Romkey
2005-06
Alaine Hutton
OUA Championship
Tournament
1984-85
Pat Melville (MVP),
Angela Orton (All-Star)
1985-86 Pat Melville (MVP),
Angela Orton (All-Star)
1986-87 Mary Ann Kowal (All-Star)
1987-88
Mary Ann Kowal (MVP)
1988-89 Mary Ann Kowal (MVP),
Samantha Reid (All-Star)
1990-91 Denise Scott (All-Star)
1991-92 Denise Scott (All-Star)
1992-93 Denise Scott (All-Star)
1993-94 Justine Ellison (MVP),
Heather Marlborough (All-Star),
Laurel Johnson (All-Star)
1994-95 Justine Ellison (All-Star),
Laurie Pinkney (All-Star)
1995-96 Justine Ellison (MVP),
Elizabeth Hart (All-Star)
1996-97 Elizabeth Hart (All-Star)
1997-98 Elizabeth Hart (All-Star)
1998-99 Karen Bottineau (All-Star),
Suzanne McAlpine (All-Star)
1999-00
Klara Danes (All-Star)
2001-02 Vanessa Richardson (MVP), Holly Pagnan (All-Star)
There no
longer is a Championship Tournament
OUA
All-Stars
1980-81 Patricia Melville , Greta Delonghi
1981-82 Patricia Melville, Laura Dampf, Greta
Delonghi
1982-83 Patricia Melville, Angela Orton
1983-84 Angela Orton, Peggy Blumenthal, Theresa
Burns
1984-85 Angela Orton, Patricia Melville, Peggy
Blumenthal
1985-86 Patricia Melville, Angela Orton, Theresa
Burns
1986-87 Mary Ann Kowal
1987-88 Mary Ann Kowal, Samantha Reid
1988-89 Mary Ann Kowal, Joan Stock
1989-90 Joan Stock, Denise Scott
1990-91 Samantha Reid , Denise Scott
1991-92 Heather Marlborough, Denise Scott
1992-93 Denise Scott, Justine Ellison
1993-94 Justine Ellison, Laurel Johnson
1994-95 Justine Ellison, Laurie Pinkney, Laurel
Johnson
1995-96 Justine Ellison, Elizabeth Hart
1996-97 Elizabeth Hart, Laurel Johnson, Laura
Verbeeten
1997-98 Elizabeth Hart, Elanna Robson, Laura Verbeeten
1998-99 Karen Bottineau, Samantha Burrows, Rachel
Ellison, Stephanie Splitter, Vanessa Richardson
1999-00 Klara Danes, Rachel Ellison
2000-01 Klara Danes, Elanna Robson, Vanessa
Richardson
01-02 Holly Pagnan, Vanessa Richardson
02-03
Paula Romkey
03-04
Vanessa Nobrega,Nikki Doucet
04-05 Joanne Chehade,Vanessa Nobrega
05-06
Christine Cho
06-07
Christine Cho, Alaine hutton
07-08
Alaine Hutton, Christine Cho
08-09
Alaine Hutton (OUA East Player of the Year), Nicki
Schutz
OUA
Record Holders
Most Points Scored in a Career
Denise Scott (989 pts)
Mary Ann Kowal (949 pts)
Justine Ellison (924 pts)
Greatest Average Points/Game in a Career
Pat Melville (18.9 pts)
Denise Scott (17.7 pts)
Greatest FG% - Season
Nicki Berswick (72.2%)
Justine Ellison (62.7%)
Pat Melville (60.3%)
Greatest FT% - Season
Vanessa
Nobrega (93.9%)
Alaine Hutton
(92.7%)
Mary Ann Kowal (91.2%)
Elizabeth Hart (90.7%)
Most Rebounds in a Career
Pat Melville (584 rebounds)
Angela Orton (427 rebounds)
Greatest Average Rebounds/Game in a Career
Pat Melville (10.0 rpg)
Greatest
Average Rebounds/Game-Season
Nicki Schutz
(11.7 rpg)
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