StFX Athletics inducted its 24th class into the StFX Sports Hall of Fame Thursday evening, Oct. 13th, at an induction ceremony held in the Schwartz auditorium. The Class of 2022 inductees includes three athletes: Fred Perry (basketball), Richard Karikari (football) and Ghislaine Landry (rugby), along with long-time basketball coach Peter ‘Doc’ Ryan as a builder, and the national champion 2010 StFX X-Women rugby squad in the team category.
X-Men basketball standout Fred Perry from the Class of 2001 was the first individual to be inducted. “The silent assassin” as noted by citation reader Steve Konchalski, Perry’s former coach, “played such a smooth game in a quiet way, that opposing teams feared him as he played every aspect of the game so well.”
Perry was unable to attend the ceremony in person and was represented by his cousin and StFX football alumnus Maurice Carvery who accepted on his half and delivered his acceptance speech. Perry concluded by encouraging listeners to adopt a “warrior mentality and fight through any adversity to achieve a common a goal.”
Exceptional X-Men football star Richard Karikari from the Class of 2005 was inducted by his former assistant coach Terry Chisholm. Chisholm noted that “I haven’t known anyone who has exemplified the Xaverian spirit of sportsmanship and leadership better than Richard.”
Karikari noted to the student-athletes in attendance in the crowd to “Follow your destiny. Follow your goals and what’s in your heart.” What was in his heart was football and attending StFX and he was grateful for his journey.
Ghislaine Landry from the Class of 2010 will go down in history as one of, if not the most, successful female student-athlete in any sport to wear the blue and white jersey. Her former assistant coach Tara Sutherland, who has been coaching for the past 25 years, stated that, “I have not seen or known any athlete who can do what she does.”
The highly successful university athlete went on to enjoy a long international career with Rugby Canada but humbly noted that, “When I started playing rugby I was just a kid and I loved the game, when I got to StFX I was a kid that loved the game, and when I retired almost a year ago I was a kid that loved the game.”
“Even with many sports in Canada in crisis right now, we’re all just kids who love the game, so if we could all just remember that, it would be a legacy I would like to leave tonight.”
Long time basketball coach Peter ‘Doc’ Ryan was inducted into the builder category. His longtime colleague Steve Konchalski noted that, “When I think of Doc, I think of two things. First off, his knowledge and love of the game of basketball and secondly his loyalty and dedication.”
The animated Ryan entertained the crowd with his acceptance speech in typical ‘Doc’ fashion for all who know him. He concluded by saying, “I’ve climbed quite a few mountain tops in my life. I’ve been to the other side, I’ve been to the top, and I’ve been to the bottom. But I’m still climbing up the mountainside, with my heart in my hand, and my soulmate who has stood by me for so many years,” as he acknowledged the support of his longtime partner Sue.
Director of Athletics and Recreation Leo MacPherson inducted the 2010 X-Women Rugby national championship team and fondly remembered the gold medal win with “drive and passion, as the ‘top left’ mentality of X-Women Rugby was clearly on display on that pitch.”
Co-captain of the team Courtnay Malcolm noted, “Coach Cavanagh has been building the reputation of the rugby program silently and quietly for years, but really loud on the scoreboard.”
“It took a lot of grit for our team to win that championship and that’s what we learned at StFX. It’s really great that we’re now able to bring that back to our communities, based on what we learned at X and what we learned together.”
Each inductee received their official Hall of Fame photo and certificate from MacPherson and university president Dr. Andy Hakin. The evening concluded with the singing of the StFX school song “Hail and Health” as the university kicks off the festivities for Homecoming weekend.
The StFX Sports Hall of Fame – founded in 1976 – honours individuals who have contributed significantly to StFX sports as athletes, builders or teams. Inductees have exemplified the spirit and ideals of Xaverian athletics in their professional and community lives. Induction ceremonies take place annually.
The 2022 StFX Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony can be watched online by CLICKING HERE. The official Hall of Fame citations for each inductee follow.
Fred Perry (Basketball, Class of 2001)
An illustrious scorer and leader both on and off the court, Fred Perry helped lead the X-Men basketball team to back-to-back CIS national championship banners in 2000 and 2001, earning tournament all-star recognition in both championship victories. The two-time first-team All-Canadian forward also garnered conference honours as the league’s most valuable player on two occasions and was a first team AUAA all-star four times. Always displaying a willingness to improve his game throughout his varsity career, after receiving the X-Men rookie of the year award in 1997, the Halifax native went on to be named team MVP in each of the next four seasons, and was celebrated as the 2000 StFX male athlete of the year. The second leading scorer in X-Men basketball history, Fred finished his five-year career with 1741 regular season points and 2835 points overall. He is ninth in StFX career three-point field goals (193) and his regular season point tally still holds up as third all-time in the AUS conference scoring record book. Perry went on to play professionally in France following his varsity career.
Richard Karikari (Football, Class of 2005)
In an exemplary three-year career on the White and Blue gridiron, Richard Karikari brought the crowd at StFX Stadium to its feet on countless occasions with his dazzling athleticism. A three-time AUS all-star – both as a defensive back and special teams’ player – Karikari was the conference’s most valuable player in 2002, while garnering a first-team All-Canadian nod and an AUS nomination for the Hec Crighton Trophy. In that stellar season, the native of Accra, Ghana was also one of four nominees for the prestigious BLG Award for the CIS Athlete of the Year. While with the X-Men, Karikari set program records in punt and kick-off return yards. He is currently second overall in StFX career punt return yards (1432) and third in kickoff return yards (917). After his varsity playing days, Richard was selected 12th in the opening round of the Canadian Football League (CFL) draft by the Montreal Alouettes in 2003 and went on to enjoy a six-year professional career, including a CFL all-star nod in 2005.
Ghislaine Landry (Rugby, Class of 2010)
Ghislaine Landry made an immediate impact on StFX women’s rugby, scoring a try in her first AUS regular season match – a feat that she would repeat every time on the pitch in her four-year career. In her 2006 freshman campaign, the Toronto native led the White and Blue to their first national championship title, one in which she was named CIS rookie of the year and a first-team All-Canadian. She continued to excel on the national championship stage, garnering tournament all-star status three times as the X-Women earned consecutive silver medals in 2008 and 2009. In 2007, Landry earned the first of back-to-back CIS player of the year awards, and the second of four first-team All-Canadian nods. The four-time AUS most valuable player left an indelible mark on the conference record book, including bests in career points (352) and tries (70), along with points scored in a single game (35), tries in a single game (seven) and tries in a single season (22). A four-time StFX female athlete of the year award recipient, Ghislaine enjoyed a highly successful career with the Canadian national women’s sevens program, becoming one of the highest scoring players in the world and winning a 2016 Summer Olympic Games bronze medal.
Peter ‘Doc’ Ryan (Basketball, Class of 1978, 79)
The insight and basketball expertise from Peter ‘Doc’ Ryan has been guiding basketball student-athletes at StFX University for over three decades. The two-time StFX graduate enjoyed a playing career with both the X-Men and UQTR, as well as a stint with Canada’s men’s national team. After moving into the coaching ranks, first as head coach with the Dalhousie Tiger men’s team, Ryan returned to his alma mater in 1988 to take the helm of the X-Women basketball program, which he led for 17 seasons until 2006. The White and Blue won an AUAA crown in 1998, and he was named conference coach of the year in 2000. Ryan, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York and Montreal, has been an associate coach with the X-Men basketball program since 2008, providing key technical and video analysis, along with mentorship of X-Men student-athletes. His loyalty to StFX basketball has been exceptional, not only in years served, but as evidenced by his recent Canada Basketball recognition highlighting Black Canadian players and coaches, involving a financial component he directed towards StFX student-athlete scholarships for BIPOC athletes. Doc also provided his coaching talents to Canada’s men’s national program for 12 seasons as part of his almost 50-year commitment to the sport of basketball.
2010 StFX X-Women Rugby Team
The X-Women captured the rugby program’s second CIS national championship with a thrilling 17-12 overtime victory over the Concordia Stingers in Peterborough, Ontario – the culmination of a second-to-none season. After finishing the AUS season undefeated (6-0) – a campaign in which they scored 406 points and surrendered only six – the White and Blue, led by head coach Mike Cavanagh, won its 13th consecutive conference championship with a convincing 57-0 home victory over the Acadia Axewomen. The 2010 X-Women national championship team includes: Katie Archibald, Asya Bartley, Amanda Bedard, Tyson Beukeboom, Bobbi Jo Cronk, Olivia DeMerchant, Vanessa Duffley, Julie Emmerson, Jamee George, Stephanie Gillis, Tina Hansen, Elizabeth Hardy, Magali Harvey, Jessica Jacobs, Casey Jones, Stephanie MacKinnon, Jillian MacLaren, Courtnay Malcolm, Daniela Mayo, Alison McGlashen, Lisa McGrath, Beth McNeill, Victoria Middelton, Alex Munroe, Kaily Neill, Cassie Osins, Megan Pritchard, Meaghan Porter, Emma Taylor, Amanda Thornborough, Sarah Thorsen, Jayme Ward, Lauren Wilks, Laura Nickelo (student therapist), Brendon Sampson (student therapist), Mary Giles (graduate assistant), Annette Duggan (manager), Tara Sutherland (assistant coach), Steve Clapperton (assistant coach) and Mike Cavanagh (head coach).
