General Athletics | 2/26/2020 11:14:00 AM

BURNABY, BC --- Simon Fraser University will welcome five exemplary individuals into its Athletic Hall of Fame later this month.  In the athlete category, college and professional football standout Neil McKinlay, legendary wrestler, the late Craig Roberts, and track and field star Jessica Smith; in the coach category, iconic women's soccer coach Shelley Howieson; and in the builder category, distinguished writer/broadcaster Howard Tsumura, Senior Director of Athletics and Recreation Theresa Hanson announced today.  

The 2020 induction class, chosen by a selection committee, will be honoured at the 2020 SFU Athletic Awards on Tuesday, March 31st at the Molson Canadian Theatre at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver. 
 
"I am very pleased and incredibly proud to announce the 2020 Hall of Fame Class and recognize this extraordinary class of individuals who distiguished themselves among SFU Athletics finest, "said Hanson. "This is an exceptional group of individuals who have each, in their own remarkable way, made SFU Athletics a better place.Congratulations to the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 - you make us all proud".    

 
Neil McKinlay | Football

McKinlay played five years of football at Simon Fraser University. During his time on campus, McKinlay experienced both American and Canadian college football, as Simon Fraser played three of those years under American rules in the U.S based NAIA conference and the last two seasons under Canadian rules in the CIS. In McKinlay's final season, he was named a CIS First-Team All-Canadian and a Canada West First-Team All-Star. In that same season, McKinlay also won the President's Trophy as the nation's Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
 
During his storied senior year, McKinlay was the conference leader in forced fumbles (with 10), in quarterback sacks (with 8) and in fumble recoveries (with 7). Adding to his accolades, McKinlay also scored two defensive touchdowns that year, as he returned an interception to the house with a 78-yard score, while also taking back a fumble for a 33-yard score. The year prior, McKinlay set the CIS record for defensive tackles in a season with 77. He was also named SFU's Most Inspirational Athlete that year.
 
The CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers selected McKinlay with their 4th Round (33rd Overall) pick in the 2004 Canadian Draft. McKinlay was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 2004 to 2009. The Langley native appeared in 105 games for the Bombers and was a standout on special teams racking up 92 tackles over six seasons.
 
Craig Roberts | Wrestling 
 
Craig Roberts was a three time NAIA All-American wrestler at SFU, and in 1988, was part of a historic SFU wrestling team which took home the NAIA National Title. Back in 2018, the 1988 Men's Wrestling Team as a whole was inducted into the Simon Fraser University Athletic Hall of Fame.
 
Roberts also represented Canada at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and he won a silver medal at the 1995 Pan American Games. The Simon Fraser Wrestler also claimed two international titles after graduation, at the 1991 and 1993 Commonwealth Games in the 68kg category. In 2004, Roberts was diagnosed with rare form of pancreatic cancer, and he would pass away at just thirty-eight years old in 2006.  
 
Jessica Smith | Track & Field / Cross Country
 
Jessica Smith represented Simon Fraser and her country in the 2012 Olympic Summer Games, as well as winning an impressive sixteen national titles as a student-athlete while at Simon Fraser. The middle distance runner still holds the University record at 800 metres, and is a nine time Canadian National Team member. 
 
Smith captained both the Track & Field and Cross Country teams while at SFU, and won seven individual NAIA National titles outdoors (including the 4x800M race four times), as well as nine NAIA National titles Indoors (including the distance medley relay four times). She is currently an Assistant Coach for SFU's Track and Field and Cross Country program and is still training as she continues to pursue her own running career. Outside of her individual accomplishments, Smith volunteers with local Special Olympics athletes, and supports the Jerome Outreach Program, which provides athletic coaching and support to at-risk kids.
  
Shelley Howieson | Soccer Coach 
 
Shelley Howieson, who coached the Simon Fraser women's soccer program from its inception to 2014,  can be credited for building the program from the ground up, as well as guiding Simon Fraser to twenty-two winning seasons. 
 
During her time on Burnaby Mountain, Howieson was also charged with leading the transition from the NAIA to the NCAA, a transition that started with a second place finish in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in the program's first NCAA season in 2010.
 
Twice during Howieson's coaching tenure, in 1996 and 2000, Simon Fraser was crowned NAIA National Champions, and Howieson boasts and incredibly strong overall coaching record, at 274-162-47 all-time. In addition to National Championships in 1996 and 2000 she led the Clan to a pair of runner-up finishes at the NAIA National Championship in 1997 and 1998. The NAIA Hall of Fame has recognized coach Howieson's accomplishments, inducting her into their Hall of Fame as part of their 2010-11 class along with National Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and legendary baseball manager Bobby Cox, among others.
 
Howard Tsumura | Sportswriter / Broadcaster
 
Perhaps no one knows BC High School and University sports better than Howard Tsumura. As the long time High School and University Reporter for The Province, Tsumura built a legacy which he's carried on today with his own publication: Varsity Letters, which covers countless High School and University Programs across British Columbia. Always one for a clever alliterative title, and always willing to do the groundwork to find a story many didn't even know existed, Tsumura has put many Simon Fraser athletes in the spotlight over the years. 
 
Not only has Tsumura contributed to the Simon Fraser community as a writer, but his broadcasting work for SFU in both Basketball and Football has become a familiar voice on Simon Fraser webcasts over the years. Howard can always be counted on to have intricate knowledge of a player's high school days, and often knows teams' tendencies about as well as the teams themselves. Overall, Tsumura's impact on Simon Fraser athletics is immeasurable: his passion and dedication to providing Simon Fraser athletes with exceptional media coverage is something that will long outlast any individual story or broadcast Howard has put together on Burnaby Mountain.