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Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas

Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Alberta

Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas
Summary

Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Alberta

FieldValue
nameAlberta Golden Bears
name2Pandas
logoAlberta goldenbears pandas logo.png
logo_width250
universityUniversity of Alberta
associationU Sports
conferenceCanada West
directorIan Reade
locationEdmonton, Alberta
teams24
mens_teams12
womens_teams12
stadiumFoote Field
icehockeyarenaClare Drake Arena
othersite labelGymnasium
othersiteSaville Community Sports Centre
arena2Universiade Pavilion
mascotGUBA (Great University Bear of Alberta)
nicknameGolden Bears
Pandas
fightsong"Alberta Cheer Song"
pageurlhttps://bearsandpandas.ca/index.aspx

The Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas are the sports teams that represent the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Alberta athletics teams have won a total of 101 national championships, including 84 in U Sports sanctioned sports, making it one of the most successful programs in the country.

History

The University of Alberta has featured varsity teams since the school's inception in 1908, notably with the men's ice hockey team first playing a season of six games during that school year. The school's colours of evergreen and gold were approved as the varsity teams' official colours on October 13, 1908. The football team adopted the name "Golden Bears" for the 1935 season with the men's basketball team following suit in 1936 and all other male varsity programs soon after. After World War II ended and teams resumed play, the women's varsity teams first began playing under the "Pandas" moniker which was adopted by all of the school's women's teams.

Currently, Alberta's athletics program fields 24 teams in 14 different sports administered by U Sports in the Canada West conference. The ice hockey teams play at Clare Drake Arena, named after long-time coach Clare Drake. Professor W. G. Hardy coached the men's team from 1922 to 1926, and played a leading role in getting the first ice hockey rink built at the university campus in 1927.

Varsity teams

Alberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"Men's sportsAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"Women's sports
BasketballBasketball
Cross countryCross country
CurlingCurling
FootballRugby
GolfGolf
Ice hockeyIce hockey
SoccerSoccer
SwimmingSwimming
TennisTennis
Track and fieldTrack and field
VolleyballVolleyball
WrestlingWrestling
Alberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= }}"– includes both indoor and outdoor

Football

Main article: Alberta Golden Bears football

The Golden Bears football program has been in competition since 1910. The Golden Bears have won three Vanier Cup national championships, in 1967, 1972 and most recently in 1980. The program has also had three players win the Hec Crighton Trophy, with Mel Smith winning in 1971, Bryan Fryer winning in 1975, and most recently Ed Ilnicki winning the award in 2017.

Men's ice hockey

Main article: Alberta Golden Bears ice hockey

The Golden Bears played against the [[Edmonton Oilers]] rookies in 2014

The U Sports men's ice hockey program has been competing since 1908, in the same year that the University of Alberta was first established. The Golden Bears have won the most David Johnston University Cup championships with 16 wins, most recently in 2018. The program has also featured 55 conference championship teams, including a recent period of domination where Golden Bear teams have won 16 out of 20 Canada West championships from 2000 to 2020. The team's head coach, Ian Herbers, returned to the team in 2018 following a stint with the Edmonton Oilers after previously being the team's head coach for three seasons from 2012 to 2015.

Women's ice hockey

Main article: Alberta Pandas ice hockey

The University of Alberta has featured a women's ice hockey program since at least 1913, near the beginning years of the school's creation in 1908. The program has also been dominant in Canada West play as Panda teams have won 14 conference championships, including seven in a row from 2001 to 2008. The team has been led by head coach Howie Draper since the inaugural season in 1997–98.

Men's volleyball

The Golden Bears men's volleyball first began intercollegiate play in the 1955–56 season and has competed in the Canada West conference since the 1971–72 season. The Golden Bears first won a U Sports men's volleyball championship in 1981 and have won nine national championships in total, including the most recent in 2024, which is tied for the most out of all of the U Sports men's volleyball programs. The program has also featured 17 Canada West conference champions, most recently in 2024. Golden Bears players have won the U Sports Men's Volleyball Player of the Year award 11 times, the most in the country, with Terry Danyluk winning the first two.

Women's volleyball

The Pandas women's volleyball program first began in the 1950s where the team won their first Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union championship in 1953. The Pandas first qualified for the U Sports women's volleyball championship tournament in 1993 under the direction of then-second year head coach Laurie Eisler and soon won the first national championship in team history in 1995. The Pandas then repeated as champions five times to tie the U Sports women's volleyball record with six consecutive national championships won. The Pandas have also won 18 conference titles with their most recent occurring in 2017. Eisler continues to serve as the team's head coach and has won the Marilyn Pomfret Award as the U Sports Coach of the Year three times. Five Pandas players have won the Mary Lyons Award with Miroslava Pribylova winning in 1996 and 1997, Jenny Cartmell winning in 1999 and 2000, Tiffany Dodds winning in 2007, Meg Casault winning in 2017, and Kory White winning most recently in 2022.

Women's rugby

The Pandas women's rugby program began in the 1970s and had significant successes between 1999 and 2006. Matt Parrish is the current Head Coach.

Awards and standings

The Golden Bears are considered a strong school team in Canada in multiple sports. The hockey and volleyball teams, in particular, are frequent challengers in U Sports national championships.

In addition to their success over Canadian competition, the Golden Bears host the annual Husky Energy Can-Am Challenge of Champions tournament, where they frequently spearhead the Canadian contingent's success. This tournament sees four top teams from both Canada and the USA competing for supremacy, with the Canadian teams holding the overall title, having won 9 of the 13 tournaments.

Championships

Alberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"SportAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"Nat.
titlesAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"YearsAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"Nat.
app.Alberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"YearsAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"Conf.
titlesAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"YearsAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"Conf.
podiumsAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"DetailsTotal441831682521st – 115, 2nd – 72, 3rd – 65
Basketball3url=https://bearsandpandas.ca/sports/2020/11/2/national-championships.aspxtitle=National championshipspublisher=Alberta Golden Bears and Pandasaccess-date=May 20, 2021archive-date=May 21, 2021archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521040615/https://bearsandpandas.ca/sports/2020/11/2/national-championships.aspxurl-status=dead }}101974, 1977, 1990 (7th), 1996 (2nd), 1998 (7th), 1999 (2nd), 2000 (5th), 2003 (t3), 2005 (t5), 2008 (t7), 2012 (t2)13url=https://bearsandpandas.ca/sports/2020/11/1/canada-west-championships.aspxtitle=Canada West championshipspublisher=Alberta Golden Bears and Pandasaccess-date=May 20, 2021archive-date=May 21, 2021archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521040608/https://bearsandpandas.ca/sports/2020/11/1/canada-west-championships.aspxurl-status=live }}241st – 10, 2nd – 6, 3rd – 8
Cross-Country11980161983 (2nd), 1984 (4th), 1985 (4th), 1986 (2nd), 1997 (5th), 1998 (12th), 1999 (9th), 2000 (2nd), 2001 (4th), 2002 (3rd), 2003 (3rd), 2004 (3rd), 2005 (4th), 2006 (7th), 2007 (12th), 2008 (t9)121975, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)221st – 12, 2nd – 6, 3rd – 4
Curling32012, 2015, 2018102008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 202461973, 1974, 1975, 2019, 2020, 2022-
Football31967, 1972, 198031965, 1971, 1981161922, 1926, 1928, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1979, 1980, 1981)221st – 16, 2nd – 6
Hockey161964, 1968, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2018)221966 (2nd), 1969 (3rd), 1970, 1972 (3rd), 1973, 1977, 1984, 1985 (2nd), 1987, 1989, 1991 (2nd), 1993, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 (3rd), 2004 (4th), 2009, 2010 (2nd), 2011, 2013)561934, 1936–1940, 1946–1951, 1954–1958, 1960–1962, 1964, 1966–1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977–1979, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1991–1993, 1997, 2001–2006, 2008–2011, 2013–2015, 2017–2019, 2022)391st – 25, 2nd – 10, 3rd – 4
Soccer51972, 1979, 2003, 2006, 2016)71973 (2nd), 1981 (2nd), 1988 (3rd), 1994 (2nd), 1995 (2nd), 1998 (2nd), 1999 (2nd))111972, 1973, 1979, 1981, 1988, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2017)311st – 9, 2nd – 8, 3rd – 14
Swimming0–371972–2009: 2nd – 2, 3rd – 10, 4th – 7, 5th – 2, 6th – 5, 7th – 2, 8th – 2, 9th – 1, 10th – 2, 12th – 3, 18th – 1151961, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1992, 1993, 1996)321st – 9, 2nd – 7, 3rd – 16
Track and Field12001271981–1987, 1989–2000, 2002–2009: 2nd – 3, 3rd – 5, 4th – 2, 5th – 3, 6th – 4, 7th – 2, 8th – 1, 10th – 2, 11th – 2, 14th – 1, 16th – 1, 19th – 1)71978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1993, 2006, 2018)251st – 6, 2nd – 11, 3rd – 8
Volleyball101981, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2024)181975 (2nd), 1980 (3rd), 1990 (6th), 1993 (5th), 1994 (4th), 1995 (4th), 1996 (2nd), 1998 (3rd), 1999 (3rd), 2001 (5th), 2003 (2nd), 2004 (2nd), 2006 (2nd), 2007 (2nd), 2010 (3rd), 2011 (5th), 2012 (6th), 2013 (5th))161961, 1966, 1975, 1981, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015)301st – 13, 2nd – 11, 3rd – 6
Wrestling51970, 1971, 1972, 2013, 2025)331980, 1983–1987, 1989–2015: 1st – 1, 2nd – 1, 3rd – 2, 4th – 1, 5th – 4, 6th – 3, 7th – 4, 8th – 2, 9th – 3, 10th – 4, 11th – 2, 13th – 1, 14th – 1, 16th – 1191963, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022)271st – 15, 2nd – 7, 3rd – 5

Awards and honours

Athletes of the Year

The female athlete of the year is awarded the Bakewell Trophy while the Wilson Challenge Trophy is presented to the male athlete of the year.

Alberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"YearAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"Female athleteAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"SportAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"Male athleteAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"SportAlberta Golden Bearsborder=1color= white }}"Ref.
2019–20Kory WhiteVolleyballMax ElgertVolleyball
2020–21
2021–22Catharina KluytsTrack & FieldTyus JeffersonBasketball
2022–23Olivia CooperTrack & FieldJordan CanhamVolleyball
2023–24Aleah NickelWrestlingIsaac HeslingaVolleyball
2024–25Vianne RouleauWrestlingIsaac HeslingaVolleyball

Canada West Hall of Fame

  • Janine Helland, Soccer: Canada West Hall of Fame - 2019 Inductee

References

References

  1. "About Us – University of Alberta". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  2. "National Championships (by year)". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  3. "Foote Field". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  4. "Competition Gym – Saville Community Sports Centre". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  5. "Clare Drake Arena". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  6. (November 15, 2019). "Dr. W. George Hardy (Builder)". [[Canada West Universities Athletic Association]].
  7. "Team History – Golden Bears Football". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  8. "Football history". [[Canada West Universities Athletic Association.
  9. "Hec Crighton Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)". [[U Sports]].
  10. "Athletics History – University of Alberta". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  11. (March 18, 2018). "Final: Golden Bears golden again". [[U Sports]].
  12. "Golden Bears hockey team history". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  13. "Ian Herbers". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  14. (April 18, 2017). "Young Pandas bring home eighth national women’s hockey title back to Alberta". [[U Sports]].
  15. "Pandas hockey team history". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  16. "Howie Draper". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  17. (2019). "2018-19 University of Alberta Golden Bears Volleyball Media Guide". [[U Sports]].
  18. "U Sports Volleyball Championship History". [[U Sports]].
  19. "Canada West/Regional Championships (by year)". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  20. "Of the Year". [[U Sports]].
  21. "Pandas volleyball program history". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  22. "Laurie Eisler". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  23. "Marilyn Pomfret Award". [[U Sports]].
  24. "Mary Lyons Award (Play of the Year)". [[U Sports]].
  25. "National championships". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  26. "Canada West championships". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.
  27. (2020-04-14). "Alberta Golden Bears & Pandas: Elgert and White named Athletes of the Year".
  28. (2022-04-24). "Jefferson & Kluyts named UAlberta Athletes of the Year".
  29. (2023-04-06). "Canham & Cooper named 2023 UAlberta Athletes of the Year".
  30. (2024-04-12). "Heslinga, Nickel named 2024 UAlberta Athletes of the Year".
  31. (2025-04-07). "Heslinga, Rouleau named 2025 UofA Athletes of the Year".
  32. (2019-09-16). "Janine Helland WSOC Student-athlete".
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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