Welcoming the new Gee-Gees
illustration by Alex Martin
Recruits, transfers look to make impact on U of O sports teams
EVERY YEAR, DOZENS of young, aspiring athletes choose to dedicate the next four to five years of their lives to the Gee-Gees program straight out of high school. Others decide to transfer to the University of Ottawa from another post-secondary institution with hopes of winning a championship. Though only a few of theses recruits and transfer athletes will end up as star players, all of them will forever become a part of the Gee-Gees family. With welcoming arms, the Fulcrum takes a look at some of the most intriguing recruits and transfers of 2010.
Women’s Basketball
Key Transfer: Forward Jenna Gilbert, from La Salle University of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
Last season, fourth-year centre Hannah Sunley-Paisley dominated her opponents in the paint and was named the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East player of the year. With the addition of six-foot forward Gilbert from the NCAA, the Gees frontcourt will definitely be one of the nation’s best this upcoming winter. Gilbert, the Ottawa native who started 20 games for the La Salle Explorers and averaged 4.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 2008–09, has decided to come home to play for head coach Andy Sparks. Underutilized as a defensive player in the La Salle program, Gilbert will have a bigger role with the Gee-Gees and should be a fine compliment to Sunley-Paisley.
“[Gilbert] is a dominant post player,” Sparks said. “I think our frontcourt could compete with anybody’s frontcourt in the country.”
Men’s Hockey
Key Recruit: Defenseman Dominic Jalbert, from Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
After a dismal season in 2009–10, in which the Gee-Gees finished last in the OUA, the men’s hockey team received a major boost in the form of recruit Dominic Jalbert—the reigning Canadian Hockey League Scholastic Player of the Year. Jalbert, an intelligent player both in the classroom and on the ice, has enjoyed a stellar four-year career in the QMJHL—recording 33 goals and 98 assists in 228 games. The blue-chip recruit originally from Hull, Que., should immediately solidify the Gees defence corps and improve their special teams, especially on the power-play.
Men’s football
Key Recruit: Quarterback Alex Lundstrom, from Radnor High School in Philadelphia, P.A. With fourth-year Brad Sinopoli sitting firmly at the top of the Gees’ depth chart, Lundstrom isn’t likely to see much playing time this year. He is, however, certainly a fascinating recruit—it is very rare that an American high school quarterback signs on with a Canadian Interuniversity Sport program. His highlights, found on the Internet, reveal a capable dual-threat quarterback; it will be interesting to keep an eye on Lundstrom for years to come.
Swimming
Key Transfer: Matt Hawes, from the University of British Columbia (UBC) A bronze medallist in the 2007 Pan American Games held in Brazil, Hawes is a backstroke specialist who holds the Canadian record in the 200-metre backstroke event. He transferred from UBC in order to be reunited with Gees head coach Derrick Schoof, a long-time mentor of Hawes. The newest member of the Gee-Gees swim team brings plenty of national team experience to the U of O—and will look to make a huge splash on the Ottawa swimming scene.
Women’s Soccer
Key Recruit: Marie-Élyse McGuire, from École Secondaire Louis-Riel, Ottawa, Ont. A talented local recruit, McGuire was captain of the Louis-Riel Rebelles for the past two seasons and was named the most valuable player of the U-17 Ottawa Fury team in 2009. Another major accomplishment was being named to the Super-Y League Olympic Development Program from 2006–08. McGuire’s family has a tradition of attending the University of Ottawa—her mother and her maternal grandparents are all graduates of this university.
