“You are the best ambassadors we have.” – USask President Peter Stoicheff
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Huskie Athletics staged its 2024-25 Championship Season Celebration at the Ron and Jane Graham Centre Court at the USask campus on Monday. The event capped off an incredible season for the Huskies including one U SPORTS championship and three Canada West championships (women’s basketball, women’s track and field and men’s hockey). There were several individual accomplishments this season as well (including 48 Canada West all-stars, 121 academic all-Canadians and four U SPORTS community service award winners). There were several senior leaders from the university as well as faculty members and fans in the stands for the noon hour event.
Saskatoon mayor Cynthia Block was on hand to pay tribute to the Huskie teams and athletes that were in attendance. “We were cheering all season”, she said. “You are all leaders. Hats off to you. We are very proud. Saskatoon says thank you!” USask President Peter Stoicheff, philanthropist Merlis Belsher, Huskie Chief Athletics Officer Shannon Chinn, USask Chancellor Grit McCreath and VP, University Relations Cheryl Hamelin were among other key dignitaries at the celebration.
Huskie women’s basketball coach Lisa Thomaidis, who this season set the conference record for most career coaching wins, acknowledged that the season long support from USask senior leadership is the envy of every other university in the country. Under Thomaidis the Huskies claimed the program’s third U SPORTS women’s basketball title with an 85-66 win over Carleton in the gold medal game.
“You win with tremendous character and incredible people”, Thomaidis said. “(The Huskie players) were very driven and committed to a common goal. We had a number of all-stars on our team, but they were willing to put that at a lower level of importance to make sure we reached our potential.”
