Fraser Valley freshman guard Jessica Parker, the former PoCo-Riverside standout, announced herself on the U Sports circuit Saturday in the Cascades win over visiting UBC at Envision Athletic Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved) (Photo by Vancouver Sports Pictures property of VSP 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Basketball

UFV Women’s Basketball: Forget the Fab Five! Cascades’ freshman-filled Fab Four combine for 50 points in win over UBC

ABBOTSFORD — Don’t hold it against Jessica Parker just because she doesn’t know the history of the Fab Five.After all, the Fraser Valley Cascades’ high-scoring pure freshman guard wasn’t even born when Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King arrived on the scene, baggy shorts and all, way back in 1991, […]

As Calgary Dinos' keeper Lauren Houghton (left) looks on, UBC's Natasha Klasios (right) congratulates teammate Danielle Steer on scoring what held to be the winning goal in Sunday's U Sports national women' soccer final staged at UVic's Centennial Stadium. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Soccer

UBC women’s soccer: In homage to program architect Dick Mosher, ‘Birds win a national title on weird but wondrous 80th-minute header

VICTORIA — The video replays proved inconclusive, but did the goal which lifted the UBC Thunderbirds to the top of Canadian university soccer world Sunday night in Victoria actually graze in off of Danielle Steer’s ponytail?“No,” the UBC Thunderbirds’ third-year forward and championship MVP explained in the aftermath of the biggest goal of her life. […]

After four years in the NCAA Div. 1 basketball world, former Bellevue (Wash.) High ace shooter Zack Moore has brought a more expansive game north of the line to the UBC Thunderbirds. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

As ‘Birds prepare Friday welcome for Dinos at War, UBC coach Hanson calls new NCAA D1 transfer Zack Moore “…our secret golden nugget”

VANCOUVER — Zack Moore is more, more, more than just a three-point shooter.And while UBC head coach Kevin Hanson certainly appreciates the rare opportunity to bring in a fourth-year, NCAA Div. 1-transfer who has already proven he can step outside the arc and get his fill from distance, it seems quite clear that the Thunderbirds […]

UBC's Nicola Symonds (right), en route to out-kicking Saskatchewan's Courtney Hufsmith on Saturday to win the Canada West women's cross country title, did it on the same Canmore Park course she won her very first cross-country meet as an eight-year old back in 2005. (Photo by David Moll property of Calgary Dinos athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Cross Country

UBC’s Nicola Symonds: Some 14 years and a stone’s throw later, gutsy ‘Birds harrier returns to her Calgary course and wins race of her life in CW final

VANCOUVER — Ask any devoted harrier to define their love of cross-country running, and many will tell you that on their best days, it’s an act which takes them back to being a kid at recess, running unbridled through their old school yard.Last Saturday, at the age of 22, UBC Thunderbirds’ senior Nicola Symonds had […]

UBC's second-year defensive back Jaxon Ciraolo-Brown is living up to his potential as a future star. The Hamilton native came up with three interceptions Saturday against the Calgary Dinos. (Photo by David Moll property of Calgary Dinos athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

Thunderbird Stadium was a ‘Land of Opportunity’ for youthful UBC football in 2019, Saturday loss in Calgary turns page on next chapter

In his 20-plus seasons as a U Sports head football coach, Blake Nill has made a habit of his coaching his teams into national-title contention.When exactly the opposite happens to the degree with which it did this season, it’s no wonder that the UBC Thunderbirds’ veteran football boss was having a tough time coming to […]

Four years after helping UBC earn its 100th national title in its 100th birthday year, 'Birds defender Amelia Crawford leads her team back into the playoffs for the final time in her career. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Soccer

UBC women’s soccer: On the road and in the shadows, these 2019 Thunderbirds seem built for U Sports’ second season

VANCOUVER — The UBC Thunderbirds have won the second most U Sports titles this century and are one of those programs which annually finds itself in the conversation when the talk turns to who will hoist the Gladys Bean memorial trophy, emblematic of Canadian women’s university soccer supremacy.

Is he set to become the new face of UBC football in 2020? 'Birds quarterback Gabe Olivares engineered his team's 38-37 win over No. 3 Saskatchewan on Saturday at T-Bird Stadium. (Photo by Darryl Dyck property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

A SUNDAY READ: Why UBC football’s upset stunner over No. 3 Saskatchewan has ‘Birds coach Nill convinced it’s deja vu, all over again

VANCOUVER — Blake Nill didn’t hesitate for a second. When placekicker Garrin McDonnell booted his fifth field goal of the day, an 11-yarder with just 31 seconds to play to lift the underdog UBC to a most improbable 38-37 win over a Saskatchewan Huskies’ team ranked No. 3 in the nation, the grizzled Thunderbirds’ head coach […]

A sack artist at work, St. Thomas More's Kaishaun Carter finds his way through the Kelowna Owls last Friday at Burnaby Lake. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

Kaishaun Carter: “…I pride myself on my football IQ” says St. Thomas More’s senior blue-chip defensive end

BURNABY — Last month, as the St. Thomas More Knights set off to Mission for what would eventually be a hard-fought 18-6 win over the host Roadrunners, STM head coach Steve De Lazzari sent a text to his defensive coordinator Jared Power about one of the team’s influential seniors.“Coach Power was going to be away […]

UBC quarterback Gabe Olivares passed for 300-plus yards in leading the Thunderbirds to the first win of their 2019 Canada West season Friday in Regina. (Photo by Trevor LaFramboise property of Regina athletics 2019. All rights reserved)
Feature University Football

UBC football impresses with season’s first victory, yet despite win in Regina, Thunderbirds eliminated from Canada West playoffs

Its Canada West football playoff hopes may have evaporated with just two more conference games remaining, yet the UBC Thunderbirds discovered they still had enough heroic karma left in the tank of a frustrating season to pick up their first victory of 2019.“We tried our best to give it to them,” ‘Birds head coach Blake Nill […]

UBC quarterback Gabe Olivares and the rest of the Thunderbirds endured a tough fourth quarter Saturday in a loss to the visiting Alberta Golden Bears. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2019. All rights reserved)
Feature University Football

UBC football: After late collapse to Alberta, what’s most key for 0-5 ‘Birds over final three games? Forging a team identity for 2020

VANCOUVER — Over the window of their academic careers on the Point Grey campus, forestry students at UBC can put in the long hours required towards earning a Masters degree in the sustainable management of one of our province’s great natural resources.Over at Thunderbird Stadium, however, a whole other group of UBC students are attempting […]