NORTH Vancouver's Bo Palmer played a huge part in a historic win for the Simon Fraser University football team, helping the Clan beat Pacific University 36-28 Sept. 3 for the team's first win in the NCAA.
The running back, a Windsor secondary grad, rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns as SFU moved to 1-0 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The Clan went 0-8 in GNAC play last season, their first year in the NCAA Div. 2 conference after leaving Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
Palmer opened the scoring in Forest Grove, Ore. with a 23-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. Pacific then took over, outscoring SFU 213 to take an 11-point lead in the third quarter. An Adam Berger interception return for a touchdown made the score 2117 and then Palmer struck again, busting a 72-yard touchdown run to put the Clan into the lead for good. Two touchdown runs from quarterback Greg Bowcott sealed the deal for SFU as the Clan scored 19 points in the final quarter.
One week later Palmer and fellow Windsor grad Gabe Ephard both put up stellar numbers in a losing effort as Western Oregon defeated SFU 35-28 in the Clan's home opener Sept. 10 at Terry Fox Field.
Ephard scored a touchdown and also ripped an 86-yard run to set up a five-yard touchdown for Palmer. Ephard ended the day with 158 yards and a touchdown while Palmer racked up 124 yards and one score.
SFU's next game is against Dixie State in Utah Sept. 17.
. . .
Saint Thomas Aquinas grad Katie Crawford recently committed to attend the University of British Columbia, joining the four-time defending CIS champion UBC Thunderbirds volleyball team for the 2011-12 season.
Crawford led the STA Fighting Saints to a provincial AA title in 2009, earning tournament MVP honours as a Grade 11, as well as back-toback wins at the B.C. Catholic Schools Championships in her Grade 11 and 12 years.
Crawford, the daughter of former NHL coach Marc, also played for the North Shore's BCO Volleyball Club, helping the team win the provincial under-18 title this year and a bronze medal at the national championships.
Crawford, five-foot-nine, played power hitter for STA and BCO but will likely move to the libero position at UBC.
"UBC has an amazing coaching staff, the team is very close, and overall it provided the best balance between academics and athletics," Crawford said in a UBC release. "I really wanted to be a part of such a respected and successful program with a winning reputation."
