Rick de Bres and Stephanie Axford honoured
Nov 27, 2009 - 04:30 AM
By Shawn Cayley
Honouring the past has become a staple at Durham College, and that tradition continued Wednesday with the induction of Rick de Bres and Stephanie Axford into the Sports Hall of Fame.
The two former Lords athletes were honoured in front a group of their peers at the 14th annual event, held at Trillium Trails Banquet and Conference Centre.
And the honour was well deserved.
For de Bres, an Oshawa resident, it's been nearly 25 years since he last stepped on the volleyball court or the soccer pitch representing the Lords, but the memories remain fresh.
"I remember the road trips were always great. It was a lot of fun with the guys," recalls de Bres, who grew up in Whitby. "When we went 6 and 0 the one time and we actually beat Sheridan, it was the first time all season they had been beaten. I think that was in my third year. Yeah, it was in my last year. For soccer, the silver medal in London at the OCAAs, that was a great time, too."
A goalkeeper, de Bres was thought of as the best in Ontario at the time, while on the court he was equally impressive, leading the Lords to another silver at the OCAA championships. In closing out his career, the two-sport start captured male athlete of the year honours in 1984-85.
Axford, meanwhile, stepped to the podium and accepted her honour, but not without emotion. Several times during her speech, the former Oshawa resident fought back tears while sharing some of her most cherished moments, including the surprise of learning about her impending induction.
"Surreal," she describes the call she received from athletic director Ken Babcock. "It was really just surprising to get that phone call 19 years later. It was the last thing I would have thought of, to get another award. I was very happy with how I left my three years at Durham."
During those three years, Axford, who now lives in Oakville, filled the soccer net, scoring 26 goals, a total that still sits third all-time at Durham. The lengthy list of accomplishments that spanned 1990-93 includes a female athlete of the year award and overall athlete of the year. But perhaps the one thing that left a lasting impact was her involvement with the firs- ever women's soccer team on campus in 1990, paving the way for future success.
With all their successes taken into consideration, there is no question Axford and de Bres represent another deserving class to enter the Durham College Sports Hall of Fame.
Shawn Cayley's column appears every other Friday.
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