Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame Welcome 4 Players, 5 Builders & 2 Teams as Part of Class of ’19 Induction

DeGuefe going up for the block at the Wesmen Classic hosted at the Winnipeg Convention Centre

(April 17, 2019 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its Class of 2019. The official induction will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg.

PLAYERS : 
 

Vaira with the lay-up at the  old Bobcat Gym

• Belaineh DeGuefe – graduate of Kelvin High School; University of Winnipeg Wesmen, 1978-82; Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) all-star all four years; GPAC Player-of-the-Year and CIAU/CIS All-Canadian in 1981; Wesmen Athlete-of-the-Year in 1981.
• Margaret Mulder – native of Barrie, Ontario; University of Winnipeg Wesmen, 1986-89; two-time GPAC All-Star; twice named CIAU/CIS player-of-the-week; All-Canadian in 1988; Canadian National Team in 1988.
• Isabel (Duncan) Thomson – a true pioneer in women’s basketball for 25 years in the 1930s and 1940s; played 17 years of junior and senior basketball with the Altomahs and the Winnipeg Pegs; represented Manitoba 6 times in the Western Canadian championships; all-star numerous times; team captain; died in 2007.
• Mike Vaira – native of Oregon;Brandon Bobcats 1970-75; in 1973-74 led the nation in scoring with 26.5 pts. per game and became the first Bobcat to be All-Canadian; two-time GPAC All-Star; Brandon University Male Athlete-of-the-Year in 1974; died in 2018.

BUILDERS :
 

Builder Irv Hanec

Builder Dennis Wilson

• Irv Hanec – coached for 45 years at all levels – high school (Elmwood, Daniel McIntyre, St. John’s, Dakota and College Jean Sauve), senior men’s, national and international with St. Andrews Super Saints; Mike Spack Award winner in 1996; Basketball Manitoba Coach-of-the-Year in 2006 when he led CJS to the provincial ‘AAAA’ championship; also officiated for many years and Basketball Manitoba Exec. Dir. 2005-2006;died in 2017.
• Larry McDougall – coached for 32 years at Dauphin Reg. Sec. School where he won three MHSAA ‘AAA’ Provincial Championships with the Varsity Boys, 1975, 76 & 80 and with the Varsity Girls in 1987; reputation for patience and for building relationships with his players set him aside from many of his peers; died in 2017.
• Bill Moody – coach and official in Brandon for over 40 years; coached at Neelin, Killarney and Crocus Plains High School where he led teams to many championships as well as the BU Bobcats women’s team for 5 years; two-time GPAC Coach-of-the-Year; longtime official at all levels; presented at many coaching clinics in the Westman Region
• Isabel (Duncan) Thomson – President of the Greater Women’s Senior Women’s Basketball league for many years; Vice President of the Canadian Amateur Basketball Association (now Canada Basketball); died in 2007. 
• Dennis Wilson – longtime coach/administrator; coached Glenlawn High School Varsity Boys 1961-70; 1967 ‘AAAA’ provincial champions;first president of the Manitoba Basketball Coaches’ Assoc.; as a school administrator supported and helped develop quality programs at many schools; coached in the WMBA, at the International Peace Gardens and in the inner city BeeBall program.

TEAMS :
 

• Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School Clippers – Varsity Boys, 1974-75, 1975-76 & 1979-80, MHSAA Provincial ‘AAA’ Champions
• Ross L. Gray School Raiders (Sprague) – Varsity Girls, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1977-78, 1980-81,1981-82, 1982-83, 1985-86 & 1988-89, MHSAA Provincial Champions