December 23 - The Manitoba Bisons varsity teams ended another very successful year. During the 2007 calendar year, one team earned a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Championship – the first Bison team in five seasons to do so – and one team secured a CIS Championship podium finish, while various other squads accomplished historic results in their programs. A majority of the teams were ranked in the CIS Top 10. Individually, one female athlete was honored as a CIS Desjardins Top 8 Academic All-Canadian for the 2006-07 season. In addition, one Bison team, one female Bison athlete and two former Bison alumni were feted as nominees for Manitoba Team and Athlete of the Year. Here is a quick recap of highlights by the Bisons over the last 365 days.

Bison athletes exhibited strength on the playing field, in the community and in the classroom. Bison Sports matched a new all-time high in CIS Academic All-Canadians. There were 68 University of Manitoba student-athletes maintaining a 3.5 grade point average or better in their field of study at the University of Manitoba. This represented over 22% of the whole Bison Sports student-athlete total. Plus, Bison women’s volleyball player Katie Davidson was honoured as CIS Desjardins Top 8 Academic All-Canadians for the 2006-07 season as the female recipient for Canada West. Davidson had an exceptional year both on the court and in the classroom. In the 2006-07 season, she registered a perfect 4.50 GPA in Science, earned Academic All-Canadian status for the third consecutive season, CIS Second Team All-Canadian, Canada West First Team All-Star, fifth in conference assists per game at 9.55, played in 73 of 75 regular season games and was second on the team with 20 service aces during conference regular season play.

Bison athletes were extremely helpful in the community as they continued the “Bisons Against Bullying” program. The extensive program finished the second stage and started the third edition in 2007. Over 60 Bison student-athletes visited over 40 schools with a focus on grade 4-6. Bison athletes visit a school, perform a one-hour presentation that defines bullying and provide some strategies for people who are getting bullied or who witness bullying. “Bisons Against Bullying” received a new infusion of support by receiving $6500 grant from The Winnipeg Foundation and the money will be spread over the next two years and will be instrumental in increasing the profile and presentation of “Bisons Against Bullying” program throughout the community.

On October 13/07, the Bison women’s basketball team designated the night as ‘Pack the Place Pink Night’ while hosting the annual Garbonzo’s Invitational Tournament. All gate proceeds went to Cancer Care Manitoba. This season, all members of the WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association) committed to hosting one event to raise awareness to breast cancer and this was the Bisons event. The attention and awareness of the event was a great success as the ‘Drive For A Cure’ ribbon T-shirt were another source of fundraising and were completely soldout.

Bison women’s basketball team and the Skownan First Nation continued to grow their partnership with the “Running with the Bison,” an initiative that revolves around friendship and bison. The team fostered community outreach with Skownan, which included a basketball camp and a retreat. The “Running with the Bison” initiative received another boost when Career Trek was selected by General Motors (GM) of Canada Limited and the Coaching Association of Canada as one of 55 community clubs across Canada to receive a $2,000 grant for skill development through the General Motors of Canada Making Dreams Possible program. The $2,000 grant supports a coaching development program in the First Nation community of Skownan as part of the "Running with the Bison" initiative.

The Bison student-athletes expanded their volunteering at the Siloam Mission with all teams assisting for a week during the holiday season for the third consecutive season. Plus, Bison Sports continue to have “Tin for the Bin” events during Bison events and have donated several food hampers to Winnipeg Harvest during the year.

At the end of 2007, second year women’s volleyball player Ashley Voth, and Bison alumni NFL star Israel “Izzy” Idonije and golf star Brad Kirton earned recognition as nominees for 2007 Manitoba Athletes of the Year. Bison Football has been nominated for Manitoba’s Team of the Year for the second consecutive year (won 2006).

The Bisons football squad (8-0; 4-0 playoffs) capped a perfect season at the 43rd annual 2007 Desjardins Vanier Cup at Rogers Centre in Toronto. After completing a perfect 8-0 regular season and winning three playoff games, the Bisons completed the season with a CIS National Championship by beating #4 Saint Mary’s Huskies by a score of 28 to 14 in front of a crowd of 26,787. This is the 38th CIS Championship by a Manitoba Bisons team and the first in five seasons (Men’s Volleyball: 2002-03).

The #3 ranked Bisons have etched their name in the CIS record book as they ended the 2007 season with a perfect 12-0 record. The last team to end a CIS football season undefeated was Laurier (12-0) in 2005. In addition, Manitoba won four consecutive playoff games to earn their first CIS title in 37 years (the previous titles: 1970, 1969). The Herd is the first Canada West team to hold the Vanier Cup since Saskatchewan in 1998 (24-17 over Concordia).

For the CIS National Football Championship game, fifth year defensive back Mike Howard won the Ted Morris award for MVP, while fourth year quarterback John Makie took home the Bruce Coulter award for most outstanding offensive player.

During the dominant 2007 playoff run, the Bison Football Team won four post-season games by an average of 38 to 11 while setting a new team record with 52 points in a playoff match. Over the four playoff games in 2007 they outscored their opponents by a 70-1 margin in second quarter action. The Bisons are now 21-1 overall in the last two seasons. Manitoba won four consecutive playoff games for the first time in team history.

The squad earned their fifth conference regular season first place finish in last eight seasons, third undefeated 8-0 record in team history, first ever back-to-back undefeated regular season campaigns in team history and set several team records during the season. Six Bisons were named Canada West All-Stars, three were named CIS All-Canadians and Justin Cooper was named as Canada West Outstanding Lineman of the Year.

The women’s soccer team completed their most successful season in the three year program’s history at the CIS level. The Herd advanced to the Canada West Semi-Final after winning their first ever playoff game against Alberta in the conference quarter final. In the 2007 regular season, the team established new team records for most wins at ten (old record: 6 in 2006) and points at 30 (old record: 19 in 2006) after a 10-4-0 regular season record (playoff 1-1). The Bisons also scored 28 goals in 2007 to break the old team record of 24 goals scored in 2006.

Manitoba finished as the third seed in the Canada West playoffs and stayed in the CIS Top 10 for seven consecutive weeks. The Herd was ranked as high as number six in the country.

Karli Colpitts and Stephanie Rurak were named as Canada West Second Team All-Star. Colpitts was selected at the striker position while Rurak at halfback position. This is the first time for both players to be honoured at the conference level. Colpitts scored ten goals to tie the Bisons record of most goals in a regular season (old record: 10 by Caley Miskimmin in 2005). Colpitts also scored five game-winning goals for the most in team history (old record: 2 by several players in 2005 and 2006). Rurak established a new team mark with six assists in a season (old record: 3 held by several players). Goaltender Ashley Forbes beat her old record of most shutouts in a season with four in 2007 (old record: 3 in 2006).

Karli Colpitts was second in Canada West (tied for seventh in CIS) with ten goals and in points with 21 points. Miskimmin was tied for fifth with seven conference goals and tied for seventh in scoring with 16 points. Desiree Scott was tied for tenth with six conference goals and tied for ninth with 15 points. Rurak had six assists; good for tie for third place tie in Canada West. Colpitts was first in Canada West with five game-winning goals. Forbes was fourth in Canada West (eighth in CIS) with 69 saves, tied for fifth with four shutouts, sixth with 1.58 Goals Against Average and fifth with a .784 Save Percentage in 13 conference games. Forbes won nine games this season. Scott was also selected and started for the 2007 Summer Universiade Canadian Women’s National Team, which played in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Bison cross country teams completed completed their 2007 season at the CIS Championship in Victoria, BC on November 10. Kristjan Hunter finished second for the men, which was tied for the highest ever placing for a Bison during a CIS National Cross Country Championship. Rookie Desire Budigoma finished in 24th spot. The men's team placed sixth, improving from 2006’s result of 12th. Georgette Mink (top Bison with 56th finish) led the women's team to a 14th place finish. This season, the team won two titles (Ron Pynn Invitational, U of Sask Open) while Hunter won three individual races (Ron Pynn Invitational, Roy Griak, Manitoba championship) and two second place finishes (CIS Championship, U of Sask Open). The women’s squad won one title (Ron Pynn) while Mink won one race at the Ron Pynn Invitational.

In Bison golf, Tyler Mancini was the lone University of Manitoba golfer to play all four rounds and tied for 15th with a +1 (289) score at the 2007 RCGA (Royal Canadian Golf Association) Canadian University/College Championship. The Bison women’s and men’s team did not make the cut for the final round at the Kingswood Park in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The women’s team was seventh and the men’s team ended up 14th after three rounds of play. In the 2007 season, both teams won their first tournaments of the year (women: Cobber Open; men: Concordia Invite). It was the first for the program, having both teams winning a tournament on the same day. The men’s squad won another title at the Sioux Invitational and had a tie for second at Crookston Regional and fourth at Minnesota State fall Invite. The women’s side had a second at the Cobber Classic and third at Sioux Invitational. The women set two team records with lowest score in one round and two rounds. The men’s team earned their 11th win since the program was started seven years ago and the ladies team’s third win.

Individually, Angela Klindtworth tied for first among 64 players at Sioux tourney and Sarah Stebeleski was tied for fifth (Sioux) and tied for sixth at Cobber Open. For the men, Jesse Skelton was second at Minnesota State touney, Shayne Fredborg was tied for second at Sioux Invite and tied for fourth at Crookston Regional and Lucas Skelton was third at Concordia Invite,

In women's hockey, the team ended their 2006-07 season with a bronze medal at the 2007 CIS Championship at the University of Ottawa. In their second appearance at the CIS Nationals in the ten year program’s history, the Bisons have now earned a bronze medal in 2005 and 2007. Manitoba has a 4-2 overall record in the CIS National Championship. They entered as a Canada West finalist and seeded sixth in the six-team Championship. After losing their first game to #1 McGill (4-1), they beat #4 Moncton (4-1) and in the bronze medal game, the Bisons won 3-2 against #2 seeded Laurier Golden Hawks (Ontario University Athletics Champion).

Manitoba had their best regular season in the ten-year history of the program by registering the most wins and points. The Bisons finished the regular season in third place, two points behind second place Regina, with 30 points. The Herd set two new team records with 15 wins (old record: seven) and 30 points (old record: 18). The team qualified for the playoffs for the third consecutive season and defeated Regina in the Canada West Semi-Final on the road for the third consecutive season. They also earned a berth into the Canada West Final for the third straight season and battled and lost to the Alberta Pandas in two games.

Bison women’s hockey head coach Jon Rempel was named the Canada West Female Hockey Coach of the Year for 2006-07 season. This is the second time he has earned the award (2004-05) in three seasons. Along with Rempel, four Bisons were recognized with conference all-star selections. Goalie Stacey Corfield was named as a Canada West First Team All-Star, forward Leanne Kisil was named a second team all-star, defenceman Jaclyn Van Deynze and Brenna Leary were also named to the second team all-star teams. Kisil was awarded Most Sportsmanlike Player of the CIS Championship. The Bisons women’s team completed their 2006-07 season with a special exhibition game against the Kazakhstan National Team.

At the end of the 2007 year, the Bisons are tied for first place in the conference with a 11-2-1 start over the first 14 conference games during the 2007-08 season. This is the fastest start in the 11 year program’s history. Manitoba is ranked #4 in the latest CIS Top 10. They have been ranked in the Top 10 since the start of the season, which is nine consecutive weeks, and the highest rank has been third.

In men's hockey, the Bisons ended the 2006-07 season with 22 points (10-16-2) and was four points back of the nearest rival Calgary in the standings. The Herd ran off a season-high five game winning streak in November. Head coach Don MacGillivray finished his first year at the helm of the team after Mike Sirant took a leave of absence to be the Sports Director and Head Coach of the Danish National Men’s Ice Hockey Team. The team battled to the final weeks of the season before being eliminated from post-season action for the first time since the 1993-94 season.

In the 2007-08 season, Manitoba men’s hockey is battling in the tough Canada West conference and has completed the first half with a three game winning streak and victories over two top CIS teams (Saskatchewan, Alberta). For the first time since the 2004-05 season, the Bisons have leaped back into the CIS Top 10. The team finished the first half of 2007-08 season with a 9-6-1 conference record and moved to within four points of first place in Canada West standings, ranked number nine heading into the 2007 holiday break.. Manitoba was last ranked in the CIS Top 10 on March 21, 2005 when they where number seven in the nation.

The women’s volleyball team completed the 2006-07 season holding the #1 ranking in the final poll of the CIS Top 10 this season. They held the top spot for 11 of the 13 weeks during the season. They rattled off nine consecutive conference wins to end the regular season. During the 2006-07 season, Manitoba won the Canada West regular season title with an 18-2 record, hosted the Canada West Final Four (Championship), held the #1 ranking in CIS poll for 11 weeks and gained a berth into the Nationals for the first time in five years.

The squad completed their 2006-07 at the 2007 CIS Women’s Volleyball Championships in Calgary. The team was seeded third but fell in two tough five set games against #6 seeded Trinity Western Spartans and #7 seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees. The two losses at the CIS Championship were the only two losses by the Herd in five sets during the entire season. Going into the Nationals, Manitoba had an incredible 14-1 record during five set matches (7-0 record in regular season, 1-0 in playoffs and 6-1 in pre-season – the only loss to American school Stony Brook).

This was the first time the Bisons qualified for the CIS Nationals since the 2001-02 season. For Bison women’s volleyball head coach Ken Bentley, this marked his 17th CIS Championship appearance at the helm of the Herd in his 20 year career. Bentley was named 2006-07 CIS and Canada West Coach of the Year. First year middle player Ashley Voth was named as CIS and Canada West Women’s Volleyball Rookie of the Year for the 2006-07 campaign. Voth was also selected for the CIS all-Rookie Team and a Canada West Second Team All-Star plus played for Team Canada at 2007 Summer Universiade. Setter Katie Davidson was a CIS Second Team All-Canadian and Canada West First Team All-Star while captain Sabrina Barnes was named as conference Second Team All-Star.

At the end of 2007, Manitoba remains as the #1 ranked team in the latest CIS Top 10 poll and they have been number one for the first seven weeks of the 2007-08 season. The Herd has rattled off a five game win streak and is currently on a four game winning streak.

The men’s volleyball team ended the 2006-07 with a tough three match loss to #3 UBC Thunderbirds on the road. This is the first time the Bisons did not qualify for the CIS Championship since the 1998-99 season and only the second time (1996-97) in Garth Pischke’s 27 years at the helm of the Bisons that they did not make the Nationals.

Manitoba finished ranked number six in the final CIS Top 10 poll. They were ranked as high as third in the nation to start the season and ranked in the Top 10 for the full season. The squad had a 10-8 record, victorious in six of nine conference matches heading into the playoffs and placed fifth in the Canada West standings with 20 points.

Josh Klassen earned his fourth post-season conference honour in his five year career as he was selected as a 2006-07 Second Team All-Star. Toon van Lankvelt earned his third post-season Canada West honour in his five year career as he was selected as a 2006-07 Second Team All-Star. At the 2007 Summer Universiade (World University Games), Klassen, van Lankvelt and Nathan Toews competed for Team Canada men’s volleyball, which earned a silver medal on the last day of competition.

Heading into the 2007-08 season, there was a new person helming the Bison men’s volleyball team. Phil Hudson replaces Garth Pischke, as he will be on six month leave of absence from the University of Manitoba. Hudson has been with Dakota Collegiate since 1988 and been the Physical Education Department Head since 2004. At the end of 2007, the squad is battling for a playoff spot in Canada West and has won three of their last six conference games (sweep of Regina and home split against Calgary).

The women’s basketball team completed the 2006-07 season with a tough 2-1 series loss (lost by seven points in game three) to crosstown rival Winnipeg Wesmen in the Canada West Divisional Final at Winnipeg. The team made strides this season as they won the most games (14) in the last six years and improved from last season’s 11-9 regular season record. They were tied for first in the Great Plains Division with 28 points but Winnipeg had the tie-breaker. They rattled off a season-high six game win streak in January and won ten of 12 games heading into the Divisional Final. The squad was ranked as high as number seven in the CIS Top 10 poll. They were ranked in the Top 10 for nine of 14 weeks and ranked in the last seven consecutive weeks.

Guard Rachel Hart was selected as 2006-07 CIS Defensive Player of the Year. She is the first Bison to claim the award since its inception in 2001-02. She was also named 2006-07 Canada West Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team All-Star. In addition both Sarah Holder and Hart were named as Canada West Second Team All-Star. Holder finished her five year career and was also named conference second team all-star last season.

In the 2007 playoffs, the Herd was led in scoring twice by Holder, twice by rookie Tessa Klassen and once by Hart. Holder had the most points by a Bison in the playoffs with 28. At the end of the 2007, Manitoba is tied for second with Winnipeg in the Great Plains Division with eight points.

The men’s basketball team ended the 2006-07 regular season battling with Regina and Winnipeg right until the last weekend of the season for a coveted playoff spot but did not qualify for the post-season for the third consecutive season. Manitoba finished with 14 points, a 7-15 record and was four points back of second place Regina and third place Winnipeg in the Great Plains Division. The Bisons improved on their win total from the previous two seasons (last season: four; 2004-05: three).

Guard Isaac Ansah was selected as 2006-07 Canada West Second Team Al-Star. This is the first conference honour for Ansah. He is the first Bison to be selected as a conference all-star since 2004 when Taylor Cherris-Wilding was a Canada West Second Team All-Star.

At the end of 2007, Manitoba registered their first win of the season on the road against Regina at the end of November. The Bisons are six points behind third place Winnipeg and eight points behind second place Regina in the Great Plains Division. Ansah leads Canada West with 21 points per game in eight conference games.

The swimming teams finished the 2006-07 at the 2007 CIS Championship in Halifax. The women’s swim team finished in eighth position with 140 points, two points back of seventh spot. This is the fifth consecutive season that the Bisons have finished in the Top 10 at the CIS Swimming Championship. The Bison men’s team ended up in 18th spot with 22 points. The Bison teams had eight swimmers (six female and two male) at the 2007 CIS Nationals.

The Bison women’s team was ranked as number six for 11 weeks and in the CIS Top 10 poll for 15 of 19 weeks. At the 2007 CIS Swimming Championships, Julianne Toogood earned the top Bison performance with a fifth place in the women’s 100m freestyle (56.91). Other Top 10 performances were second year Landice Yestrau was seventh in the women’s 200m backstroke and women’s 4x100m medley relay was ninth. During day two, the top swims were produced by Jennifer Toogood, who placed sixth in the 50m freestyle, sixth by Yestrau in the 100m backstroke, Braeden Taylor swam eighth in the men’s 200m breaststroke and Julianne Toogood was ninth in the 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle. On day one, Yestrau had the top Bison result with a seventh in the 50m backstroke.

At the Manitoba/Saskatchewan 2007 Open Short Course Championship at the Pan Am Pool on February 2/07, the Bison women’s relay team made waves by breaking an almost four year old Manitoban short course record in the 4x50m freestyle relay race. The Bison record-breaking team, consisting of Jennifer Toogood swimming the lead followed by Yestrau, Lauren MacQuarrie and the anchor leg by Julianne Toogood, swam a quick 1:45.61 time and broke the existing record (1:46.19) by over half a second set.

At the end of 2007, Braeden Taylor swam to three victories in breaststroke events during the 26th annual Prairie Winter Invitational (PWI). He won the 50m breaststroke event in a time of 29.60 (2/100th off meet record), winner in the 100m breaststroke in a time of 1:04.84 and 200m breaststroke victory in a time of 2:18.38. Another meet winner was the Bison men’s 200m medley relay team, placing first in a time of 1:47.34. Taylor, Kerri-Ann Bochen and Brent Collins have made CIS standards.

The women’s track and field team at the 2007 CIS Championship at McGill University in Montreal. They finished in ninth position with 27 points. The total was almost double from last season’s 15 points at the 2006 CIS National Championship in Saskatoon. At the CIS Championship, third year runner Georgette Mink had the highest women finish by a Bison with a fourth in the 3000m in a time of 10:02.73. Vicky Robson was sixth in the pole vault. Fourth year Jana Cassidy earned her second Top 6 finish at the Championship with a fifth in the women’s 600m coupled with a sixth in the 300m. On day one, second year Caley Miskimmin was sixth in the 60m. The women’s 4x800m relay team had a Top 5 performance with a fifth to end day two of the competition.

Canada West First Team All-Star recognition went to Georgette Mink and Canada West Second Team All-Star were Jennifer Campbell, Jana Cassidy, Kja Isaacson, Caley Miskimmin, Diana King and Meaghan Woo.

The men’s track and field team competed at the 2007 CIS Championship at McGill University in Montreal, finishing in 13th spot with 20 points. This was an increase from their last CIS Championship total of 16 points.

At the CIS championship, on day three, the Bisons captured their first medal of the Championship when the men’s 4x400m relay team ran to a bronze medal in a time of 3:17.52. Rookie Quin Ferguson ran the anchor leg and caught Sherbrooke for third place. David Szczepaniak, Sheldon Kilcullen and Andrew Schellenberg were also part of the medal performance. Ferguson narrowly missed another medal while running fourth in the men’s 600m. Teammate and fourth year runner Sheldon Kilcullen was sixth in the men’s 600m. Nathan Labbe was seventh in the long jump. In the preliminaries of the men’s 4x200 relay race on day two, the team of David Szczepaniak, Quin Ferguson, Nathan Labbe and Jon Boudreau broke an existing 18 year Bison record with a time of 1:28.00. They finished with a sixth place final position.

Canada West First Team All-Star recognition went to Nathan Labbe and Canada West Second Team All-Star were Quin Ferguson, Scot Dressler, David Szczepaniak, Andrew Schellenberg, Sheldon Kilcullen and Kristjan Hunter.

Track and field head coach Claude Berube was head coach for Team Canada at the 2007 Summer Universiade. Berube handled all middle distance runners and overseeing the full contingent of 21 athletes.