The UVic track team has a rising star on its hands and her name is Rachel Francois. Francois, originally from St. Albert, Alta., is attending her first year at UVic, and has burst out of the gate to start the indoor track season with new personal records in the 300‑, 600- and 800-metre events.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: treading water while lifting half your body out of the water for dance-type movements, holding your breath, staying in sync with music — all while trying not to kill anyone — is impressive.
How did the Vikes women’s rowing team spend last Friday night? Were they hard at work on rowing machines in the McKinnon Gym? Were they out at Elk Lake, oblivious to the cold and dark? Were they grooving to overplayed top-40s remixes at Club 9one9? No! They were serving food at the Street Café, at the Mustard Seed Street Church and Food Bank. This is something they do now.
With the Canadian Western Championships taking place this weekend in Edmonton, the UVic swim teams are busy preparing for competition.
The 2012 National Hockey League All-Star Weekend is upon us, as the league takes a break to put on a light-hearted, fun weekend of festivities in Ottawa, Ont. This year is the second iteration of the all-star draft format, where two captains pick their teams from a preselected group of players, as opposed to the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference All-Stars (and some might even remember the North America vs. World experiment of the early 2000s).
There can be interesting dynamics between the coaching staff and players on any sports team — but many would say the dynamic of the UVic men’s field hockey team is just plain cool.
What do university students dream about? A race in which the winner receives at least 100 pounds of beer seems a likely possibility.
While some may find the sport of unicycling intimidating, there are a select few who couldn’t see themselves without their trusty, one-wheeled transport by their side. Just ask one of Victoria’s most experienced unicycle riders, Sean Goode.
Imagine dancing upside down with half your body out of the water while holding your breath, counting beats to music and synchronizing yourself with the people around you — all while trying not to kick anyone in the face.
The members of the Vikes cross country and track team are preparing for the transition towards the indoor track circuit as they hope to build on their success from the cross country season.
The VISL (Vancouver Island Soccer League) hosts its annual All-Star Weekend on Saturday, January 7 at Hampton Park. The event, in its seventh year, allows the top soccer players on the Island to showcase their skills and compete for Island soccer supremacy.
I know what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking, “Oh look, it’s the New Year and they’re going to tell me why I should get to the gym. Then I’ll embarrass myself while the entire men’s varsity rowing team watches me struggle all the way to sit-up number five. Great.”
What club is as relaxed as a meditation club, but as high-adrenaline and adventure-seeking as any outdoors or sports club? UVic Snow — they’re chill, in more ways than one.
If you’ve ever wondered what those people in the UVic quad are doing — those who walk along thin nylon lines between the trees on clear days — you’re not alone. And now you have your answer: they’re slacklining.
You know biking; most of you know polo — but have you ever thought of combining the two? I know what you’re thinking: spokes through shins and collisions resulting in the sound of the slap of a body onto concrete. Not so. The inventive sport of bike polo made its way to Victoria five years ago.
For the first time in over 20 years the Vikes have earned the right to host the Barnard Cup. On Saturday, Nov. 26 Centennial Stadium will showcase some of the best rugby in B.C. as the UVic men’s rugby team face James Bay in a battle for the Island supremacy.
They might wear bunny logos on their jerseys, but the UVic men’s and women’s Ultimate Frisbee club teams — UVictim and UVixens, respectively — are anything but bird prey (including Thunderbirds, if you catch my drift).
A cry not heard in Victoria since 1975 echoed throughout Centennial Stadium on Sunday afternoon as the Vikes men’s soccer team claimed the 2011 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship. More than 3000 full-throated fans cheered their team to a convincing 3-1 win over Saint Mary’s University (SMU) in the final. This marked UVic’s second national title on home soil and the fifth in program history.
Resting ever so subtly amidst the backdrop of Oak Bay High School sits a stone monument slight enough in stature that it’s barely discernible from the surfeit of scenery on the drive down Cadboro Bay Road.
Every student is busy and sometimes it can seem like there’s too much work for us to ever possibly finish it all on time. But for student athletes it’s even worse; imagine having all of that work, plus up to 20 hours of practice a week — and travelling every other weekend for games or meets.
