NAME: Vikettes
UNIVERSITY: Victoria
CATEGORY: Team
SPORT: Women’s Basketball
YEARS ACTIVE: 1979-1983
HIGHLIGHTS:
Three straight CIAU championships (1980-1982)
Four straight Canada West championships (1980 – 1983)
86-4 combined in reg. season and playoffs from 1979-80 to 1982-83
BIOGRAPHY:
Led by legendary coach Kathy Shields, the University of Victoria women’s basketball team won four consecutive Canada West titles between 1980 and 1983, and three straight CIAU championships from 1980 to 1982.
Over a remarkable four years spanning the 1979-80 and 1982-83 seasons, the Vikettes went 67-3 in Canada West regular season competition. During that time they compiled 19-1 record post-season record. They were a perfect 8-0 against conference opponents in the playoffs, claiming the Canada West crown with a final triumph over Calgary three times (1980, 1981 and 1983) and Saskatchewan in 1982.
At the 1980 CIAU tournament in Halifax, the Vikettes posted a 64-59 victory over Dalhousie in the final to capture their first Bronze Baby. Victoria repeated as national champs in 1981, topping Bishops 61-59 in the gold medal game in Guelph. In 1982 in Saskatoon, they beat Bishops again to capture their third consecutive national title. Twelve months later in Lethbridge, Victoria took the silver medal after dropping the final to Bishops.
Individual honours came in spades for the UVic women’s basketball teams of 1979-80 through 1982-83.
In 1980, Carol Turney-Loos was awarded CIAU championship MVP, CIAU Player of the Year, Canada West Player of the Year, and named an All-Canadian. That season also saw Shields claim the CIAU Coach of the Year award. In 1981, the CIAU championship MVP went to Shelly Godfrey. In 1982 Luanne Hebb picked up the CIAU championship MVP, CIAU and Canada West Player of the Year awards. In 1983, Tracie McAra and Sandy Chambers became the first UVic teammates to be named women’s basketball All-Canadians in the same year.
The 1981-82 Vikettes, who had a 24-1 overall record (including exhibition, regular season, and post-season contests), have been inducted as a team into the UVic Sports Hall of Fame.
TEAM MEMBERS - Carol Turney-Loos, Cindy Smith, Dina Von Hahn, Donna Digby, Jamie Mackie Jones, Jane Boe, Jane Williams, Janine Prince, Karen Packalen, Leslie Godfrey Kaehn, Luanne, Hebb Krawetz, Robyn Fitzgerald, Sandy Chambers, Sandy Lewis, Shawnee Harle, Shelley Godfrey, Susan Shaw, Susie Neil, Tracie McAra, Kathy Shields (head coach), Peter Domengoni (assistant coach), Pam Balfour (manager)