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Pair of RDC athletics builders added to ACAC Hall of Fame

The father of RDC athletics and the winningest coach in the Canadian colleges women’s volleyball history were among 10 additions to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Hall of Fame Wednesday.

The father of RDC athletics and the winningest coach in the Canadian colleges women’s volleyball history were among 10 additions to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Hall of Fame Wednesday.

Wayne Lalor, who was with the original Red Deer Community College when it opened it’s doors on Sept. 1, 1964, and Cor Ouwerkerk, who was the first coach to win a national women’s college volleyball title, outside of Quebec, will be honoured along with 48 other athletes, coaches and builders at an induction banquet May 10 at the Sutton Place Hotel in Edmonton.

Lalor was the original physical education department head and was instrumental in creating the combined facility/coaching model that is used even today at RDC and other ACAC schools.

For the first several years Lalor coached both the men’s and women’s volleyball and basketball teams.

The basketball Queens won the league title in the 1965-66 season. He coached the basketball Kings from 1964 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1995.

Lalor was a leader of sport development, focusing on academic excellence and always provided opportunities for regional athletes in a wide range of sports.

He was also an accredited football and basketball referee.

Lalor, along with Jack Kenyon of Mount Royal College, were instrumental in forming the ACAC of which he was president for several years.

Ouwerkerk coached a number of sports at several levels, including basketball, football, gymnastics, rugby, soccer track and field but was most recognized for his time with the Queens volleyball team., which he coached until 2000.

He led the Queens for 25 years, leading them to six undefeated seasons. His teams won 13 consecutive ACAC championships, 14 ACAC gold medals, including eight straight in the 1980s, and made 15 trips to the nationals. He won the 1984 Canadian championships in Quebec, beating Quebec teams in both the semifinal and final. He also picked up six silver and four bronze. He was named the ACAC coach of the year seven times and the CCAA coach of the year once.

Overall he won 3,700 games, obtaining a 90 percent winning percentage and was inducted in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in 2005.

A pair of Olds College leaders — Ray Rocheleau and Al Qually — were also among the latest ACAC inductees.

Rocheleau was at Olds College from 1973-’94, coaching curling, cross-country running, men’s and women’s volleyball and men’s basketball.

Qually spent 31 years at the college, working as athletic director and coordinator of recreation. He also coached men’s and women’s volleyball, curling and golf.

Former NAIT Ooks hockey head coach Perry Pearn, who has spent the last several years coaching in the NHL, will be honoured in the coaching category, along with Jim MacLean of Concordia University College of Alberta. Ken Tidsbury of SAIT, Lorne Moen of Portage College in Lac La Biche and Al Bohonus of Mount Royal are among the builders with Alwyn Piche of Keyano College the lone athlete in the latest group.

The final 20 inductees will be announced next week, with 10 each on Monday and Wednesday.