The Timberwolves saw quite a bit of action this weekend fin- ishing 4-0 against their competitors. The Women’s team beat Douglas College 51 to 40, and Kwantlen College 59 to 43. The men’s team beat Douglas College 98 to 93 in the second over- time and trounced Kwantlen College 100 to 58. oa | PHOTO BY KEVIN VAUGHN UNBC to Compete in Ski Championships CIS Sanctions National Championships By UNBC ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT The 2005 national cross-country ski championships in Prince George will mark the first time that UNBC will compete in a com- petition sanctioned by Canadian Inter-university Sport (CIS). Cross-Country Canada and the CIS have announced that the 2005 nationals will be held in partner- ship with CIS. Although the nationals have previously served. as championships for college and ‘university Nordic ski teams, they have never - before this year - been sanctioned by CIS. “It’s normal to see teams from - Carleton University, Trent, Waterloo, UBC, and the Alberta universities attend the nationals, so this will provide our team with some great exposure,” says Tuppy Hoehn, coach of the UNBC nordic ski team. “To have the nordic skiers be the first UNBC athletes to compete at the CIS level says a lot about the potential of developing a first-class Nordic ski training cen- tre in Prince George.” “Achieving CIS status is one of our goals in Athletics, and this development is an important step for us,”. says Len McNamara, UNBC Athletics and Recreation Coordinator. “Simply put, no other sport organization in the country can match the breadth and scope of the CIS and we want to be able to pro- vide our student-athletes with the opportunity to compete at that level.” CIS is the national governing body for university sport in Canada, comprised of 50 member- schools, more than 10,000 student athletes, and 550 coaches in eleven different sports. Their endorse- ment will help boost the profile of this year’s national champi- onships, which are being hosted by the local Caledonia Nordic Ski Club. The National Cross-Country Ski Championships will be held in Prince George at the Otway Nordic Centre from February 27 to March 6, 2005. 13 NOVEMBER 24, 2004 Team gives up points in protest of new uniform rules University of Alberta volleyball players defy Canada West ban, change courtside in defiance By ANDREW RENFREE THE GATEWAY (UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA) EDMONTON (CUP) — The University of Alberta volleyball team took a stand against the Simon Fraser University Clan over a recent weekend, winning both of their matches, but the Pandas’ also took a stand against a controver- sial new Canada West Universities Athletic Association regulatior®. Traditionally, university volley- ball teams have changed from their practice T-shirts into their game jerseys at courtside just before matches. However, over the summer, the Canada West conference decided to ban the practice, which momen- tarily reveals the sports bras of female players. The new regulation applies to all Canada West sports, but the origi- nal motion referred only to women’s volleyball. Opposition to the rule is wide- spread among teams, but most have complied with it. Only the Pandas have decided to defy it and continue to change at courtside before matches. As a result, they've been penal- ized one point at the beginning of each of their matches this season. Despite the penalty, Pandas head coach Laurie Eisler said she sup- ADAM Hussein SPORTS COLUMNIST Mes, this quien is all mine now. It even has my picture next to it. Feels like I work for ESPN, except for the no paycheck thing. I can now feel free to write about any sports topic I want, and as Homer Simpson once said, “If you don’t like it, go to Russia!” Now onto the only thing that hasn’t been taken over by Halo 2 - Sports. What is on my mind this time around? The St. Louis Rams. They are a rollercoaster of a team to cheer for. After their collapse against the Patriots, they came back to beat Seattle in a huge game the following week. After the Patriots game the only thing I could think of were the: popular kids on the show Family guy when they say, “Lets go throw up.” One week after the collapse it was a game for first place in the division. I am incapable of waking up before noon on the weekend, so ports the protest against a rule that’s been criticized as paternalis- tic. “It's unfortunate that it’s become something as large as it has,” she said. “Our athletes are doing what they feel is the princi- pled decision, and I back them on that 100 per cent.” “It’s something we've been deing for about 15 years,” she added, emphasizing the Pandas plan to continue their protest for the foreseeable future. “It’s the players’ choice to change their jerseys, and we really haven‘t been © convinced that there’s a need to change that rou- tine.” Fifth-year setter Larissa Cundy explained the decision to defy the new rule and accept the penalty was made collectively. “Our coach allowed us.to make a choice,” she said. “We were kind of empowered to think about it ourselves, For the rookies, we told them, ‘The choice is yours, and if you have a big problem with tak- ing the point, then we'll all go” change outside the gym. Cundy suggested the players were upset as much by the way the new rule was imposed as by the rule itself. After apparently receiving a complaint changing jerseys at I only saw the final quarter. The Rams won an important game with Marshall Faulk running for 139 yards. He is my second favorite athlete. I even retired his jersey on my basement wall. If you think I am joking and that no one would actually do that remember this: when it comes to me and sports anything is possible. Absolutely anything. Speaking of jerseys, here is a quick question: if 1 were in the NFL whose jersey would be the least popular? Mine with Hussein on the back or the Patriots Randall Gay jersey? Back to football, it was a huge win for St. Louis; now enter the rollercoaster... The Rams’ top receiver gets injured. When I first heard about this I thought of what my driving instructor once said to me while folding his arms and vigorously shaking his head - “NOOOOQOOOOOO!” Before this makes me sound like a terrible driver I would like to mention that I passed my driving test the first time around. Now lets team benches is “risqué,” the con- ference decided to ban the practice without any consultation, Cundy said. “For them not to even come to the athletes, or the coaches even, and get our input . it just changed,- so that’s why we’re angry about it.” “Our athietes are doing what they feel is the principled decision, and | back. them on that 100 per cent.” -Coack Laurie Eisler Cundy added, based on princi- ple and the relatively insignificant one-point punishment for viola- tions, the Pandas will continue to defy the rule. “If the punishment stays the same, I think we would have to stick to doing it to make our point,” she said. “If they decide to make the pun- ishment more severe, we might have to reassess the situation, so we're not sure what’s going to happen.” Sports shorts: Rollercoaster Sundays just move on. Other quick NFL thoughts: Didn’t week 10 seem like a week in the CFL? I mean two dropped passes in the end zone in one game along with two punt returns for touchdowns in one game and two teams scoring 49 points. That is normally a week in the CEL right? The only thing missing was a 400+ yard game out of a quarterback who lost 31-28. Early season NBA thoughts: The Raptors could win their division. I thought my friend was crazy when he first mentioned this, but after I looked at the divi- sion it is very possible. Two Words: Denver, Anthony: My favorite team and favorite player. They had a big game against Detroit with Anthony scoring 34 points the day after my friends made fun of him during our poker game, a small redemption. Those of you looking for more on the NBA it is coming later on I promise. With the NHL being locked out until the turn of the century I plan on watching more basketball.