Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Class of '11

The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame today announced the names of the individuals and teams who will be making up the Class of '11.  The announcement was made at a news conference at the MBHOF Hall of Fame and Museum at the University of Winnipeg's Duckworth Centre.  Those making up the latest induction class include from the Players category, Brandon Bobcats Whitney Dabney and Keith Vassell and Manitoba Bisons Terri-Lee Johannesson and Marjorie Kelly.  WMBA Founder Mike Ruta heads the Builder category and the University of Manitoba Bison Men (Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association champions in 1955, 1956, and 1957) and the University of Manitoba Bison Women (CIS National Champions in 1995-96 and 1996-97) will be inducted into the Team category.  The official induction will take place later this fall on October 1, 2011 at the Victoria Inn Hotel in Winnipeg.  For more details on each inductee...

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2011 MANITOBA BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME

INDUCTEES - INFORMATION SHEET

(April 26, 2011) Congratulations to the newest inductees to the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame.  The official induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg.

PLAYERS:

Whitney Dabney – Brandon University Bobcats; CIS All-Canadian in 1988-89; GPAC All-Star in 1988 and 1989; Most Valuable Player at the 1988 CIAU (CIS) National Championship Tournament; member of three BU Bobcat national championship teams; professional basketball in England and Uruguay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T.L. (Terri-Lee) Johannesson – University of Manitoba Bisons ; three-time CIS All- Canadian in 1994-95, 95-96 and 97-98; CIS Championship Tournament MVP in 1995-96 and 1996-97; member of two Bison women’s national championship teams 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marjorie Kelly – University of Manitoba Bisons ; two-time CIS All-Canadian in 1996-97 and 97-98 ; CIS National Rookie of the Year in 1994-95; member of two Bison women’s national championship teams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keith Vassell – Brandon University Bobcats; three-time CIS All-Canadian in 1993-94, 94-95 and 95-96; CIS National Player-of-the Year (Mike Moser Trophy) in 1994-95; CIS National Rookie of the Year in 1991-92; Most Valuable Player at the 1996 CIS National Tournament ; five-time GPAC All-Star; Canadian National Teams (Senior and Junior) 1989-97; professional basketball in Iceland and Spain

 

 

 

BUILDER:

 

Mike Ruta – the “Father of the WMBA”. He led in the formation of the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association and became the association’s first President. Mike’s vision was to provide a structured basketball league for Winnipeg area children, open for all to participate. The league tipped off on November 29, 1997 with 40 teams, based out of 12 community centers. In its second year, the WMBA boasted 97 teams out of 25 centers and carried on with its first Spring League in April of 1998. The winter league of 2004-2005 saw a record high of 230 teams.

 

 

 

 

TEAMS:

 

University of Manitoba Bisons Men – WCIAA (Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association) champions in 1955, 1956, and 1957

University of Manitoba Bison Women – CIS National Champions in 1995-96 and 1996-97

 

More information on the induction dinner is available from Hall of Fame Chair Ross Wedlake at (204) 668-9494 or rwedlake@mts.net.

 

 

Members of the 1995-97 Manitoba Bison Women (Stacy Hawash and Jana Taylor), Builder Mike Ruta of the WMBA and members of the (1955-57) Manitoba Bison Men (Dave Smith, Stu Douglas, Ab Handsford, George Pratt) at the formal announcement of the Class of '11 on April 26 at the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame

  

Members of the 1995-97 Manitoba Bison Women's Program present at the formal announcement (from left to right), 

Stacy Hawash (nee Yuel), Diana Dela Cruz, Kyla Shore (nee Koskie), Coleen Dufresne (coach), Glenda Clark, Jana Taylor and Meghan Johnson (nee Dixon)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 WMBA Founder and 2011 inductee into the Builders category, Mike Ruta

For more information on the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame, please go to http://www.mbhof.com