Earlier this month, the Carleton University Recreation and Athletics department announced five new inductees to the Ravens Hall of Fame.
The Inductees were separated into two categories, the athlete category, which honours previous varsity athletes, and the builders category, which honours non-players that made big contributions to Ravens athletics, such as coaches and managers.
This year’s inductees are:
Mike Lanos (Athlete) – Men’s Soccer
Mike Lanos was the star of the Men’s Soccer team in its earliest stages. In just the team’s third year, Lanos lead the Ravens to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) finals with his selfless team play and leadership. Each year the Mike Lanos Award, named after him, is presented to a varsity athlete that knows the meaning of putting the team first, according to the Ravens website. Nowadays, Lanos works as the technical director for Gloucester soccer.
Wayne Dustin (Athlete) – Men’s Nordic Skiing
Wayne Dustin was a legend for the Ravens Nordic team, not losing a single race in the Ontario circuit during his six-year career at Carleton. Regarded as the best male Nordic Skier in OUA (Ontario University Athletics) history, he won the Male athlete of the year award three times and was the graduating athlete of the year in 1996-97. After Carleton, Dustin went on to represent Canada at the Olympics multiple times and win 20 National Canadian Championship medals.
Duncan Watt (Builder) – Vice-President of Finance and Administration
Duncan Watt has been at Carleton for 22 years, and in that time there has been no bigger fan of Raven’s athletics. A member of the senior management team at Carleton, Watt was instrumental in the development of Carleton’s athletic department and facilities. The growth that he spearheaded attracted the talent that makes Carleton Athletics so successful.
Wayne Small (Athlete) – Men’s Hockey
Wayne Small was the leader of the Men’s Hockey team for three years back in the 1960s. A forward known for his ability to score the puck, he still holds the all-time scoring record for Carleton Men’s Hockey to this day. After his days as a Raven, Small went on to have a successful 10-year career in Europe, opening the doors for the many Canadian players that followed in his steps.
When asked about what it meant to him personally to be inducted into the hall of fame, Small said “it’s a special thing. I never thought I was on a level to be inducted like this.”
As a player, Small said he was confident, but didn’t think he could be recognized to this extent. “I wouldn’t believe it,” he said about his induction.
Small said he is happy with the way his team has evolved after his time at Carleton, especially commending the recruitment process.
“There’s so much talent coming in” Small said. “The coach has done a fantastic job not only in coaching the players but in recruiting as well.”
“It’s a completely different era from when I played” Small said about Ravens Hockey in the present. “Nowadays there are so many good players gravitating towards University, our era was probably easier to play in.”
Nicki Yardley (Athlete) – Women’s Basketball
Yardley came to Carleton in 1982, where she became the women’s basketball program’s first “star” player. She only played two years at Carleton, but was Carleton’s Ruth Coe female athlete of the year award winner for both years. She was the leading force in Carleton reaching their first ever playoff appearance, and continued her career at Laurentian then in Europe.
Yardley said she was “a little more arrogant,” during her days as a Carleton athlete.
“If you told me [then] I would be inducted I would have said ‘of course’,” Yarley said. “But now I’m completely blown away by this.”
Yarley said one of her best memories of playing for the Ravens was her first tournament, where she lost in the finals but still won the tournament MVP award –a very rare occurrence.
“My teammates swarmed me when I got the award, that’s probably one of my best memories” Yardley said.
Yardley said she is glad the Women’s basketball team is finally getting the support they need and deserve.
“They’re not put on the same pedestal as the men’s team, but they’ll get there.” she said.
The induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, Sept 15 at the Raven’s Nest, where the five new inductees will kick off the 2016 Throwback weekend.
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