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169.11 ◆ november 15th, 2012 sports & Health 19 Gryphons cross-country teams sweep CIS, again Coach says hard work the secret to their success Andrea Connell The secret to the Gryphons crosscountry teams’ success is, “Great staff, awesome athletics, and a heck of a lot of hard work,” says 19-time Canadian Coach of the Year, Dave Scott-Thomas. On Nov. 10 at Western, the women captured their eighth straight CIS gold title and the men racked up their seventh. In the women’s five kilometre race, the Gryphons took four of seven first all-Canadian places, grabbing first, second, fourth and sixth. Ditto for the men in the 10-kilometre race, placing second, third, fourth and seventh. Guelph’s teams have gotten better and better since Scott-Thomas arrived on campus in 1997. Where has this magic come from The Ontarion asked Coach Scott-Thomas to talk about the teams’ success; here is what he had to say The men and women of the cross-country team celebrate yet another championship season. What makes a winning team “I think it’s a complex thing, I think it has to do with the sense of vibe and sense of community. We try to use a standard that is continent class – not just try and be the best in the CIS. I think that is a subset of personal excellence. We just encourage each athlete to be the best athlete they can be, the best citizen they can be and let the times and the outcomes be a part of that performance.” What do you love about coaching “First and foremost the people I get to work with, they are just incredible. I think having an opportunity to work with a whole community that is passionate about what they do and are interested in pushing their boundaries is enriching and goes a lot deeper than athletics. It goes with the quality of characters they are. I mean the athletes on the team are just fantastic. As part of that also there is figuring GEOFF ROBINS out pieces of the puzzle, physiological and psychologically and pull it all together but the core of it all is just character.” What motivates you “I am just hard wired as a competitive guy. If you’ve got a chance to go and demonstrate excellence and proficiency at something in life there is something really appealing about competency. But the root of it all is you are invited to be a part of some really awesome young people chasing their dreams. I approach that with a great deal of responsibility and integrity. I think you get up every day and if somebody is willing to work that hard and to include you as a piece of the puzzle you want to reciprocate. I have a great deal of loyalty and affection for the athletes.” How do you motivate your athletes “I don’t think there are any pat answers to that question. There is no one button to push. It is reciprocal-they motivate me and I try to motivate them.” The delicate balance is obviously working. This interview has been condensed and edited by Andrea Connell. Gryphons in History Sasha Odesse Published in The Ontarion on Sept. 19, 1995. Out of 56 women, Susie MacLean of Guelph finished first in her heat to claim the individual title and lead the Gryphons women’s cross country team to first place at the ’95 Guelph Invitational. The victory was sweetened by the fact that it was MacLean’s first race after a “seven year hiatus.” Then coach, Rick Schroeder “refused to make any predictions” but hinted that he had high hopes for the women’s team. The Guelph men’s team finished a slightly less impressive third overall. The Gryphons have steadily improved since 1995, climbing to the position of national champions. As of this year the Gryphons women’s team has held the CIS banner for eight consecutive years while the Gryphons men’s team repeated as national champions for the seventh consecutive year. Ontarion Archives 1995 womens volleyball Kristen Almhjell (in white) of the Gryphons sets the ball up for an anticipating Gryphon teammate. The women’s team lost 1 - 3 to Queen’s on Nov 9., they rebounded by defeating the RMC paladins in straight sets on Nov 10. tasha falconer
www.theontarion.com 20 Gryphon women named CIS women players of the year Seidler and Benn recognized for their incredible careers Andrea Connell The Guelph Gryphons can add two more wins to the scoreboard: female varsity athletes Britt Benn and Brittany Seidler have been awarded CIS women’s player of the year awards in rugby and field hockey, respectively. These two are used to success. Seidler, a fourth-year geography student, is a two-time OUA player of the year, OUA all-star and CIS first team all-star the last three years, and Tournament 11 player the last two years running. The forward led the 2012 tournament in scoring with six goals, two in each game including the bronze medal 3-1 win over Western on Nov. 4, adding to the 19 Seidler racked up during the regular season. Benn, a centre and fourth-year sociology student, is the OUA allstar, OUA Shiels Division MVP, CIS All-Canadian, CIS outstanding athlete of the year, and was player of the game vs. Acadia on Nov. 1 and CIS tournament all-star. She was named OUA Russell division rookie of the year in 2008, and has taken the team to three bronze medals, a gold in 2011 and silver against St.Francis Xavier on Nov. 4 of this year. These two young women came to their current sports at the behest of high school coaches. If not for blowing out her knee in high school while playing ice hockey, Seidler, a native of Oliver, B.C., may not have made the switch to the field. Surgery and recovery took her off the ice for more than a year. Coach Ian Gibson, who knew of her ice hockey success, convinced her to try out for field hockey. Seidler’s reservations weren’t about the game. When Gibson pressed her to try out she said, “Heck no I’m not going to play, I have to wear a skirt. Eventually I caved in.” It’s a good thing for the University of Guelph, with the exception of a one-year hiatus, Seidler has been playing varsity since 2007. She has been a part of Guelph’s three bronze medal wins in 2010, 2011, 2012 and the silver in 2007. The Gryphons have competed for a medal in the championships in each of the last six years. Benn made the switch to rugby from competitive soccer when the coach came calling. “My grade nine year went phenomenal and in Grade 10 I really excelled,” said the native of Napanee, Ont. “They saw my speed, and encouraged me to try out for Ontario, which led to going out for Canada’s development team, and a tour to England and Scotland to play.” Not only are Benn and Seidler passionate about their sports, but the respect for their teammates is palpable. “They are awesome, we are super close and there are a lot of talented rookies on our team,” said Seidler. Benn said her team sports & Health vanessa tignanelli Seidler (left) and Benn were named the CIS athlete of the year in women’s field hockey and women’s rugby, respectively. is the best. “We are a sisterhood – very welcoming – whoever is on the team is there for you.” Both women are graduating and won’t be playing for the Gryphons next year. The university’s loss is the sporting world’s gain and their future success is all but guaranteed. CONNECT WITH THE ONTARION ONLINE! THEONTARION.COM LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! FOLLOW US ON TWITTER TWITTER.COM/THEONTARION
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