The annual University of Victoria Sports Hall of Fame induction process is being moved to 2022. With current Provincial Health Orders restricting public gatherings expected to be in place through spring, the decision to defer the Hall of Fame induction process by one year was made in order to celebrate the outstanding contributions of inductees in person.
“Recognizing incoming UVic Hall of Fame inductees with our annual celebration of team and individual award winners, as part of our large Celebration of Champions banquet, is an important tradition for UVic and we will look forward to honouring deserving recipients in this format next year” stated Clint Hamilton, Senior Director, Vikes Athletics & Recreation.
In March 2020, two-time national golf champion Christina Proteau (Spence), and multiple-national champion in cross country and track Trish Wellmann-Fougner, were announced as that year’s inductees. But the pandemic prevented the Celebration of Champions banquet from going ahead, so they will be honoured at next year’s event, in 2022.
Inductees are traditionally honoured at the year-end Vikes Celebration of Champions, an annual event that combines the UVic Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony with the Athletic Awards banquet. This year the Celebration of Champions will be moved to a modified online format.
In a year that saw all competition cancelled, the honours will be limited to two categories: the Varsity Highlight Awards, which recognize the unsung heroes on each squad, selected by their peers for their leadership, dedication, community involvement and positive attitude; and the Times Colonist Publishers’ Award for Community Contributions, presented to individuals within the community that have made an outstanding voluntary contribution to a varsity program.