Great Moments: Vikes athletics

The Vikes’ living, winning tradition

Great athletes work year-round for the culminating moments of truly championship performance, and Vikes athletes have lived up to that expectation over and over again. The vital exhilaration of both team and individual success has been a central part of the Vikes story since the inception of UVic’s athletics program in 1970. An athletics policy shaped by Ian Stewart and Judge Robert Hutchison, and approved by athletics advocate President Howard Petch, concentrated resources on sports that could take best advantage of the year-long West Coast training environment and local interest — a policy which has helped push UVic to the top level of Canadian interuniversity sport.

After 45 years, competing against 55 other Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) institutions, the Vikes continue to rank in the top five for number of CIS team championships won — making the Vikes one of the most successful university athletic programs in Canada. The women’s basketball team holds more national titles than any competitor, and in women’s field hockey, the Vikes winning tradition puts it consistently among the top three programs in Canada, with 11 national titles. In men’s basketball, the Vikes have brought home seven consecutive national titles, a feat unmatched in CIS sport.

In addition to 71 Canadian team championships, Vikes competitors have had 338 athletes named CIS All-Canadians, 158 have competed at the Olympic or Paralympic Games, and produced an athletic heritage that continues to inspire the efforts of today’s student-athletes.

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