Sports

Whitney Ellenor’s induction into the Hall of Fame

MARK CASCAGNETTE

SPORTS EDITOR

Whitney Ellenor was simply one of the most dominant women’s basketball players in the history of the program. Through three seasons with the Laurier Golden Hawks, Ellenor displayed the utmost amount of confidence on and off the court and will now be rewarded with the well-deserved distinction of Laurier Hall of Famer.

“I was completely shocked, surprised, and obviously super excited,” Ellenor said about receiving the news of her induction.

“I’m so honoured to be included in this group of athletes and coaches,” she continued.

In only three seasons with Laurier — 2012-2015 — Ellenor put together an impressive resume. An OUA First Team all-star and Second Team All-Canadian in the CIS, Ellenor led the Golden Hawks to a place at the national championship tournament in 2014. The following year, she was the team MVP on Laurier’s team of the year after spearheading a 17-3 women’s basketball season in 2014-15.

“A very-well deserved recognition for Whitney. She had a huge impact on our program,” Coach Paul Falco said.

“I didn’t think that it was something that I was going to get, just because I only played at Laurier for three years,” Ellenor said.

In those three years, the 6’3 center, Ellenor displayed her talent, dedication and competitiveness on the court. More then that, Ellenor was an extraordinary leader. As team captain, she displayed her large personality and leadership skills while developing a strong bond with her teammates in the purple and gold.

Friend and teammate, Nicole Harrison inducted the basketball star into the prestigious hall of fame class. The two have remained close after graduating from Laurier, while Ellenor credits Harrison as a “huge part of her career and time at Laurier.”

Ellenor had received the special call from director of athletics and recreation, Peter Baxter on her 30th birthday. She joins the distinguished 2021 Hall of fame class with five other Golden Hawk athletes, a legendary men’s hockey coach and the memorable 2004 Yates Cup football team.

The Pickering native joined Laurier for the 2012-13 season and played in 60 regular season and playoff games for the Golden Hawks. She quickly became an instrumental part of Coach Falco’s team. In her second year, Laurier was able to win the OUA bronze medal after a victory over Carleton on a game-high 21 points by Ellenor. She was a pivotal piece of that

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team which earned a spot at the national championship tournament in Windsor.

In her final season at Laurier, Ellenor was a dominant force in the post. Averaging over two blocks, nearly 16 points and nine rebounds per game that regular season, the team went through their 20-game schedule with only three losses, while Ellenor was one of the top players in the country.

In her 52-career regular-season games, Ellenor scored over 600 points and grabbed well over 300 rebounds, just shy of 100 blocks. She recorded 12 double-doubles with the team, while averaging 12.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and two blocks per game in her career.

“She became a dominant post player in USPORTS,” Falco said.

After high school, Ellenor went to Canisius College, in Buffalo, New York playing two seasons of NCAA basketball. She used that time as a learning experience as Canisius and the extreme focus on sport was not what Ellenor was looking for.

“I learned a lot from my time in the states. I learned what I was looking for in a school and an athletic program and what I wasn’t looking for,” Ellenor said.

After exploring her options at a variety of schools across Ontario and Canada, Ellenor decided on Laurier due to the size of the school, the proximity to her home, and the focus on academic studies – something not as nearly valued across American university sport.

““It seemed as if she had lost her love for the game. But that love was quickly re-found,” Coach Falco said.

More then all of that, Ellenor felt welcomed with Laurier and credits her teammates and coaches for a lot her achievements within the program.

“My teammates and Coach Falco, I owe all of my success to them… I really would not have been where I was, without them,” Ellenor said.

“Coach Falco was great from a coach perspective and from a mentor perspective, he’s been amazing,” she continued.

Both Ellenor and Falco have remained close since her graduation and have an incredible level of respect towards each other.

“He is someone who really wants his athletes to succeed. Coach [Falco] cares about them, both in sport and outside of sport,” Ellenor said of Coach Falco, who was a key part of her decision to play basketball at Laurier.

“I think Whitney would tell you she grew a lot as a player and person during her time here at Laurier,” the long-time women’s basketball boss said while congratulating her on the honour.

SPORTS BROADCASTING

OUA partners with USPORTS and CBC Sports

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MARK CASCAGNETTE

SPORTS EDITOR to partner with CBC for exclusive streaming rights.

In a significant move for the growth of university sports in Canada, USPORTS - the national governing body of university competition — announced an agreement with CBC Sports two weeks ago. The partnership will allow the flagship Canadian network to broadcast all 19 national championships until 2025.

The biggest provincial league in Canada, the OUA, also reached an agreement with the public broadcaster, announcing a twoyear partnership earlier this week, which will see CBC sports broadcast all 13 conference championships over the next two years.

The partnership is seen as an important measure for universities and their student-athletes as the agreement will provide a larger platform for the competition to be seen. With several games available to fans on a variety of CBC streaming platforms, the OUA and schools across the country will be able to showcase the incredible talent of their student-athletes to a far larger audience.

In it’s press release, USPORTS director of marketing and communications, John Bower, stated that the move was, “the first step towards reshaping coverage of university sport in Canada.”

“Coming together with CBC Sports is a significant step for university sport in Ontario,” Gord Grace, President and CEO of the OUA echoed in its release.

CBC Sports will broadcast 13 Ontario championships and 19 national championships across various sports this upcoming year. The marquee events include both men’s and women’s basketball, hockey, and soccer championships, along with football, rugby, and several other competitions.

Digital coverage of both OUA and USPORTS championships will be available through cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem, their free streaming service.

CBC Sports and USPORTS also reached an agreement on the 56th Vanier Cup, scheduled to take place Dec. 4 in Quebec. CBC Sports will be the exclusive broadcaster of the 2021 national championship and will televise Canadian University sport’s biggest game in a few months time.

The addition of these platforms is meant to significantly improve the attention and viewership that University Sports across the country receives. Canadian student-athletes will be provided with a bigger stage and fans will have increased access to view the impressive talent and competition across so many sports and schools in Canada.

“We look forward to growing our audience with CBC so that the stories of our student-athletes reach the widest possible audience,” Bower said in the USPORTS release.

After airing only six national championships in the 2019-20 season, CBC Sports increased the total this year to include all 19 championships and will now spotlight provincial championships in Ontario, something they had never been a part of before.

The partnership with the OUA has already begun, as CBC sports and their digital services broadcasted a marquee game this past weekend, airing the always intriguing Panda Game, featuring the Ottawa Gee-Gees and Carleton Ravens.

While absent a television deal, universities across the country and specifically the OUA should be delighted to hear the news about the increased coverage. Under the partnership, both male and female student-athletes across Canada will be able to showcase their talent through a larger platform and towards a far larger audience.