TC reporter honoured for coverage of university athletics
One of the longest-serving reporters at the Times Colonist is the recipient of Canada West’s 2016-17 Fred (Gus) Collins Award, which honours a member of the media for their outstanding coverage of the university conference and its student-athletes.
Cleve Dheensaw has chronicled Canada West and U Sports on Vancouver Island for three decades. The award is named after the late Collins, who worked tirelessly, producing up-to-date and accurate statistical information from 1979 to 1999 for Canada West.
Dheensaw, a sports reporter for 36 years at the Times Colonist and a University of Victoria grad, was selected by Canada West’s 17 sports information directors at their annual meetings last month.
“I am greatly humbled to be singled out among the sports journalists who are dedicated to covering university athletes in Western Canada and am truly honoured to be following my retired Times Colonist compatriot, Ron Rauch, in winning the Collins Award,” said Dheensaw. Rauch received the award in 2012-13.
“I cut my teeth on Canada West and CIAU coverage upon joining the Times Colonist in 1981 and it’s been a pleasure and real kick in getting back into what is now the U Sports beat after Ron retired. It has again opened my eyes to the talent, passion and energy Canadian university athletes bring to both their sporting and academic pursuits. That has been reflected in the astonishing number of UVic athletes I have covered over the years who have gone on to the Olympics.”
A native Islander, Dheensaw has covered a combined nine Olympic, Commonwealth and Pan-Am Games and is a familiar face in Vancouver Island’s high school, college and university sports scenes, including at the national U Sports championship events in women’s rugby and women’s basketball at UVic.
“This is great recognition for an individual that has been passionate and tireless in his support of reporting on Canada West activities. Cleve is an icon in Victoria and has always been very forward-thinking and responsive on reporting on Canada West and its successes,” said Victoria Vikes athletic director Clint Hamilton.
Dheensaw now becomes Canada West’s nominee for the Fred Sgambati Award, which is presented annually by U Sports to a member of the news media who has made a major contribution to the development and growth of university sport in Canada.