Three Niagara natives being inducted
Hall of fame ceremony highlights college athletic awards banquet
A middle blocker who won medals in all but one of his four years playing volleyball at the post-secondary level is being inducted into the Niagara College Knights Hall of Fame.
Also being enshrined at a ceremony Friday, April 7, in Welland is a badminton team that captured the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women’s doubles championship in 1996.
Niagara Falls native and Westlane Secondary School graduate Shawn Barbisan was a standout at his hometown community college before going on to compete professionally in Italy for nine years. From 1998 until 2002, he was a key contributor on a Knights team that went 64-17, won three consecutive division title, two Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championship, as well as a silver medal at provincials.
Niagara made three trips to nationals during Barbisan’s four years at the college.
The 6-foot-8 Barbisan, in his heyday one of the most-dominating blockers in the game, established an OCAA record for blocks in a match, with 13; and in his final season paced the province in blocks, with 135.
He was the college’s top male athlete in 2001-02, men’s volleyball most valuable player and received the Niagara College Knights Award of Excellence and OCAA all-star selection in the same year. In 2000-01 Barbisan was presented with an athlete of distinction award.
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Barbisan traces his memorable moments playing for Niagara to winning an Ontario men’s college volleyball championship for the first time.
“No one liked us, we were the upand-coming team that had the talent and did things differently,” he said. “We were there to prove to everyone we were the best, and when we won it all it shocked a lot of people.
“It was the start of something great. Defending our title a year later and becoming back-to-back OCAA champions cemented our team and our legacy as a volleyball school and as players.”
Barbisan graduated from the college’s general arts and science program and studied athletic therapy at Sheridan College after returning to Canada following his pro career abroad. He works as an athletic therapist in the Greater Toronto Area.
Dynamic duo
Welland native Christine AuditSmith and Cindy Emery from Port Colborne were two of the best female badminton players in Canada when they formed a doubles team at Niagara College.
They nearly ended the 1995-96 season undefeated finishing with a 15-1 record and losing just six sets.
At nationals, Audit-Smith and Emery were the team that couldn’t be beat. They easily swept the gold medal match to net the first-ever women’s doubles title in Niagara’s history.
Audit-Smith was the college’s female athlete of the year in 1995-96, while Emery’s individual accolades while at the college include top female athlete, 1994-95, 1995-96; and Knights Athlete of Distinction Award, 1995-96.
Audit-Smith is graduate of both the general arts and science and dental office administration programs.
“Our hall of fame induction ceremony is something we truly look forward to every two years,” intercollegiate co-ordinator Ray Sarkis said. “These student athletes are the most-decorated Knights in Niagara College history.”
“It’s always fantastic to honour and reflect on the accomplishments of some of our most-storied alumni.”
Niagara’s athletic wall of fame was established in 1999, when Peter Rylander and Edward Zanetti, in the builders category; and, in the athletes class, Mark Nelson and Tom Peat, both badminton; and Lois (Lamb) Storza, basketball and volleyball; were inducted as charter members.
Inductions were held annually until 2003 and every second year following a three-year hiatus in 2006.
The Class of 2017 will bring the number of inductees to 61.
This year’s ceremony is taking place at the college’s athletic awards banquet at Riverstone Event Centre, former the Lions Hall, in Welland.