The names of three people and two teams have been added to the North Cowichan and Duncan Sports Wall of Fame.
The five new inductees are softball player Helen Gosnell, builder Ernie Mansueti, triathlon athlete Jason Sandquist, the 1959 Duncan Little League All Stars baseball team. and the 1983 Cowichan Thunderettes basketball team.
North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas says as the community celebrates its 150th anniversary, they want to honour the sporting community and show pride in the Cowichan Valley’s sporting legacy and the young athletes who are up and coming.
Since 2008, the wall of fame has been honouring coaches, athletes, teams, administrators, and builders in local sports.
New inductees:
Helen Gosnell – Softball
Helen was born and raised in the Cowichan Valley. She’s always been proud of being Indigenous, with her dad being a Cowichan Tribes member.
A natural athlete, she dreamed of playing softball professionally. When she was 17, she was recruited as a short stop by the Edmonton Mortons.
In 1951, she was a member of the Edmonton Mortons, which won the first ever official Canadian Senior Women’s Softball Championship in Toronto. This accomplishment earned the team an induction into Softball Alberta’s Hall of Fame.
The following year Helen returned to the island, playing with the Duncan ladies softball. Over her years as a player, she won many tournaments and trophies for best pitcher and catcher. Following a bad knee injury, she turned her focus to coaching.
Helen dedicated years of her teaching career to helping students learn baseball and field hockey. She organized sporting events and encouraged the younger generation to pursue their dreams in athletics. Due to her excellence in teaching, her teams won multiple local tournaments and many students gained valuable life skills from their involvement in sports.
Ernie Mansueti – Builder
Ernie is a well-known face in the Cowichan sports community. In his role of General Manager, Community Services for North Cowichan, he was responsible for the design and construction of the Cowichan Aquatic Centre, Crofton’s seawalk, three skateparks as well as the Sherman Road and Evans parks. Ernie also formalized recreational trail opportunities within the municipal forest reserve and integrated trail systems between communities and neighbourhoods.
When it comes to hosting sporting events, he sat on the bid committees and served as municipal liaison for the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Rowing Canada, BC Seniors Games, North American Indigenous Games, and BC Summer Games.
Ernie has also served on the board of the Recreation Foundation of BC and the Recreation Facilities Association (RFABC). He was recognized by the RFABC in 1996 and 2003 with the Dave Dauphinee Award for his outstanding work.
Ernie leaves a legacy as the founder of the North Cowichan-Duncan Sports Wall of Fame, KidSport Cowichan, and member of the organizing committee of the ALS Old-Timers Hockey Tournament.
Adding to this impressive resume, Ernie has also coached baseball, hockey, and soccer for over 40 years.
Jason Sandquist – Triathlon
In the over three decades Jason has been competing at the top level of amateur triathlon he’s won numerous awards, victories, and podium places. His first triathlon was in 1989. In 1991, he completed his first Ironman race (a triathlon with 3.8km of swimming, 180km of cycling, and 42.2km of running). He placed fourth in his age category, qualifying for the Ironman World Championships.
He has since raced 28 Ironman races, including 10 Ironman World Championships. This has resulted in six wins for his age group and 13 podium places.
Some of his many accomplishments include Top Amateur Competitor at Ironman Canada in 1994, 1996, and 2000. He ranked first in the world for Ironman 70.3 races in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, Jason received the Excellence Award for Long Distance Triathlon from Triathlon Canada.
Jason is currently the BC Provincial Champion in the half Ironman distance for his age group (50+ men). He continues to accumulate age group wins and podiums, dedicates time and effort to his training, and inspires athletes and people in North Cowichan and beyond.
1959 Duncan Little League All Stars – Baseball
In 1959, the Duncan Little League All Stars became the first boys’ team from the Cowichan Valley to win a major championship. They won seven straight games enroute to the Vancouver Island and Western Canada titles. This included wins over East Vancouver and Trail and being crowned BC provincial champions.
The team then advanced to Northwest Regional Championships in Portland, Oregon competing against teams from Washington and Oregon.
They didn’t lose a game until they were defeated by a team from Vancouver, Washington, ending their charmed run towards the Little League World Series.
Despite the loss, the team’s return to Vancouver Island was quite a spectacle with two mayors escorting them in a miles long convoy from the Nanaimo ferry to a whole field of fans at Pioneer Park.
Team members include:
Garry Bruce, David Cooke, Rick Haslam, Conway Dillabaugh, Larry Paradis, Bill Moore, Mike Martin, Peter Bartleman, Keith Edwards, Gerald Taylor, Ted Evans, Jack Philpot, Raymond Stotts, Gregory Ledding, coach Roy Hughes and manager Jarvis Jickling.
1982-83 Cowichan Thunderettes – Basketball
This girls’ basketball team made a name for Vancouver Island by winning the provincial high school girls basketball championship against Abbotsford. The dedicated and exceptional athletes lost only two games all season.
The championship game at Simon Fraser University brought out the best in the team. They showcased their drive for good competition, coming back to take the lead after halftime. The girls’ sportsmanship never wavered and their dedication led to a victory at the end.
The players were a formidable combination, led by Kim Poland. Their camaraderie matched their incredible talents. Carol Bot, Cathy Roome, Val Larson, Irina Sladecek and Kim Poland also received many All-Star and MVP awards at the various tournaments throughout the 1982-83 season.
Vancouver Island faced fierce competition from the population base of the mainland teams, but the 1983 Cowichan Thunderettes were able to conquer and bring home the win.
Team members include:
Kim Poland, Carol Bot, Irina Sladecek, Val Larson, Cathy Roome, Melanie Slade, Sandy Hughes, Shawn Hudson, Inet Sladecek, Kris Jahelka, Cindy Dodds, managers Susan Lee and Carolyn Warren, coach John Hart and assistant coach Bud Fulton.
