In this week's "March Madness" edition, five T-Bird athletes talk upsets, underdogs, brackets and how they cope with the most maddening things about UBC.
The panel[/ub_subhead
Jacob Quail (JQ): men's soccer
Andrea Strujic (AS): women's basketball
Robert Ragotte (RR): men's Nordic skiing
Katrina Davis (KD): women's field hockey
Patrick Bull (PB): football
1) What's your go-to celebration move?
JQ: The bird man, because quails, you know.
AS: It’s in transition mode. I have been trying out some different ones, like “The Sacre” among others.
RR: Collapsing into a puddle of tears.
KD: Bimini's.
PB: One of these days I’ll achieve something worth celebrating, you’ll see! YOU’LL ALL SEE!!!
2) Who is your favourite underdog of all time?
JQ: Has to be the 1965-1966 Texas Western Miners NCAA men’s basketball team. They were a group of nobodies that none of the big schools wanted because of their race and they went on to win the whole tournament, and in the finals, only played the seven black players on their team. It proved to me that sports aren’t just games, there is so much more to them.
AS: I don’t really have a favourite underdog. It depends on the situation.
RR: Probably 2008 Simon Whitfield in Beijing -- infinitely better than 2000 Simon Whitfield in Sydney. Another strong contender is 2006 Chandra Crawford winning an unexpected Olympic gold medal in dominating fashion. She also founded a great organization known as 'Fast and Female' and is an awesome ambassador for Canadian sport.
KD: Warren Reece. Cause try as he may, the zero is my real hero.
PB: The pride of Windsor Secondary and the most underrated player in recent T-Bird basketball history, Mike Steele. You’re my boy Mike!
3) What's the biggest upset you've been a part of?
JQ: In our 2013-2014 season against York in the semi-finals of nationals. They were meant to be the biggest competition we would face in the tournament and scored a sick goal within 10 minutes of the game starting. One of [our] best players, Reynold Stewart, got hurt right when the tournament started and our outstanding Canada West rookie of the year, Sean Einarsson, had to be pulled off the field following a head injury. Sean came back into the game as fast as our trainer could wrap his head to stop the bleeding and on his first play back scored off a free kick. Then we scored an absolute beauty of a goal in the 60th minute to complete the comeback and head to the national finals. A victory like that is so sweet.
AS: It wasn’t an upset per se, but this year in the Canada West final against Saskatchewan we rallied from being down by a decent amount the whole game, to sealing a win in the last few seconds thanks to Kris’ basket. That feeling was indescribable.
RR: My victory at last Wednesday's Settlers of Catan battle royale. Bounced back from an abysmal four point performance in round one to take the win in round two.
KD: The fact that Lola's is closed and The Pit is dead. #pitiful #whatapity
PB: I’d have to say the most upset I've ever been was one fateful February 14 in elementary school when I didn't receive any Valentines.
4) What's the most maddening thing about UBC, and what's your coping mechanism for it?
JQ: Never-ending delays on the new SUB, and my coping mechanism is obviously paying more tuition.
AS: Close race between the morning commute on the 99 and all the construction detours. Good thing for music as a distraction.
RR: People who eat at Fresh Slice or Pie R Squared instead of Pizza Garden. My coping mechanism is to console myself by eating an entire arugula pizza (from Pizza Garden, naturally).
KD: Being in the gym with the football team. Coping mechanism is wearing my four championship rings and our banner as a cape.
PB: The fact that there are only four Starbucks locations on campus is a pathetic display for a “world class” institution. There is no mechanism for coping with this travesty.
5) What's the craziest thing you'd do to go up three tax brackets?
JQ: The craziest thing I think I could put myself up to for that would probably be base jumping off the top of Harbour Centre into Vancouver harbour.
AS: I’d have to think a little more about this one.
RR: Complete my degree and get a job.
KD: You tell me.
PB: They say that the craziest thing you can do is to fall in love, and so I think marrying my celebrity crush, Oprah Winfrey, would sufficiently move me up a few brackets.
Check out the last week’s edition of the T-Birds 5-on-5 series: Spring Stars.
An earlier version of this 5-on-5 was published with a photo of Zara Huntley and a caption that named her as Andrea Strujic. The Ubyssey regrets this error.