UPEI announces 2017 UPEI Sports Hall of Fame inductees
UPEI announced today that George Morrison, Barb Mullaly (posthumously), and Alanna Taylor will be inducted into the UPEI Sports Hall of Fame at its UPEI Sports Legacy Celebration on Thursday, November 9, 2017.
“This is a great opportunity for the Panther community to come together to recognize and celebrate the achievements of past student-athletes, coaches, and builders, as well as instill pride in our current student-athletes to create their own legacies,” said Chris Huggan, UPEI’s Director of Athletics and Recreation.
The UPEI Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 2001 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the athletic programs at the University of Prince Edward Island, Saint Dunstan's University, or Prince of Wales College. Each year, individual athletes, teams, and builders are inducted to honour their contributions towards the University's athletic success or community leadership.
The three inductees will formally take their place in Panther history at the UPEI Sports Hall of Fame Gala Reception and Dinner, which will be held November 9 in the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. The reception begins at 6:15 pm with dinner at 7:00 pm.
Tickets for the UPEI Sports Hall of Fame Gala are $50 each and can be purchased by dropping by or calling the Panther Central desk at 902-566-0368.
The UPEI Sports Legacy Celebration kicks off a busy weekend of Panther Sport. The regular season home openers for women’s and men’s basketball are Friday, November 10 at 6 pm and 8 pm versus the University of New Brunswick while men’s hockey faces off against Dalhousie at 7 pm. On Saturday, November 11, the basketball teams will play UNB again at 6 pm and 8 pm, while the women’s hockey team will play Université de Moncton at 3 pm and the men’s hockey squad will play St. Francis Xavier at 7 pm.
About the inductees
George Morrison (Coach)
For over 40 years, the name George Morrison has been synonymous with basketball on PEI, most notably at the University of Prince Edward Island. First, he coached the UPEI Women’s Basketball team, and then went on to build the men’s program in the 1980s that had the Panthers consistently ranked as one of the top teams in the country, and as result Morrison became one of the most successful coaches in Canada. His 17-year coaching career at UPEI saw his Panthers men's team reach the now-Atlantic University Sport basketball conference playoffs 14 times and net three Atlantic titles. A three-time coach of the year in the Atlantic University Athletic Association (the AUS's predecessor)—first with the UPEI Women’s Basketball team—Morrison's accomplishments make him one of PEI's most successful coaches in any sport. The Morell native was also the first head coach of the inaugural and successful CCAA men’s program at Holland College. Morrison has coached at every level on PEI including numerous provincial and Canada Games teams in addition to being an outstanding organizer and administrator at the local and provincial level. He was inducted in the PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
Barb Mullaly, posthumously (Builder)
Barb Mullaly’s four-decade career as a classroom instructor, coach, and nationally decorated athletic administrator began in 1967 at Prince of Wales College. When UPEI was formed in 1969, she moved on to begin a long career at the university, initially as the first women's basketball and field hockey coach, eventually serving 13 years as director of athletics, and then retiring as the first Director of Wellness and Fair Treatment Advocate in 2006. Mullaly served as President of Atlantic University Sport (AUS), and chaired numerous committees and sports. Upon retirement, she was awarded an honorary lifetime membership in the AUS. She was the long-time chair of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) finance committee and a member of the CIS executive committee. She was awarded the CIS Austin-Matthews Award in 2007 for outstanding service to university sport. She was also named a UPEI Founder in 2010 and is the 2013 winner of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty's Mentor Award and 2016 Sports PEI President's Award for Service and Dedication to Sport. She served as president and director of Sport PEI, as PEI representative for the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport, as Master Course Conductor in the National Coaching Certification Theory Program, and in several capacities over several Canada Games cycles. At the time of her death in 2016, Mullaly was active in several community organizations, including the UPEI Retirees' Association.
Alanna Taylor (Athlete)
Alanna Taylor is one of the finest student-athletes to attend UPEI and wear the “Green & White.” Taylor played with the UPEI Women’s Volleyball team from 1989–92 and became goalkeeper for the UPEI Women’s Soccer squad in 1991. The multi-sport athlete was named Rookie of the Year in 1989 and MVP in 1990 for volleyball, and received the UPEI Mickey Place award in 1991. In 1992 for soccer, she was named UPEI Team MVP, AUAA 1st Team All-Conference, CIAU 2nd Team All-Canadian, and finalist for AUAA MVP. That same year, Taylor was AUAA and UPEI Female Athlete of the Year, and the AUAA conference finalist for the national Howard Mackie Award, awarded for athletic performance, sportsmanship and leadership ability. In 1993, she was named to the AUAA 1st Team All-Conference and was a finalist for Sport PEI’s Female Athlete of the Year in both 1992 and 1993. Taylor excelled in the classroom and was recognized as a CIAU Academic All-Canadian from 1990-93 and was awarded the Gordon and Muriel Bennett Award as the UPEI student-athlete with the highest aggregate marks over four years. After graduating from UPEI with her Bachelor of Arts (major in Political Science, minor in History) with first-class standing, Taylor furthered her studies at UNB, graduating with her law degree in 1997. Taylor has given back to her alma mater, including serving as an assistant coach from 1998–2002 and head coach in 2003 with UPEI Women’s Soccer. Taylor is past board member of the PEI Recreation & Sport Association for Physically Challenged, Upper Room Hospitality Ministry, Special Olympics PEI, and Glen Stewart Home and School Association. She currently serves as member of the board for Soccer PEI, while continuing to coach minor soccer. Taylor will be the first UPEI Women’s Soccer student-athlete to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
