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Sport Traditions and LegaciesOver the years, Magee has strongly encouraged and supported student participation in a wide range of sporting activities. These activities have meant different things to different people - healthy exercise, training and skill development, teamwork and co-ordination, competition and strategy, perseverance, friends and social skills, etc. But whatever the meaning, we can all attest that early exposure to sports is rewarding and the experience "sticks" to serve us well through life. Witness the following stories. (Click to view or hide story ... scroll down) A Foundation ... "Geered" for Success and ExcellenceDr Pat McGeer is one of Magee’s most outstanding alumni. He has demonstrated success and excellence as an athlete, medical doctor, research scientist, professor, politician, husband, and father. As you read this story of his early basketball years, think about the cornerstones of success and excellence and how they are put in place? What roles do nature, nurture, freedom, opportunity, objectives, motivation, teamwork, etc. play? And at the end of the story, be sure to explore the 3 links which highlight other achievements in Dr. McGeer’s life. Although Magee High School did not have a basketball team in the 1940’s, students in the graduating class of 1944 established a basketball record that has not been equaled since. In 1941-42, as grade ten students, they won the Provincial Junior basketball championship. In 1942-3, as grade 11 students, they won the Provincial Intermediate B championship. In 1943-44, as grade 12 students, they won the Provincial Intermediate A championship. Six students, Fred Bossons, Bill Holme, Hal Leonard, Pat McGeer, Bob Scarr, and Jerry Stevenson formed the core of these teams. In grade ten, along with Cliff Sloper, they formed the Ryerson Junior team coached by Don Gray at nearby Ryerson Church. The small gymnasium where they played and practiced is still there.
The team had an undefeated season, winning 32 straight games. The final in Kelowna was against the Kelowna Hornets. Ryerson became the 1941-42 Provincial Junior (15 and under) Champions.
The next year, as Grade 11 students, they entered the commercial Intermediate B league (17 and under) which played its games at the newly completed King Edward gymnasium. They were without Cliff Sloper, but were joined by Eric Bishop and Len Letham. The team was sponsored by Arrow Transfer. That team won the intercity league and went on to defeat St. Louis College from Victoria. They then defeated the Penticton Nalacos in Penticton to become the Intermediate B Provincial Champions. The next year, as grade 12 students, they were joined by Dave Campbell and entered the Intermediate A league (21 and under), again under the Arrow Transfer banner. They won the inter city league in a historic playoff series with Vancouver College. They then defeated the Victoria K.V.’s to become Provincial Intermediate A Champions. Later, at the University of British Columbia, Pat McGeer as a freshman made the intercollegiate Thunderbird team, while Fred Bossons, Dave Campbell, Bob Scarr and Jerry Stevenson started with the Chiefs, which played in the Vancouver Senior League. The Thunderbird team of Pat McGeer defeated the Harlem Globetrotters in 1946 and went on to win the Pacific Northwest Conference championship. Dave Campbell, John Forsythe, Bob Haas, Bob Scarr, Gordon Selman, and Jerry Stevenson, all Magee grads, joined the Thunderbird team in the following years. In 1948 the Thunderbird team defeated Ontario Western University to become Canadian Collegiate Champions. The Thunderbird teams from 1946-48 were coached by Bob Osborne, a Magee 1930 grad and member of Canada’s 1936 Olympic basketball team.
The team then defeated Montreal YMHA to win the Olympic qualifying tournament at Maple Leaf Gardens. Pat McGeer, Bob Scarr, Dave Campbell and Nev Munro, also from Magee were on the Canadian Olympic basketball team. That year, Pat McGeer was the Pacific Northwest Conference scoring champion and won the Bobby Gaul trophy as UBC’s top athlete. He was subsequently named to UBC’s Sports Hall of Fame. Not bad for a bunch of Magee students from Kerrisdale. So, what happens when the “cornerstones” for success and excellence are in place? Continue and read about Dr. Pat McGeer’s future careers and exceptional achievements by following these 3 links which open in a new browser page: UBC Sports Hall of Fame - Pat McGeer McGeer and Associaties Laboratory * * * * * * BC Boys Senior Basketball Champions 1961
Back Row: Mike Blades, Ed Cox, Dennis Addison, Brent Watson, Bob Putnam, Craig Marshall, Ken Atkinson Front Row: Jeff Nicklin, Ian Muter, Don Eberhardt, Mel Hoff, Ray Harvey, Gordon Lilley The Senior Boys Basketball Team won the 1961 BC Championships with a resounding 70-45 win over Semiahmoo before 4,000 boisterous fans at UBC gymnasium. One team member (Watson) was on the 1960 squad which finished in 6th place in the BC Championships the previous year. Lesson learned ... hard work and perseverance pay!
He secured a basketball scholorship to Washington State University where he played 4 years until graduation. Over the years, he continued to play basketball in various leagues, played in a number of International tournaments, represented Canada in several exhibition matches, and participated in the World Masters Basketball Tournament in Sydney Australia in 2008. Brent taught high school for 31 years in Richmond before retiring in 2003. During this period he coached various sports with an emphasis on basketball.
Here's a picture taken the evening of the induction banquet. Brent, wife Sharman, son Kyle, and daughter Breanne are all smiles. Kyle was then in his final year at UBC where he was Captain of the UBC Thunderbird basketball team. Breanne, a University of Washington graduate, played 4 years for the Huskies and had just returned home after playing 4 years of professional basketball in Europe. Which all goes to prove ... the Acorn never falls far from the Oak Tree! Cheerleaders 1975/6 ... Twice Champions!
The Magee Cheerleaders 1975-76: Do you remember the presence of enthusiastic cheerleaders courtside at basketball games, on the field at rugby games, leading the student body in rousing cheers at pep rallies? What about the cheers themselves? Magee’s official cheer went as follows: Come on Magee, come on and fight! One of Magee’s most dynamic, accomplished and successful cheerleading teams was a group of young women, most of them coming together in the fall of 1974, who won the CJOR/BC Lions Cheerleading competition in 1975 and went on to win the 1976 Vancouver Cheerleading City Championships.
But the team was able to expand their repertoire with the arrival of a student from the US, Lisa (Scobie) Ross, who introduced them to some American cheers, including “Zero, one, two/You know what to do /Come on everybody/Get up and boogaloo!” Lisa Hall choreographed a cheer to the Beatles’ song “When I’m 64” which was used successfully in the CJOR/BC Lions competition which they won. And they reintroduced a classic and quite different cheer, “Rugby Field Mud” which had been passed down over the years and was so appropriate for those wet fall and spring rugby games! It went like this: Doodle doodle do(repeat) (At this point Evonne (Skinner) McLeod would pop up from the cheerleaders’ scrum with a “WOOO”, a different “WOOO” every time which would provoke tremendous laughter from her team mates.) Whistle blows. The 75/76 team also replaced its “very cool”, but outdated shift dress uniforms with one consisting of red turtlenecks, short black skirts and black overall bibs with a big red “M” on the front. Their hard work started to pay off early with their victory at the CJOR/BC Lions Cheerleading Competition. At that time, the BC Lions did not have its own cheerleading contingent and relied on four high school teams at each game, each team rotating to different parts of the field during each quarter. It was easy to substitute “BC Lions” for “Magee Lions” in the cheers they performed. The results of their victory included the beautiful trophy featured in their 1976 Annual picture, a $250.00 award with which they purchased new black and red pompoms, and an interview and demonstration of one of their cheers on a local television station. According to Lisa Hall, “When asked the question, ’What makes Magee High School different from all the rest?’ it was a unanimous response – School Spirit!” A highlight of their win was being filmed for a national pre-Olympic program showcasing the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal that year. A “living” Olympic rings emblem was created at Empire Stadium and, naturally, the Magee team, wearing their black Magee sweaters with the red arm stripes, comprised the black Olympic circle. In the late spring, of 1976, the Magee Cheerleaders won the Vancouver City Championships, beating out their Point Grey rivals. But because the school Annual had already gone to print, the picture of the victorious team with their trophy didn’t make it into the 1976 edition; furthermore, their achievement was overlooked for the Magee 75th Anniversary Book. Thus the Magee Centennial provides an opportunity to showcase and honor their achievements. Aside from their accomplishments, what the members of the team recall most vividly is the fun they had choreographing, rehearsing, performing, competing and contributing to overall school spirit. The words ”fun” and “hilarious” occur over and over in their reminiscences. They took a little ribbing from opposing teams’ supporters, of course, but they were good sports about it. Elizabeth Watt recalls rivals rolling pennies across the floor at them indicating that that was all they were worth. However, they received strong support from the school and they have fond memories of Mrs. Ruth Rapanos, their sponsor and a much loved counselor and teacher at Magee until her retirement in 1993, providing them with their early dismissal slips so they could get to the games on time. This group of young women truly exemplified the spirit of teamwork. Their mutual interest in cheerleading brought them together to practice, to perform, to compete and to win. Lisa Hall captures what it was like when she talks about “the many moments of fun and laughter” and how wonderful it is now “to get together, reminisce, catch up and learn what adventures have taken place in the lives of these ladies who shared a pretty fantastic, fun-filled year – 1976!” What a spectacular way to finish up their graduating year! With grateful thanks to Elizabeth Watt and Lisa Hall for sharing their memories, clarifying the details and providing the words to the cheers. Magee Rugby Teams 1926/7/8 … Early Winners of New Zealand Shield
Following the visit of the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team to British Columbia in 1925, the New Zealand Rugby Union donated a trophy known as the New Zealand Shield to the Vancouver Rugby Union for rugby competition among the lower mainland schools. The front of the Shield contains sterling silver rugby ball-shaped plates for engraving the names of the winning teams and is encased in a New Zealand indigenous wood and sealed on the front with glass. The Union, in turn, gave it to the Vancouver and District Inter-High School Athletic Association (V and D) as it was the governing body for all sports in the Vancouver and district area. The Shield was first played for in the fall of 1925 and Magee won it in 1926, 1927 and 1928. These teams did much to help root Magee’s strong rugby tradition.
Here is the 1926 Magee Senior Rugby Team and New Zealand Shield Champions (VDIHSAA) Players in photo: Dooley O’Kelly, Percy Fletcher, Louis Chodet, John MacDonald, Larry Cole, Ralph Hall (captain), Hiro Kuwabara, Art Woodley, James MacDonald, William Fergusson, Dave Webster, Jack Hewer, Lesley Wilson, Jack Pearson, George Twiss. K.E. Candy (coach). Identified: Top row extreme right K.E. Candy (coach) Middle row: Second from left James MacDonald, third from left Ralph Hall (captain). Front row: Second from left Hiro Kuwabara. This was the first of several Magee teams to win the prestigious Shield which is still played for each spring in Vancouver. When BC School Sports (then called the BC Federation of Schools Athletic Associations) was formed in the fall of 1971, rugby was one of the first sports to have a provincial championship and Magee, as the V and D champion, lost in overtime to Point Grey for the R.P. Woodward Shield. The Vancouver Secondary Schools Athletic Association, in which Magee was a member school, belonged to the V and D until 1979 when it withdrew (from the V and D), after which Magee was not allowed to compete for the Shield. When a new league for rugby only in the Vancouver and District was initiated in 1994 Magee was once again allowed to compete for the New Zealand Shield. The New Zealand Shield winner is one of the teams that qualify for the provincial championship at the end of the spring season. My Journey to Becoming an Athlete Many of Bill Stephen's old Magee friends from the Class of 1959 will know that he attended St. Georges’ school until he managed to convince his parents to allow him to go to Magee in grade nine. Here's Bill's story. I had played sports at St. Georges, but cricket and field hockey had not prepared me for the sports that were popular at my new school. Often, because of my lack of skill, I was one of the last picks when teams were being put together in PE. How well I remember Sid Davies dreaded words -”We're getting to the bottom of the barrel now boys,” as the last few of us unfortunates were finally added to the teams. In spite of this I loved competition, and found it with my buddy Gary Harlos. Gary and I competed in various sports almost every day after school. We played billiards, ten pin bowling, tennis, ping pong, and downhill ski raced. I'm sure that Sid's words had a role in giving me the desire to excel, but Gary's support played a bigger role. In 1959 I started sports car racing and for the next 6 years had the most wins of any driver in the Pacific Northwest. My support team was 100% Magee – Harry Holland was my pit crew boss and all the other guys, too many to mention, were schoolmates. I came close to attempting to make racing my career, but eventually decided to continue at UBC and enter the business world.
Over the next 15 years my sports were tennis, fly fishing and a bit of golf. We moved to Kelowna in 1971. There, in 1978 I decided that it was time to get in good cardio vascular shape, so, as much as I hated the thought, I began running. I was pleasantly surprised to find I actually enjoyed it! My twice a week runs on the track (jog a lap, walk a lap at first) soon turned into 4-6 days a week on the roads. Then, 11 months after first putting on a pair of running shoes, I entered and finished the Vancouver Marathon. That was 35 years ago, and since then running, cross country ski racing, and triathlons have been a major part of my life. In 1983 the Interior Running Association was formed. The following year I became it's president and held that position for 22 years. Click on the following link (opens in a new browser window) to view some highlights of those years: I have greatly enjoyed my athletic pursuits over the years. Some of the highlights were competing, and doing well, in the world masters cross country skiing championships, completing the Ironman Triathlon at age 50, and bike racing at the BC Summer games. However my most memorable moment came just last year, when, at 70 years old, I was voted Runner of the Year for the Interior Running Series. That year I had entered, and won my class, in all 12 of the series runs, from 5K to Half-marathon distances. I became the oldest runner ever to do all 12 events, and the first of any age to win all 12 races in their age class.
I competed in the series again this year (2012) and again did all the races. At 71 I feel as good as I ever did while I'm racing. It feels to me that I'm running as fast as ever, but the darn stop watch tells another story. The Planting of a Pole Vaulting Passion How do the passions and defining moments in our lives arise? From a logical and well planned process ... or from a chance meeting where interest seizes opportunity? Bob Watson '60 tells his pole vaulting story this way ...
In 1957, I saw a few guys pole vaulting on the field at Magee and went over to have a go. After a few times flying through the air I was hooked! The school had an old Swedish steel pole and a sand landing pit that was like a long jump pit. It was a hard landing and you did not want to land flat on your back! I competed in the summer track meets all around the province and slowly improved. Four schoolmates living nearby helped build a pole vault facility in my backyard on Elm and 45th. Barry and Darryl Rhoades lived only 100 metres away and Brian Ciccozzi lived across the street. Brian pole vaulted for a few years with me. We bought a 3.5 metre long TV antenna from a neighbour and used it as a pole. It worked well and was very cheap, as we didn’t have a lot of money after building our PV facility. My parents paid for some hot mix so we could put in a 900mm wide by 20 metres long runway as the grass was a mess from the rain and running on the same path so often. We would run on the grass for about 10 metres then 20 metres of the blacktop runway, so we always got a good run even in Vancouver’s rainy weather. Mum and dad bought us a truckload of sawdust shavings as a landing pit (This was the normal landing pit material in those days). The sawdust shaving landing pit was heaven compared to the sand! We used a pitch fork every 5 to 10 jumps to keep it loose and piled up, as high as possible in the area we landed most often, but the sawdust got into our eyes, socks and underwear. At 16 years old I bought my 1st pole for $42.50 from Spalding’s Sports store in downtown Vancouver. It was a 14 foot aluminium pole and cost about 1 ½ weeks of labouring in 1958, but I didn’t care as this was the sport I loved!
That summer in competitions all over the Pacific Northwest I broke the BC and Canadian junior records 3 or 4 times pushing the record to 12’ 10 ½ “ on the aluminium pole. I graduated in June 1960 and went to work doing anything that was available and trained very hard indoors in the winter at UBC. Many of my track mates went to US Universities on scholarships and thrived on the training and competitions south of the border. When they returned in the summer they told me it was so good and I should try for a scholarship. I was no student but wanted to further my pole vaulting any way possible. I studied hard and got a scholarship to Fresno Junior College in California. I bought my first fibreglass pole and started to learn how to use it. The glass poles changed the event forever and everyone was experimenting with different techniques. In the summer of 1962 I qualified for the Commonwealth Games. There were 3 vaulters (2 from BC and 1 from PEI). By then, I had moved from Fresno to the U of Oregon, Eugene where Harry Jerome, Gerry Moro and other Canadians were training and competing. The Canadian Commonwealth team flew out to Perth in December (Aussie summer, 35+ degrees C most days)! It was a big shock to go from winter training in unheated indoor facilities at UBC to 35+ degrees C! I won a pre games meet with 14’ 6” but in the final cleared 14’ and placed 5th. I was not happy with myself, but it’s all on the day and it wasn’t my day. Gerry Moro was 4th with 14’ 3” and the Aussie winner from Perth won with 14’ 9”.
The world record holder, Brian Sternberg from U of Wash, Seattle won the event and almost broke his own world record (5 meters or 16' 5") that night. The following year Brian broke his neck in a trampoline accident training for the 1964 Olympics and has been a quadriplegic ever since. It was such a sad time for all. I visited him in Seattle and it was heart breaking to see a world champion reduced to a frail skeleton. He is such a wonderful champion and friend. I returned to Vancouver in early 1964 after failing my university courses. I trained for the 1964 Olympics and made the BC team to go to Quebec for the trials, but pulled out because I was not vaulting well, had little support, and no money to continue the heavy load of training and commitment. It was a wonderful experience and I met some amazing athletes, coaches and had some good trips. Later, I coached and competed in Canada until 1969 and then in Australia. I had some good vaulters. One 12 year old girl whom I coached for 4 years broke the under 16, 18 and 20 years State records. At 15 she cleared 3.7 metres (12’ 1 ½’’). At 16 she moved on and was coached at the NSW Institute of Sport, Sydney. I was hoping she could eventually be ready for the 2012 London Olympics but a back injury in Sydney a year ago seems to have finished her pole vaulting competitions. I have a 16 year old girl learning the vault, but no one that is willing to work hard or has the abilities required to be a great vaulter. Sometimes I am asked to be a guest speaker and tell of my pole vault experiences in some of the local clubs and it is always good fun. Most people at these talks have no conception of the event or the heights the vaulters are clearing these days." So these passions and defining moments ... which are they ... the product of a logical well planned process or the result of a chance meeting where interest seizes opportunity? You be the judge. The next time you do some spring cleaning, think about this story. It was the mid-1950’s, in Kerrisdale, in the neighbourhood of 43rd and Elm. Vicki was not yet 10 and lived on the corner (predecessor house) which was about ½ block from the tennis courts in Elm Park. A neighbour was cleaning out her attic and thought, maybe Vicki would like her old wooden tennis racquet. Vicki enthusiastically accepted the gift.
In the words of Vicki's older brother: “Vicki was the classic natural athlete. When she was maybe 4 or 5 years old we used to get her to tuck her hair under a baseball cap so she could play on our neighbourhood (boys) baseball team under the name Micky. She was probably a better baseball player than any of the boys who were 4 or 5 years older. She even excelled at marbles. I had lunch a while ago with a guy who went to Kerrisdale School with her, who considered himself the best marbles player in the school until he was beaten by Vicki.” “With her new racquet in hand, Vicki studied the tennis players at Elm Park and began to practice the game. I think I was able to beat her quite readily until she was about 10 years old (I was 14), after which it was pretty much a lost cause.” “Around that time the parks board occasionally sent tennis pros to the public courts to give free lessons to the unwashed, and Vick was discovered by one of them. His name was Colin Gamlin and he was the tennis professional at Jericho Tennis Club. He got Vicki a free membership at Jericho and took her under his wing. Later she moved to the Vancouver Lawn Tennis Club and was coached by Paul Willey, who was the pro there.” “Vicki had a very strong junior career, and was playing the European senior circuit (on her own, un-chaperoned and un-coached) with mixed success while she was still attending Magee Secondary School. Her tennis did interfere somewhat with her high school attendance and performance, as I recall, though she was still a very good student and I think the school was as supportive as they could be.” “I was in London in 1967, sitting in the gallery reserved for players and guests, and was able to see Vicki and her partner (Faye Urban, another Canadian) play on Number 1 Court at Wimbledon in the quarter finals of the Ladies Doubles that year. (Unfortunately, they lost, but I don't remember who they played.)”. “Vicki was among the first women (Billie Jean King, Rosemary Casals, Chris Evert, etc.) to play professionally. Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals are still among her close friends. When she left playing competitively she spent many years in New York serving as Director of Women's Tennis for the U.S. Tennis Association, Manager for the U.S. Wightman Cup team, and Captain for the U.S. Fed Cup team.” “Later, Vicki was Director of a golf tournament in Texas (the MacDonald's Kid's Classic), which I think was where she decided to play golf. Today, she is retired in Arizona and sports a very respectable 2-3 handicap.” “Of course I would love to say that Vicki owes all of her success to her parents and older brother (me) who nurtured and developed her talents. But that really isn't true. She did it all on her own and if we did anything at all we just served as cheerleaders. Still, where would we all be if not for our cheerleaders?” By now you may have figured out that the above true story is about Vicki Berner ’62 and her brother Sarge ’59. Vicki was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995. Take a moment and review her Key Accomplishments and Biography on Tennis Canada's Website Vicki was Captain of the USA team which won the Fed Cup in the 4 years from 1977 – 1980. The Fed Cup was inaugurated in 1963 when 16 countries competed. Today over 90 countries compete for the Fed Cup. Here’s a picture of the 1979 USA Fed Cup team.
In conclusion, well done Kerrisdale neighbour, well done old wooden racquet, and well done Vicki! PS Is the life of a professional tennis player all hard work, discipline, and determination? Not by a long shot. Chris Evert, in her book “Chrissie: My Own Story” describes how the “Ladies of the Evening” became a permanent fixture on the circuit and how Vicki played a starring role: “You won't find the "Ladies of the Evening" results in any USTA Media Guide ... The idea blossomed during the Family Circle Cup at Amelia Island, Florida in 1975 ... Rosie Casals was more instrumental than anyone in getting the two "ladies of the evening," Peaches Kellmeyer and Vicki Berner, into a "championship match." Both were former players turned tour directors, whose after-hours reputations (Peachy with Michelob, Vicki with Dewar's Scotch) had reached legendary proportions. Of course, Rosie could not just have Peachy and Vicki play a routine match. There had to be other conditions. On court changeovers, for example, Peachy was required to take a swig of beer while Vicki downed Scotch ... Billie Jean, naturally, was the umpire, wearing two pairs of glasses, and Martina and I were designated as "coaches." ... Betty Stove and Frankie Durr were ball-girls, and others called lines. When Vicki started winning, the linesmen simply ignored her serves and called faults. ...We had a cookout after the match, which Vicki won, and then decided that "Ladies of the Evening" would become a permanent fixture on the circuit. The following year, we staged it as a doubles event in Los Angeles, after the Slims final. Nobody could remember much from that party after eating Rosie's brownies. In 1977, we rented the discothèque at the Hilton Hotel in Philadelphia and put on a series of hilarious skits and dance numbers. I was the master of ceremonies at that bash, in a Groucho Marx costume. Rosie served her famous brownies that night too.” Global Citizens through Sport and Travel On April 1, 1972, Magee and Point Grey combined to play the final game of Campbell College’s tour of British Columbia. Campbell College, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, had a 4 -1 record during their Easter tour. They began in Vancouver by losing to St. George’s then went to Vancouver Island where they recorded wins over Brentwood College/Mid-Island, Shawnigan Lake School, and a Victoria Schools All Stars on a chilly night under the lights. Back in Vancouver for their final game they had to be at their best to overcome Magee/Point Grey at Brockton Oval. Clive Majury put Campbell College ahead with a try that gave them a 4-0 lead at half-time. Two penalty goals by David Whyte gave the hosts a brief advantage but tries by Jeremy Taylor and Steve Parkhill put Campbell College out of reach even though Whyte slotted another penalty goal near the end to make the score 14-9. The referee was David D. Mackenzie (a Scottish International, Barbarian and runner on the 1600 meter relay team for Great Britain in the 1948 Olympic Games) who was the Brentwood College Headmaster. What lasting impact did this trip and exchange have? Ask these young warriors: 
Magee/Point Grey and Campbell College (Belfast, Northern Ireland) Back: Ian Stevenson (manager, Magee), Don McQueen, Jeremy Taylor, Blair Manning, Guy Beringer, Chris Moir, Clive Majury, David Bentall, Tim Martin, Peter Howard, Calvert Belshaw, Dave Morgan, Ben Stephens, Bill Payne, Steve Parkhill, David Whyte, Steve Andress, Mike Andress, David D. Mackenzie (referee), Doug Sturrock (coach, Magee). Front: David Giles, Paul McCaughey, Nigel Richardson, Andy Watson, Kent Campbell, John Rogers, John Billingsley, Hugh McMurray (captain, Campbell College), Peter MacVey (captain, Magee/Point Grey), David Beverland, Dave Wallace, Bill McClements, Grant Cumberbirch. Not in Photo: Dave Howie (coach, Point Grey), Jay Pomfret, Simon Prior.
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Brent Watson was the Most Valuable Player in the BC Tournament in both 1960, and 1961.
In 2011, Brent was inducted into the Basketball BC Hall of Fame.
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In 1975, the team consisted of two Grade 11’s while the rest were Grade 12’s, most of whom had been rookies in their Grade 11 year. Captained by Lisa (Chambers) Hall (pictured at left with City Championship Trophy) they went on to achieve amazing success in their graduating year. Lisa had a background in dance and creatively choreographed many of the already existing cheers which had a historical significance to the school, were unique to Magee and , most importantly, were great yelling cheers, easy for fans and spectators to cheer along to. 
"As a kid I loved many sports. Early on, there was baseball, basketball, gymnastics, climbing trees, and swimming and diving on summer holidays in the lakes up at Penticton and Vernon. In 1955 as a 13 year old I took the bus from Kerrisdale to the Vancouver YMCA to do gymnastics, swimming, and other indoor sports. I tried ice hockey that year but wasn’t a good skater so 6 months of hockey at Kerrisdale arena early in the mornings was enough. I had no idea that these activities, particularly gymnastics at the YMCA, were going to be a big help when learning the pole vault 2 years later.
In grade 12 ( 1960) I set the Vancouver and District High School record of 12’ 1 “ breaking the record by only ¾ “ at Empire Stadium. The old record holder, Orv Patswold told me a few months later that he wasn’t happy I had broken his record by so little! I told Orv the official asked, after I had just cleared 11’ 6”, if I wanted the bar set at 12’ or above the old record of 12’ ¼”. I said what’s one inch, so he set the bar at 12’ 1”! Why not?
I returned to Eugene, Oregon and trained harder clearing 14’ 9” in competitions in summer 1963. At the end of the U of Oregon track season I was asked if I’d like to go to the NCAA competition in New Mexico, as there was 1 seat left on the plane. I found myself in the same competition as the world record holder, the future 1964 Tokyo Olympic champion, and other future USA champions and world record holders. The conditions on the night of the competition were perfect with a light tailwind which I loved because I was not a fast sprinter. The starting height was 15’, higher than I’d ever cleared in competition. I cleared it on my 1st attempt and was thrilled. The bar went to 15’ 6 ¾ “, a new Canadian and Commonwealth record, which I cleared on my 3rd attempt. The bar went to 15’ 9 ¾ ‘’ which I cleared on my 3rd attempt. That was my best vault ever; I didn’t clear the next height of 16’ 1 ½ “.
