UBC Thunderbirds' Jessica Hanson has grown into the complete player in her fourth season on the Point Grey campus. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Basketball

UBC’s Jessica Hanson: On eve of playoff opener vs. Wesmen, coach Huband says of ‘Birds veteran “…she’ll always err on the side of leadership”

VANCOUVER — Be a scorer. Be a facilitator. Be a lock-down defender. Accepting the task of wearing those three hats on the basketball court at the same time starts you on the road to becoming a complete player.

UBC's fifth-year senior Patrick Simon scored a season-high 20 points Friday as his 'Birds topped UNBC 94-75 for the team's 15th straight win. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

The long journey of UBC’s Patrick Simon: Says ‘Birds coach Hanson “…now he’s a fifth-year man-child”

VANCOUVER — If the talent evaluators were never fully sure how to project what kind of talent Patrick Simon was going to become coming out of PoCo’s tiny Archbishop Carney back in the spring of 2013, the answer was pretty evident Friday night at War Memorial Gymnasium.“You’re seeing him out there in his fifth year […]

After setting a UBC women's single-game record with 27 rebounds earlier this season in a win over Victoria, Keylyn Filewich poses with the game ball. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Basketball

UBC’s Keylyn Filewich: How the ‘Birds star third-year post added even more mojo to her already-deadly inside game

VANCOUVER — Keylyn Filewich may have introduced herself to the Canada West with a breakout campaign last season that was big on tried-and-true low post moves.

Manroop Clair (right) of the UBC Thunderbirds has always been known for his ability to hoist. Now, however, his foes have to tend to an equally dangerous floor game. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

The flair of UBC’s Manroop Clair: More than just a deep threat, new freedom give ‘Birds veteran guard room to prosper

VANCOUVER — Manroop Clair doesn’t care if his reputation precedes him, because let’s face it, the UBC Thunderbirds’ fourth-year transfer guard has always embraced the fact that he is known to all as a shooter’s shooter.

Abbotsford Christian's Cole Brandsma, the 2018 B.C. AA championship's Most Outstanding Player, has been selected Varsity Letters' B.C. High School boys Player of the Year by our panel of U Sports head coaches. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of UBC Athletics 2018. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Volleyball University Men's Volleyball

Cole Brandsma: High-flying & cerebral, Abby Christian’s UBC-bound star is Varsity Letters’ 2018 BC high school volleyball Player of the Year

LANGLEY — Cole Brandsma can’t quantify how close he and his Abbotsford Christian teammates came to falling short of their dream goal, unless of course, you can put a measure on the skin of his teeth.

UBC head men's basketball coach got his start as both a player and a coach at Lanagara College. Now the Falcons are honouring his excellence with a scholarship endowment in his name. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athleitcs 2018. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

Kevin Hanson Scholarship: Langara founds endowment fund in name of former Falcons, current UBC hoops coach

VANCOUVER  — It was the place that gave him his first chance as a basketball player coming out of high school. It’s the place that gave him the opportunity to establish himself in what has become a lifelong occupation as a basketball coach.

Vernon quarterback Thomas Hyett (right, 3) commands the huddle like the veteran he is after making a positional switch in 10th grade for the good of the team. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2018. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football University Football

The Ben Hladik Effect: Bar of excellence set by UBC’s brilliant linebacker resonates as Vernon Panthers return to Subway Bowl final

Two seasons after he left on a journey to become one of the elite defensive players in all of Canadian university football, his lasting impact continues to reverberate through the football program Vernon Secondary. So much so that the best way to describe its impact on his high school alma mater is to simply call it […]

UBC Thunderbirds freshman Thomas Gardner in the first player in the history of Canada West men's soccer to win Top Rookie and Player of the Year in the same season. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics)
Feature University Men's Soccer

As UBC hosts U Sports 2018 Soccer Nationals, rookie sensation Gardner embraces his new Thunderbird life on a road less traveled

VANCOUVER — Maybe the highest compliment you can pay Thomas Gardner is to say that, whether your soccer eye is completely untrained or of connoisseur class, you simply have to watch him play to love his game.

UBC's All-Canadian safety Stavros Katsantonis played his usual hard-hitting game, here tackling Saskatchewan's Tyler Chow. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature University Football

Football ‘Birds unravel late in Hardy Cup semi final loss, coach Nill knows UBC “…is going to be a totally different team next year”

VANCOUVER — When it comes to advancing to the Canada West’s Hardy Cup conference championship, it’s almost felt like the UBC Thunderbirds have been protected by some sort of invisible force field since head coach Blake Nill rolled into town back in 2015.And with just over a minute left in the conference semifinal Saturday, with […]

NCAA coaches taking part in the inaugural Vancouver Showcase are not only excited about visiting the city, but about its prospects as a home base for the top level of collegiate and university competition. (Graphic courtesy Vancouver Showcase)