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U of R eliminating men's volleyball, men's and women's wrestling teams

Thirteen is indeed an unlucky number for three University of Regina Cougars athletic programs that have been discontinued, effective Monday.

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Thirteen is indeed an unlucky number for three University of Regina Cougars athletic programs that have been discontinued, effective Monday.

The U of R has pared its number of teams from 16 to 13 after eliminating women’s and men’s wrestling and men’s volleyball.

“I never would have thought they would have cut wrestling first, because we have the least amount of kids and we’re the most determined,” Regina’s Sara Tokarz, who recently completed her first season of university wrestling, said Monday.

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“It’s just heartbreaking to see the wrestling community go down like that — through an email, not even in person.”

Leo McGee has been the head coach of the University of Regina Cougars wrestling teams since 1985.
Leo McGee has been the head coach of the University of Regina Cougars wrestling teams since 1985. Photo by Don Healy /Regina Leader-Post

The cuts follow a recommendation made in last year’s Athletics Programming and Operations Report, in which it was concluded that “supporting 16 programs is unsustainable.”

By going to 13 teams, the U of R says that its program size is now in line with comparably sized institutions that compete in U Sports.

“The decision was extremely difficult,” Harold Riemer, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies, said in a media release.

“While our elite sports teams are a source of pride for the university, reducing the number of teams on campus enables us to concentrate efforts. We will look to meet the teaching and programming needs of a faculty where enrolments have increased by 31 per cent over the past five years and more effectively support competitive excellence within our remaining U Sports teams.”

The U of R will still compete in Canada West in men’s and women’s basketball, hockey, swimming, cross-country running and track and field, men’s football (as the U of R Rams), women’s volleyball and women’s soccer.

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The University of Regina announced Tuesday that they will be removing the men’s volleyball team and men’s and women’s wrestling teams from its athletics program.
The University of Regina announced Tuesday that they will be removing the men’s volleyball team and men’s and women’s wrestling teams from its athletics program. Photo by TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post

The Cougars’ men’s volleyball team has typically struggled, as evidenced by last season’s 2-22 conference record.

Wrestling, however, has been a different story. Under head coach Leo McGee, the wrestling program has been a perennial power.

In the final U Sports rankings, released in February, the Cougars women’s program was fifth nationally. The men’s wrestling team was seventh. However, the wrestling teams were not spared despite the top-10 finishes.

“It’s definitely heartbreaking, because I’ve been wrestling for five years now and I don’t want to imagine not to wrestle ever again,” said Tokarz, who took up wrestling in Grade 9 at O’Neill. “That just sounds terrible.”

Sara Tokarz just completed her first year of wrestling at the University of Regina.
Sara Tokarz just completed her first year of wrestling at the University of Regina. Photo by Michael Bell /Regina Leader-Post

Riemer underlined his empathy for the athletes who have been affected.

“We recognize that this is a difficult announcement for our student-athletes,” he said in the media release.

“We are committed to supporting those athletes affected by this announcement by honouring scholarships and other accommodations made so long as the students remain in good academic standing at the University of Regina. Our students are our top priority throughout this transition.”

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Two full-time coaching positions are being “reduced,” according to the media release, and one term contract position will not be renewed.

Neither McGee nor the Cougars’ men’s volleyball coach, Greg Barthel, could be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Barthel was hired by the U of R in 2007. McGee coached the school’s wrestling programs for more than 30 years.

“I feel very terrible for Leo,” Tokarz said. “I can feel his pain as a coach to see all his athletes have no place to go if we don’t know what to do.

“I couldn’t imagine what was going through his head. It must be very difficult to hear this news.”

rvanstone@postmedia.com

twitter.com/robvanstone

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