Durham College (DC) and its tradition of athletic excellence was recognized by the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) earlier this month.

On May 1, two members of the DC family were inducted into the OCAA’s Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Windsor. Ken Babcock, DC’s former director of athletics and recreation who recently retired after 36 years of service, was enshrined into the Hall alongside former Durham Lords soccer coach Stan Bombino.

The OCAA also recognized DC’s women’s rugby standout Emily Cooper at the event. The Guelph native’s dominance on the field earned her the OCAA’s Female Rookie of the Year award for the 2022-23 season.

“It was a night of celebration,” said Babcock, who was humbled by his entry into the Hall of Fame. The event also served as an unofficial retirement celebration, allowing him to reunite with a number of the administrators, coaches and athletes he has worked with over the years.

Bombino’s stellar coaching career had already earned him a place in the DC Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. In 16 years as head coach of the DC men’s soccer team, he led them to an impressive record of 119-66-20. They collected multiple provincial medals during his tenure, as well as a national bronze in 1999.

“It certainly was a surprise,” he said. “I’m very appreciative of being nominated.”

Though the two Hall of Famers have moved on, Cooper has only just begun her DC journey. Her remarkable rookie season included 34 tries in 18 games and 170 points, second only to her teammate Shay Morris. She played a key role in the team’s march to an undefeated season and OCAA championship.

“This award means the world to me and being able to win with my team this season means even more. I feel honoured to be winning this award out of all of the fantastic athletes in the OCAA,” she said.

With athletes like Cooper giving their all and new athletic director Scott Dennis leading the way, the future is bright for DC.

Durham College (DC) has announced a name for its state-of-the-art softball field, which reopened in September 2022 after renovations. The home of the Durham Lords women’s softball team will now be known as Babcock Field, in honour of director of Athletics and Recreation Ken Babcock, who is retiring after 36 years of dedicated service to DC.

The new name was unveiled during Babcock’s retirement celebration at the Campus Ice Centre restaurant, 2200 North on Monday, May 8.

“Ken’s tireless efforts and unwavering commitment have left an indelible mark on our institution and the naming of this field demonstrates his lasting impact,” said Tara Koski, dean, Students.

DC’s athletic program has flourished under Babcock’s leadership. During his tenure, the Lords have won 116 provincial championships and 22 national championships. He has also spearheaded the addition of numerous athletic facilities, including the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, the Campus Ice Centre, and the softball field that will now bear his name.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by Durham College this way,” said Babcock. “I am proud that my name will be on the field that I know will provide memorable experiences for students for years to come.”

The student-athletes at Durham College (DC) proved they’re among the best in Ontario this winter.

All four of DC’s winter teams – men’s and women’s volleyball and basketball — finished in the top 10 of their highly competitive Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) provincial rankings. The Durham Lords were the only OCAA program to accomplish that feat.

“It is rare to see a college be so strong in a number of sports,” said Ken Babcock, director of Athletics and Recreation. “It has become a tradition for DC to contend in virtually all of our sports on an annual basis. The tradition and reputation earned by our players and coaches are held in high regard by all. We attempt to deliver the best varsity program possible for all our teams.”

This year’s teams were certainly an example of that.

The women’s volleyball team finished second with a sparkling 17-1 record, while the men’s volleyball team finished tenth with a 10-8 record.

On the basketball court, the women were a force to be reckoned with, their 12-2 record nabbing them a third-place ranking. The men’s 14-4 record was good for a fifth-place ranking.

All told, DC’s four teams combined for an amazing 53-15 record in conference play.

All four teams battled hard in the playoffs. Both basketball teams and the men’s volleyball team put in competitive efforts before dropping out in the qualifying round. The women’s volleyball team capped their nearly perfect season with a silver medal, making it to the finals before falling just short of toppling the undefeated Humber Hawks.

That silver medal was added to an impressive collection, as DC ranks third on the OCAA’s all-time list of championship medal victories.

“I am so proud of my staff, my coaches and all of our amazing student-athletes that represent our college so well,” said Babcock.

Looking ahead, he expects the 2023-24 season to be just as successful, with strong returning rosters in most athletic programs complimenting a highly successful recruiting drive.

Though he’s leaving his post as athletic director in June, he’ll still be cheering on the Lords next fall and winter as they continue to lead the way in collegiate athletics.

“I am excited as always to watch our teams and athletes compete in person.”

On February 21, 2,500 basketball fans filled Durham College’s (DC) Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (CRWC) to watch Canada’s Senior Men’s National team take on the team from the Dominican Republic during the International Basketball Association (FIBA) Americup 2021 Qualifiers, making it the most-attended sporting event on campus in the college’s history.

Originally slated to take place at the Tribute Communities Centre, a last-minute venue change was needed due to unforeseen technical difficulties, and based on Team Canada’s familiarity with the CRWC facilities, FIBA approved the change of location.

Thanks to the efforts of the college’s Athletics, Facilities and Ancillary Services and Parking Services departments, as well as the Office of Campus Safety, the CRWC was prepped and ready to go for the big game with only 24-hours notice.

In the end, those efforts paid off as the Canadian team emerged victorious, with a score of 89-72 over the Dominican Republic.

The Durham Lords celebrated national and provincial championship wins on November 9 and 10, securing gold in both the 2019 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men’s soccer national championship and the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) men’s provincial rugby championship.

Kicking off the weekend, the Lords hosted the men’s soccer national championship and captured their first gold medal in program history, defeating the Vancouver Island University Mariners 3-2 in the championship final in front of a home crowd in Oshawa, Ont. Durham Lords first-year striker Joshua Lee was named championship MVP and a championship all-star, alongside teammates Nick Payne, Colin Reilly, Ryan Cullen, and Kevon Grant. The Lords previous men’s soccer national medal came exactly a decade ago when they previously served as host for the prestigious event, capturing the CCAA bronze in 1999.

“The win for the men’s soccer team is fantastic and the team and coaches are to be congratulated for a great season and for bringing the trophy to Durham College,” said Meri Kim Oliver, vice president, Student Affairs. “Moreover, as the coaches and teams worked hard to secure this win, so did the Athletics team who co-ordinated the banquet and awards, organized coaches meetings and field preparation and were committed to delivering an amazing championship event all while keeping the multiple athletic facilities and programs running.”

On November 10, the Lords men’s rugby team travelled to Barrie for the OCAA provincial championship. Following their first provincial banner in program history last fall, the Lords men’s rugby team made it back-to-back OCAA gold medals after defeating the Georgian Grizzlies 22-17. After returning to the OCAA conference last season and making their debut in league play, the Lords have accrued a record of 14-3 overall in their two seasons, laying their claim to be one of the best post-secondary rugby programs in the country with two provincial banners to their names in two years of competition.

Lords No. 10 Taylor Dallas was named the championship MVP making several spectacular tackles in the championship final, in addition to guiding the offence from his fly-half position. Also honoured following the match were Patrick Lynch and Austin Knox, who were both named championship all-stars.

Congratulations to the Durham Lords on their triumphant wins!

Durham College is pleased to share that its Durham Lords men’s baseball team claimed the National College Baseball Championship gold medal on October 26 in Toronto, defeating the Thompson River Wolfpack in an exciting extra-inning contest, 2-1.The win marks the second national championship in program history, previously claiming the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association national title in 2011.

A near storybook ending to the career of head coach Sam Dempster, who announced his retirement for the conclusion of the 2019 season earlier this fall, the bench boss has led the program since its inaugural season in 1992. Earlier this season Dempster recorded his 400th career win, he led the Lords to a winning conference record for the 24th time over 28 seasons, and to an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA)  silver medal for the third time in seven years; in addition to the national gold.

First-year power-hitter and 2019 OCAA batting champion Fernando Suarez Muniz was named the championship MVP after driving in the Lords first run of the championship final with an RBI double off the left field fence, before crossing the plate himself in the eighth inning for the game-winning run.

A stellar season for the Lords, after a 2-6 start they would rebound to record 11 straight wins and eventually claim the provincial silver as host of the 2019 OCAA baseball championship, qualifying them for the National College Baseball Championship. Durham lost their first game of the national tournament, but would go on to pick up wins over the Lionel-Groulx Nordiques, John Abbott Islanders, and 2019 OCAA champion Humber Hawks, en route to the championship win over the Thompson River Wolfpack.

Durham College held its 49th annual athletic banquet on April 4, recognizing the achievements of DC’s student athletes over the past year and naming Ashley Black and Brandon Halliburton as 2018-19 athletes of the year.

Black delivered another exceptional year in the pitching circle with the Lords softball program and was named the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) pitcher of the year, OCAA all-star, OCAA championship MVP, and the Canadian Collegiate Softball Association (CCSA) national all-star en route to national silver for the Lords this season. Halliburton became the first Durham men’s basketball player to be named a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian since 2010-11, was named an OCAA east first team all-star and was the fourth player in DC men’s basketball history to surpass 1,000 career points.

Other female MVPs included Madison Haigh, Victoria Browne, Emily Glendinning, Cory Lapointe and Althea Boncheff, while male MVPs included Cody Kraemer, Reagan Manley, Malcolm Hooper, Tyler Krabi, Colin Reilly and Josh Taylor.

In addition, this year marked the first year of competition for the Durham Lords Esports teams. Individual game MVPs included Rocket League’s Luke Logan, Hearthstone’s Mitchell Bizjak, League of Legends’ Eric Jones, Overwatch’s Calvin Lapp, Super Smash Bros. Melee’s James Mullins, CS:GO’s Austin Waite and Heroes of the Storms’ Owen Campbell.

Marie Stasiuk of the women’s basketball team and Daniel Cooper of the men’s rugby team were named the freshmen athletes of the year, while team leaders Caleigh Coels of the women’s softball team and Lucas Pichl of the men’s volleyball and golf team were the recipients of the Bonnie Ginter-Brown overall leadership awards, recognizing athletes who have gone above-and-beyond in a leadership role within their team and the greater community.

The women’s softball team was named the team of the year after winning their fourth consecutive OCAA banner, becoming the first OCAA program to capture 20 total banners and the first women’s softball team to win their fourth in a row. The season also saw long-time head coach Jim Nemish record his 500th career win while the team had five players selected as OCAA all-stars, one major OCAA award winner, an OCAA championship all-star and the OCAA championship MVP. The team also captured a CCSA national silver, their first national medal since 2012, while also having two players selected as national all-stars.

The women’s volleyball team won this year’s #DC4DC award, recognizing a combination of academics, strength and conditioning, volunteer work and support for fellow Durham Lord teams.

The Durham College (DC) men’s rugby team captured the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championship banner on November 17, defeating the Georgian College Grizzlies 21-15.

The provincial banner marks the first in program history as the Durham Lords returned to conference play this season, having last played in the OCAA in 1996.

“At the beginning of the season we didn’t know what to expect, but we had a good group of guys and we just worked really hard all season,” said Lords head coach John Watkins. “It’s only year one but this really bodes well for rugby at DC.”

Breaking away for several strong runs and scoring the Lords second try of the match, John Stewart was also named Lords player of the game during the championship.

“Today was unreal,” said the Sports Business Management student about winning the gold medal. “I was saying to some of the other guys after the game that I’ve never actually won anything in rugby before so this is really special, it’s a huge moment.”

The championship contest between the Durham Lords and Georgian Grizzlies began in favour of DC, but just past halftime Georgian found themselves ahead by one point with 10 minutes remaining. Facing adversity, the Lords battled for possession in the closing minutes, winning the ball back and securing a game-winning try in the 76th minute.

“We definitely exceeded expectations, but it came with hard work,” said Watkins. “Moving forward, hopefully after today, rugby players in the Durham Region will think about coming to DC for our rugby program.”