HIGH ACHIEVERS: Darren Cates comes home to uOttawa as senior director of recreation and varsity sports

By Martin Cleary

There has been plenty of activity involving the University of Ottawa varsity sports program during the past 50 days, but it has nothing to do with practices, games or championships.

Towards the end of June, the university announced former alumnus Darren Cates was named the new senior director of recreation and varsity sports to replace Sue Hylland, who retired last month, after seven years of exemplary service at the top.

Read More: uOttawa, Carleton athletic directors Sue Hylland, Jennifer Brenning preparing for June retirement

A week before the university welcomed Cates, Ali Domenico was named the head coach of the women’s hockey program. She started her new role on Tuesday.

The inaugural class of four athletes and one builder was unveiled Thursday for the Gee-Gees’ women’s soccer hall of fame. They will be inducted at a ceremony on campus on Sept. 21.

On Oct. 5, the university will enshrine four new players into the Gee-Gees’ football hall of fame. The university has six halls of fame to honour its best in football, volleyball, women’s basketball and soccer and men’s basketball and hockey.

After 20 years as director of athletics at Royal Military College in Kingston, Cates will officially start his new role as the head of the Gee-Gees varsity sports and recreation program on Aug. 14. He has been involved in intercollegiate sports for more than 25 years.

Cates is familiar with Ottawa, having been a long-time resident, earning a master of arts in sport administration at the university and working as a former varsity sport manager for community development with the Gee-Gees.

He also served as program co-ordinator with the alumni and development office, was a key strategic figure for the Gee-Gees in the Sports Services business development sector and played a significant role in the approval and construction of the Minto Sports Complex.

“Having been a student at uOttawa and working there previously, I know how important varsity sports and recreation are to the campus and the community,” Cates said in a press release.

“I feel privileged for the opportunity to work with the incredible staff, coaches, student-athletes and alumni. I look forward to building upon the tradition of excellence that has been established. I can’t wait to get started.”

Cates, who received his bachelor of kinesiology degree from McMaster University in 1995, was named the director of athletics at RMC in 2004. During his two decades, his achievements ranged from managing fitness, sports and recreation programs, overseeing capital development projects and following a strategic vision to enhance “athlete program accessibility, transparency and compliance with relevant policies.”

Cates has consistently been “a champion for equity, diversity and inclusion” in his work, whether it was with RMC, the OUA, U Sports or FISU.

On two occasions, he was selected as Team Canada’s chef de mission for the FISU World University Games – 2017 Summer Games in Taipei and the 2015 Winter Games in Spain.

After 14 seasons behind the bench at three different American universities, Ali Domenico was selected as the head coach for the Gee-Gees women’s hockey program.

The Gee-Gees have moved to the OUA conference for the 2024-25 season, after several years in Quebec’s RSEQ conference.

Domenico was the associate head coach with Providence College from 2021-24, after starting as an assistant coach in 2018. She helped the Friars reach the Hockey East championship game in 2021 and 2024, and the NCAA tournament in 2021. Syracuse University (2011-17) and Ohio State University (2010-11) were her first two postings as an assistant coach.

Her resume also includes extensive work with the Canadian women’s hockey program, where she was an assistant coach on the gold-medal-winning Olympic and world championship teams in 2022. During the 2020-21 season, she was an assistant coach for the Canadian women’s U18 team and played various roles in the Rivalry Series, Summer Showcase and development camps.

“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Ottawa Gee-Gees’ community and work with the women’s hockey program,” Domenico, an outstanding all-around player at St. Lawrence University from 2005-09, said in a press release.

“I look forward to continuing to build on the foundation that has been set, while developing our student-athletes both on and off the ice. I want to thank Sue Hylland and Danika Smith for their trust and belief in me to lead this team. I couldn’t be more excited to get started.”

As a player at St. Lawrence, Domenico scored 62 goals and added 78 assists in 153 games, participated in four NCAA tournaments, reached the Frozen Four in 2006 and 2007, and was named ECAC defensive forward of the year and a second-team, all-conference player in 2008-09.

In late September, the Gee-Gees women’s soccer hall of fame will induct its inaugural group – midfielder Danielle Vella, fullback Noel Trepanier, defender Gillian Baggott, striker Pilar Khoury and former captain and builder Vicki White.

A two-time All-Canadian and a three-time OUA all-star, Vella helped the Gee-Gees win the 1996 and 1997 Ontario conference championship and scored the game-winning goal in the 1996 Canadian final, which led to her being named the MVP. She also earned a silver medal at the 1997 national championship.

Noel Trepanier was a two-time All-Canadian, who won a national championship in 1996 and silver medals in 1997 and 2000. In the OUA conference, she was an all-star in the same three years. She capped her Gee-Gees’ career (1993-97, 2000-01) by being named the university’s athlete of the year.

After starting her post-secondary soccer career at Florida Atlantic, Gillian Baggott played four consecutive seasons with the Gee-Gees (2009-12) and was named an OUA all-star every year. She was an All-Canadian in 2011 and 2012 and selected the OUA East MVP and the national player of the year in 2012. Baggott was a defensive leader for the Gee-Gees in 2012, allowing only one goal in 16 regular-season games and no goals in three playoff matches as well as winning an OUA championship. She also won three OUA bronze medals (2009-11) and a national championship bronze in 2011.

A four-time OUA all-star, Pilar Khoury is the Gee-Gees women’s soccer program all-time leading scorer with 58 regular-season goals over five seasons (2011-15). She was named the OUA East MVP and an All-Canadian in 2014 and 2015. Khoury scored the game-winning goal in the 2012 and 2014 OUA conference championship finals and also earned provincial bronze medals in 2011 and 2014. She represented Canada at the 2013 FISU Summer World University Games.

Vicki White, who started her university soccer career at Carleton (1987-90) and was a four-time captain, played the 1994 and 1995 campaigns as the Gee-Gees’ captain and was named an OUA all-star in the former season. She was presented the university’s President’s Award for 1994-95 and was Ottawa’s first-ever recipient of the Top Ten Academic All-Canadian award by the CIAU (now U Sports). White played a significant role in having the women’s soccer program earn varsity status in 1994.

Three offensive and one defensive players were selected to the 2024 class for the Gee-Gees’ football hall of fame – right guard Dan Boivin (1961-66), centre Mike Reid (1978-80), middle linebacker Cheeler Lindor (2003-07) and receiver/returner Ibrahim Tounkara (1997-99).

Boivin, who was inducted into the hall with the undefeated 1965 Gee-Gees’ team, was an Ontario conference all-star in the same year as Ottawa won the provincial and St. Lawrence conference titles. A two-time co-captain, he was named the team’s MVP in 1966.

Reid was a two-time OQIFC all-star in 1979 and 1980. The offensive line was key to winning the 1980 Atlantic Bowl. He earned the Gee-Gees’ leadership award in 1979 and was the top offensive lineman in 1980.

Tounkara was selected a first-team All-Canadian in 1999 and was among the conference leaders for reception and return yardage. He had a career 15 receiving touchdowns. His first touchdown allowed the Gee-Gees to win the 1997 Panda Game against the Carleton University Ravens.

A two-time OUA all-star, Lindor was a team captain starting in 2004 and a conference all-star in 2005 and 2007. He helped the Gee-Gees win the OUA Yates Cup title in 2006 and post an undefeated regular-season in 2007.