Mount Mystic Alum are honoured!

After a two-year pause, the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) will finally add distinguished members to its Hall of Fame.

The 2022 CCAA Hall of Fame banquet will take place on Tuesday, June 14 in Halifax, NS. One builder, four coaches and three athletes from the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) will officially be inducted.

“We’re really looking forward to finally being able to recognize the accomplishments of our Hall of Fame inductees from the Maritimes,” said Vince Amato, CCAA President. “It’s long overdue, but it will be well worth the wait when we’re able to celebrate together in Halifax this June.”

The Class of 2022 will consist of the following individuals and the Mount Mystics are proud to be celebrating the accomplishments of all inductees, including four of our MSVU alumni!

– Jacques Boudreau, Coach – Mount Saint Vincent University
– Jason Carlson, Athlete – Mount Saint Vincent University
– Kim Fralick, Athlete – Mount Saint Vincent University
– Rick Plato, Coach – Mount Saint Vincent University

Additional inductees from the ACAA:
– Crystal Cernivz (MacFarlane), Athlete (St. Thomas University)
– Bev Greenlaw, Coach (University of King’s College)
– Judith Smith, Builder (Dalhousie Agricultural Campus)
– Edwin Welch, Coach (St. Thomas University)

With the addition of eight ACAA members in June, the CCAA Hall of Fame will expand to 64 total members (22 builders, 20 coaches, 22 athletes).

The CCAA will be releasing profiles on each inductee as we approach the CCAA Hall of Fame banquet.  Please continue to follow the Mystics as we celebrate their accomplishments, and follow the CCAA on Twitter @CCAAsportsACSC or Facebook @CCAAsportsACSC for the profiles of all inductees.

The CCAA Hall of Fame banquet will be held at the Atlantica Hotel on June 14, 2022.  The Mount has limited number tickets for this event, but welcome any alum or friends of our inductees to join us in this celebration. Tickets are $100 each.  If interested, please contact june.lumsden@msvu.ca 

 

CCAA Hall of Fame: Kim Fralick

Kim Fralick, one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA), will be inducted into the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Hall of Fame in the Athlete Category.

Fralick starred for the Women’s Basketball team at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) from 2000-04.

“Kim was an amazing student-athlete who excelled athletically and academically,” said June Lumsden, Director, Athletics & Recreation at MSVU. “Her love of basketball still continues, and she is a wonderful alumnus of the Mount.”

Fralick led the Mystics to back-to-back ACAA championship crowns in 2003 and 2004 and was named ACAA Player of the Year in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

In 2004, she was named the CCAA Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, becoming the first and only player from the ACAA to ever receive the award.

She also earned multiple CCAA All-Canadian (2002, 2003, 2004) and CCAA Academic All-Canadian honours (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). Fralick was named a Second Team All-Star at both of her CCAA Championship appearances.

During her time at MSVU, the athletic department’s motto was ‘One Way, Together’ and that could not have been more true, according to Fralick. She recalls the undeniable comradery that she felt from Day 1 as a rookie all the way through to her last game with the Mystics.

“Every member of the team and coaching staff went so far above and beyond to make sure that everyone was included,” she said. “At every home game, students, alumnae, MSVU teaching staff, and of course my parents, were there to cheer us on and encouraged our team to work harder to become better than the day before.”

None of her accomplishments would have been possible without the support of her amazing parents.

“They supported me from the beginning, travelling to practices and games across the province and Maritimes,” said Fralick. “Mom and dad were always there, whether it was a Jr. High game or playing at the CCAA Nationals.”

In looking back at her career, there is no doubt in Fralick’s mind that the one thing that will stay with her for the rest of her life is the impact that her coach, Dyrick McDermott, had on her as a player and as a person.

McDermott had the reputation as a demanding coach who had no time or use for excuses. But to Fralick, he was so much more than that.

“If you knew Dyrick, you also knew that he truly believed in his players and the people around him,” she said. “He expected your best and knew how to inspire the competitive fire inside his players and it was through Dyrick that I was able to become the best version of myself.”

Despite all the accolades on and off the court, Fralick’s fondest memories of her time in the ACAA and CCAA are the relationships that she was able to build with teammates, coaching staff and even competitors.

“From practices all the way to playing at nationals, the CCAA gave me the opportunity to build relationships in the basketball community that have lasted until this day,” she said.

The 2022 CCAA Hall of Fame Banquet will take place on Tuesday, June 14 in Halifax, NS.

Media Contact:
Rodney Wilson / rodney@ccaa.ca
Manager, Communications & Events

 

CCAA Hall of Fame: Rick Plato

CCAA Hall of Fame Coach Rick Plato

May 19, 2022

Rick Plato, the long-time Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) Mystics coach who guided the Men’s Basketball team for a quarter century, will be inducted into the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Hall of Fame in the Coach Category.

Plato led the Mystics to 13 Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) Championship titles and 14 appearances at CCAA Championships – earning CCAA silver in 2008 and bronze in 1993.

In 1988, Plato took on a fledgling program which was essentially in its infancy, accepting the challenge to forge his own career. He went on to coach at MSVU for 25 years, posting a 555-221 record.

“I believe his love of the game, his commitment to excellence and his ability to teach and coach are the cornerstones of his success,” said June Lumsden, Director, Athletics & Recreation at MSVU. “Coach Plato literally built the program himself, starting his first season with a 4-12 record to becoming one of the most successful basketball programs in the history of the ACAA.”

Plato, a 13-time ACAA Coach of the Year, was named the CCAA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year in 2008.

He has an admirable gift to teach and share his innate understanding of the game and in addition to the impact he had on his players at MSVU, Plato also taught thousands of young players through the numerous camps he led throughout the years.

“He has mentored and motivated so many of his past players to coach and give back to their communities,” said Lumsden. “To this day, it is absolutely inspiring to see how many Mount varsity basketball alumni are sharing their love and knowledge of the game at every level of the game, in this province and throughout the country.”

Plato’s fondest memories of his time in the ACAA and CCAA are his student-athletes and the opportunity he had to help shape and mold young impressionable teenagers who came to MSVU right out of high school.

“The many successes that our student-athletes experienced together on the court, the hard work and dedication to a common goal and the lifelong relationships that so many of my former players have developed with one another are a few of the fondest memories that I look at with so much satisfaction and are what matters most to me,” said Plato.

All the more gratifying for Plato is the fact that he was able to do so with his wife Andrea by his side. Much of the team’s success, he believes, would not have been possible without his spouse and team manager.  “Our teams were like families and really, the secret of our success was the family and team chemistry which really, in many instances, even today, has been one of the most integral components to our success.”

Plato believes that the lessons his student-athletes learned in both surviving the tough losses while experiencing and appreciating the sacrifices needed to succeed, embody the values and beliefs which they so prudently and successfully use today in their adult lives.

“On so many occasions, watching their tears, both of heartbreak and joy, made me realize that what we do as coaches, teachers and mentors really matters,” said Plato, the current Head Coach at Dalhousie University (U Sports). “The thought and reflection on those many instances, continue to validate, for me, the extraordinary journey of my 25 years at MSVU.”

Along the way, Plato had the opportunity to coach hard working and dedicated players who bought into what he was preaching. He also had the privilege, as it would turn out, to mentor many players who have become great coaches in their own right.

“In all cases, mine as well, the Mount, ACAA and CCAA have allowed all of us to give back in a positive way and by doing so, I could not be more grateful or humbled by what I have been permitted to do,” said Plato.

The 2022 CCAA Hall of Fame Banquet will take place on Tuesday, June 14 in Halifax, NS.

Media Contact:
Rodney Wilson / rodney@ccaa.ca
Manager, Communications & Events

CCAA Hall of Fame: Jacques Boudreau

CCAA Hall of Fame Jacques Boudreau

May 17, 2022

Jacques Boudreau, who guided the Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) Mystics to its only Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) medal in Women’s Soccer, will be inducted into the CCAA Hall of Fame in the Coach Category.

Boudreau coached the Mystics for seven seasons from 2001-07, and earned five trips to CCAA Championships (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007).  He is a four-time Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) Coach of the Year and in 2004, became the first ACAA head coach to earn CCAA Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year honours.

Boudreau led MSVU to a bronze medal at the 2004 CCAA Women’s Soccer National Championship, as the Mystics narrowly defeated the host Fanshawe Falcons 2-1 in London, ON. It’s also the only medal the ACAA has ever captured in CCAA Women’s Soccer.

“Jacques as a coach was a technical genius who was able to share his knowledge and love of the game to his student-athletes,” said June Lumsden, Director, Athletics & Recreation at MSVU.

In Boudreau’s final season at MSVU, the Mystics hosted the 2007 CCAA Women’s Soccer National Championship, becoming the first team from the ACAA to welcome the country’s best collegiate teams in the sport.

Boudreau is very appreciative of MSVU for giving him the opportunity to be a head coach at the collegiate level in the ACAA and CCAA – a task that was both challenging and rewarding.  “With the assistance and support from June and the MSVU Athletics Department, I was given the pleasure of working with and for groups of players who were goal-setters and high achievers on both ends of the student-athlete experience,” he said. “I truly loved the job.”

Extraordinary experiences occurred every time his team was fortunate enough to move out of conference and compete for a CCAA Championship – and it was always a privilege to represent the ACAA at a national tournament, according to Boudreau.  “Although a gold medal always eluded us, it provided us with a level of competition that truly measured our ability and potential,” he said. “It challenged me in ways that highlighted where growth was necessary for myself and our team.”

Boudreau remembers the faces of so many of his student-athletes, the effort that they gave in training and in matches and recalls the many individual and team successes as well as failures. But above all, he fondly remembers the supportive atmosphere so many of the student-athletes had for one and other.  “Some of our players were met with some incredible family loss and personal experiences and to see the friendships and support from their friends and teammates was heartwarming,” said Boudreau. “I am still mindful of the strength displayed by some of the athletes as they allowed sport to play a part in their lives.”

The 2022 CCAA Hall of Fame Banquet will take place on Tuesday, June 14 in Halifax, NS.

Media Contact:
Rodney Wilson / rodney@ccaa.ca
Manager, Communications & Events

CCAA Hall of Fame: Jason Carlson

Jason Carlson, a standout student-athlete with the Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) Mystics Men’s Basketball team from 2006-09, will be inducted into the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Hall of Fame in the Athlete Category.

Carlson led the Mystics to three straight Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) conference titles and consecutive appearances at Nationals, earning a silver medal at the 2008 CCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship in Saint-Lambert, QC.

“Jason was a strong-student-athlete and during his time at the Mount, he enjoyed three trips to CCAA Nationals,” said June Lumsden, Director, Athletics & Recreation at MSVU. “He still plays basketball and is a wonderful alumnus of the Mount.”

Carlson was named to the CCAA Championship Second All-Star team in 2007. In 2009, his final season with the Mystics, Carlson was named the ACAA Player of the Year and he earned a CCAA All-Canadian nod as well as the CCAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Year award, becoming the first student-athlete from the ACAA to ever receive the honour.

Earning National recognition to finish his career was a thrill for Carlson, and he credits his success to his former coach – and fellow 2022 CCAA Hall of Fame inductee, Rick Plato.

“It helped with Coach Plato being, in my mind, the best coach in the country pushing me every day to get better,” said Carlson. “Every practice was a battle and that is where players get better – he made sure to keep us on our toes and compete to be a starter each game.”

MSVU went on a six-year run as ACAA champions from 2006-11, mainly due to how Plato built the program and got his student-athletes ready every day, according to Carlson.

Another fond memory for Carlson is the team trips to the Hagen Tournament at Dawson College in Montreal. The 13-hour bus rides were a great opportunity for team bonding and the high-quality competition at the tournament really helped the Mystics prepare for the upcoming season.

“Every year we would look forward to that tournament before the season started to kind of gauge how we were as a team,” said Carlson. “And winning it in my final year was, I believe, the first time ever for MSVU.”

While his time in the ACAA and CCAA was short, it did play an important role in Carlson’s career. He learned important life lessons along the way – many that he still uses today such as being a hard worker and a leader.

That experience has helped him become a top seller in the biggest auto group in Atlantic Canada; and Carlson continues to learn and grow each day.

“I think back to the many life lessons I have learned at MSVU, and I cannot thank the ACAA and CCAA enough for the opportunity to compete as well as everyone at MSVU (coaches, teammates and staff) for all the wonderful memories I have,” he said.

The 2022 CCAA Hall of Fame Banquet will take place on Tuesday, June 14 in Halifax, NS.

Media Contact:
Rodney Wilson / rodney@ccaa.ca
Manager, Communications & Events