School celebrates Dinos men’s basketball title

Fans come out in droves to recognize university program’s first national crown

Hundreds of red, yellow and white balloons, a couple of championship banners and scores of fans were on hand Thursday at noon to celebrate the Dinos men’s basketball team winning their first U Sports national championship.

The crowd erupted as the players filed in to Mac Hall looking sharp sporting ties, black Dinos jackets and big grins and hoisting the Canada West and national championship trophies over their heads.

The nail-biting national championship game was held earlier this month in Halifax. With only nine seconds left on the clock against the Ryerson Rams, Dinos guard Mambi Diawara made the winning layup in a 79-77 nail-biter.

As the players lined up in front of the stage, University of Calgary president Elizabeth Cannon took the podium and quipped she was glad she was wearing high heels so she could see over their heads.

“Congratulations to each and every one of you, it’s absolutely terrific,” Cannon said. “You guys are a true team, and that showed on the court, and I know it’s off the court as well, you perform as a team. We are so proud of you. You worked so hard.”

As the basketball players came on stage one by one, Cannon presented each of them with a silk tie as a token of the university’s appreciation.

She also congratulated other Dinos athletes “across the board” for an outstanding year, with Canada West championships in football, women’s rugby, men’s cross country, men’s basketball and women’s volleyball. In 2016-17, a record 149 Dinos student-athletes earned U Sports academic all-Canadian status, she said.

U of Calgary has won 46 U Sports national championships, but this is the first time the men’s basketball team has won.

“It’s been a wash of emotion,” said head coach Dan Vanhooren.

He went on to thank other coaches and staff who helped build the Dinos program over the last 53 years.

“Everybody is celebrating us, but I’d like you to think about celebrating the group of people we have built on who created the foundation of the program,” he said.

Part of the team’s winning philosophy was “fearlessly approaching ” the court, Vanhooren said.

“We talked about being fearless by creating possibilities that are limitless,” Vanhooren said.

The players came to study and play ball at UCalgary from cities and towns across the province, the country and the world, including two from Germany.

“It’s been a great experience,” said David “The Light” Kapinga, who was named the most valuable player in the championship tournament. “It’s a blessing, and that’s one thing I always tell the guys it’s important to be thankful for the support we have.”

Kapinga came to Canada at age five as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo and left high school in Calgary to play ball in the U.S.

“I am grateful my coach back in the States told me to go back home, because I wouldn’t be a national champion without that,” Kapinga said. “I wouldn’t rather be anywhere than at University of Calgary.”

After emcee Lucas Meyer, the play-by-play voice of the Dinos, wrapped up the brief speeches, a cannon fired yellow and red confetti onto the crowd, Queen’s We are the Champions blared from the speakers and the national champions picked up their trophies and posed for pictures.

We talked about being fearless by creating possibilities that are limitless.