Not the gentle falling of snowflakes, nor the impending pass rush of the Regina Rams could prevent UBC quarterback Michael O'Connor from extending his pass efficiency streak to three games... and four wins and counting. (Richard Lam, UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

TSUMURA: My 5 Big Takeaways as UBC football edges Regina for Hardy Cup and national Final 8 berth

VANCOUVER — Blake Nill said it in the aftermath of of his team’s defeat back on Sept. 29 to the visiting Calgary Dinos: Everything his UBC Thunderbirds wanted to accomplish this season wouldn’t happen without first going through Calgary and finding a way to beat the Dinos.

UBC's fifth-year receiver Alex Morrison celebrates some heavy lifting accomplished, striking a pose in the end zone last Saturday, following the first of two touchdowns in a win over the Regina Rams. (Richard Lam/UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

Q&A: UBC’s big-play receiver Alex Morrison on getting wide, going deep and loving his football journey

VANCOUVER — Take a chance, head west young man. Alex Morrison did just, packing his bags in the fall of 2012 and leaving home in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., for a brand new adventure in Vancouver. All these years later, he is the collegiate version of the pro’s pro.

Victory Shumbusho (left) solidified UBC's talented young core of stars Thursday by being named the Canada West's Rookie of the Year. (UBC athletics photo)
Feature University Men's Soccer

Kardiac Kids? Mosher’s baby soccer ‘Birds leave nest in time to host Canada West Final 4

VANCOUVER — It seems fitting that if you had to pick one all-telling moment over the course of the regular season which best spoke to the identity of the 2017 UBC Thunderbirds men’s soccer team, it would involve one of the team’s gaggle of young players

Surrey's Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers are back in the Varsity Letters B.C. Triple A high school football rankings. (Varsity Letters photo by Howard Tsumura)
Feature High School Football

11.02.17: Varsity Letter’s All U Can Eat B.C. High School football notebook, rankings, schedules

The final weekend of the regular season is upon us and look at those AAA rankings! (They’re just below). New Westminster and St. Thomas More sitting 1-2, each school undefeated against B.C. competition and each leading their respective conferences in wins and plus-minus.

A healthy knee and an even healthier outlook have UFV Cascades' senior Shayna Litman poised for a breakthrough season. (Dan Kinvig/UFV Cascades athletics)
Feature University Women's Basketball

Shayna’s shine: Fraser Valley Cascades forward Litman gets her bounce back

ABBOTSFORD — There is an old saying which tells us that success can be measured by the height of one’s bounce after hitting the bottom. By those metrics, it would have been easy to doom Fraser Valley Cascades senior forward Shayna Litman for a university basketball career defined by its mediocrity.

UBC defensive backs Stavros Katsantonis (left) and Malcom Lee set the old-school tone prior to Saturday's massive 17-16 win at Manitoba, by putting in the study prep necessary to make a defensive impact. (Richard Lam/UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

Like blue-collar Boy Scouts, UBC defensive backs Katsantonis, Lee came prepared, then stole victory from Manitoba Bisons

Like a pair of Boy Scouts living up to their famous motto, UBC defensive backs Stavros Katsantonis and Malcom Lee challenged each other in the week leading up to Saturday’s crucial clash at Manitoba to ‘Be Prepared’ for any and all eventualities. And when their turn came to turn a tight game on its ear, each […]

UBC women's volleyball coach Doug Reimer shares a championship moment last season with returning players left to right: Ciara Hanly, Samantha Patko and Victoria Behie. (Richard Lam/UBC athletics)
Feature University Women's Volleyball

UBC women’s volleyball: Voices from a dynasty ago offer meaning as ‘Birds begin U Sports national title defence

VANCOUVER — Doug Reimer has coached UBC women’s volleyball in two different centuries, parts of three different decades and most historically, to seven U Sports national championship crowns. That’s the long way of saying he’s seen it all.

Now in their third season together, UBC head coach Blake Nill swears by his quarterback Michael O'Connor. (Bob Frid/UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

TSUMURA: On the bond between a coach and his QB, UBC’s Nill & O’Connor survive a Saturday in Saskatoon

As a performance, it was hardly an oil painting. Yet you would be mistaken to think that UBC quarterback Michael O’Connor’s three interceptions on Saturday night in any way sullied the final result of the ‘Birds near-total collapse in the heart of the Canada West playoff chase.