University of Regina Sports Hall of Fame
The 1996-97 University of Regina’s men’s wrestling team gave the school its first national championship in any sport. After winning its fourth consecutive Canada West championship, the team entered the national tournament as one of the favourites and did not disappoint. The Cougars had three gold medalists (Fazel Anwar, Rob Lang, and Dean Schmeichel) and three silver medalists (Lease Bertram, Scott Schmidt, and Sean Thompson) and ended up in first place with a three-point cushion over second-place Brock. Schmeichel clinched the championship with a thrilling victory over Brock’s Leonid Kilimnik at the 130-kilogram weight class.
The team was coached by Leo McGee, who was assisted by his brother Dan McGee. Mark Fitzpatrick, Scott General, and Jared Kirkland were also part of the team. Adrian Gilmore served as the team’s manager. The team went on to win a second CIAU championship in 1998.
